FIGHT NUMERO UNO

Monday, 24 April 2023. 6AM.

On a slightly chilly, Autumn morning, I stepped foot into a local Muay Thai gym for the first time in my life. 

I wasn’t sure what suddenly compelled me to take up martial arts. I’ve never been into violence. 

From a young age, I was taught that fighting is ‘bad’. That I need to avoid conflict and violence at all costs. Maybe this is why for the majority of my life, I was known as the ‘good guy’. A 6 foot tall, people-pleasing, ‘good guy’. 

After a series of personal events, I embarked on a self-improvement journey in late December 2022 / early 2023. Somehow,  Muay Thai ended up being next on my self-improvement ‘to-do’ list. 

Maybe I was searching for something to boost my self-confidence, because there were insecurities I struggled with, insecurities that no one else knew. 

Maybe I was sick and tired of the frequent need to seek validation from others. 

Maybe I wanted to be seen as a more masculine and assertive dude. 

Maybe it was the IG reel that said “If you’re a man, you need to learn how to fight”.

Regardless of my reasons, I stood outside the gym, ready to do something that will quite literally change the trajectory of my life. 

I was absolutely horrendous when I first started. Coming from years of only lifting in the gym, I was tight f*cking everywhere, and my cardio was miles off from where it needed to be. 

But I persevered. Some other new-comers came and went, but I committed to showing up 4 times a week. I did not miss a day, not even once. 

Very slowly, over the next 6-8 months, I started noticing improvements. The techniques started making more sense. My hips were freeing up, allowing me to kick higher. I started to understand what my coach meant by “reading your opponent” during sparring. 

Things started falling into place. And I started falling in love with this art of 8 limbs.

February 2024. Phuket, Thailand.

After contemplating for weeks on whether I should take a solo trip to Thailand to train and further improve myself at this craft, I said “f*ck it” and booked everything I needed for my 3-week adventure. 

Situating myself in the famous “Fitness Street” or “Soi ta-iad”, I did nothing but trained 5 times a week. OK, I lied. I also filled myself with multiple plates of Chicken Pad Thai, bowls of Tom Yum soup, Boat Noodles etc., but you get the point. 

In the blistering heat and under the guidance of fantastic coaches and training partners, I continued to improve. During a warm-down in one of the training sessions, I suddenly realised I could touch my toes for the first time in 26 years of my life. 

This newfound flexibility gave me even more confidence and being in an environment where signing up for fights (i.e. amateur / pro fights) is a norm, I started contemplating on when I should sign up for my first fight.

Present Day.

Coming back home to Melbourne, Australia, the thought of signing up for my first fight stuck with me.

I understood I had to continue training hard and cannot afford to take my foot off the pedal. My trip to Thailand refreshed my perspective on how training should be - Hard. It should scare you a little, makes you wonder if you should rock up to the next session. Because it is in these environments that you will experience the most growth. 

So I started my search for a gym which prioritises even more hard work, grit, discipline, and sweat. Lots of sweat. And I was fortunate to find one. 

Over the past five months, I’ve continued to dedicate myself to training 4 times a week. I’ve missed one day maybe 2-3 times.

Muay Thai has taught me so much about life, and it has given me the opportunity to meet some incredible people, both local and overseas. It has given me much more than what I could offer back. 

The least I can do in return is to showcase my respect and commitment to this art publicly via my first inter-club fight on 28 July 2024. 

I’m not sure where this journey will take me. I’ve been thinking of eventually signing up for Amateurs, maybe even a pro fight. 

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Let’s focus on just the one coming up around the corner. 

Let’s go and f*cking kill it.