Women boxers follow fight club trend in Macau and Hong Kong

Mixed martial arts (MMA) is making waves in Hong Kong thanks to ViuTV’s reality show, G-1 Fight Club. Boxing has become the latest fitness trend beyond the screen, as the rise of commercial boxing clubs has attracted growing numbers of women.

It is difficult during any stroll on the streets to avoid all the advertisements for fitness clubs. The achievements of Hong Kong featherweight fighter Rex Tso Sing-yu, who has won all 20 professional bouts, has hogged the headlines for the sport, but there are more movers and shakers behind its rise.

“After the Sars [outbreak in 2003], people in Hong Kong became more concerned about their health,” Ken Chow, chief instructor at Diamond Thai Boxing & Fitness, says. “People are now more willing to spend money and time on workouts such as yoga, weight training and martial arts. The latter is more interactive and therefore, the preferred option [for most].”

Chow says boxing’s more dynamic nature, as opposed to gym exercises, means that it holds greater appeal for white-collar urbanites who want to make the most of their leisure time. Learning the fundamentals of boxing requires combat with the instructor, an intense form of activity which offers an opportunity to unwind from the stresses of work and is also a great way to lose weight.

Unlike many old-style boxing clubs, the new kind of clubs are best described as boxing-themed fitness centres which appeal to women who want to get fit. “The sport of boxing has changed a lot in the past decade,” Chow says. “The old generation boxing clubs focused only on competitions, while classes nowadays are fitness-oriented.”

The new generation boxing classes turn aggressive moves into aerobic routines that strengthen different muscles while reducing the risk of injury. In the old days, boxing instructors offered monotonous and combative content. Clubs nowadays offer classes consisting of various martial arts, such as karate, judo, Brazilian jujitsu and MMA, so students can choose the most suitable kind for themselves.

“Martial art students don’t have to be worried about getting injured,” Chow says. “Most students used to be male but now there may be seven or eight girls fighting with one or two men – especially in commercial fitness clubs. In the old days you would see a bunch of boys kicking and punching in a boxing club; now most students are female, especially office ladies.”