Crouching Tiger’s JuJu Chan on why more Hong Kong women do muay Thai

JuJu Chan Yuk-wan is an action movie actress who doesn’t need a stunt double. Nicknamed “the female Bruce Lee”, she is also a muay Thai fighter and instructor, and is passionate about both careers.

Chan, who plays the character Silver Dart Shi in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny, holds the 2014 belt for the 46kg WMC The One Legend Thai Boxing Championship (Hong Kong). She had more than enough martial arts experience to hold her own on the film set against long termers such as Donnie Yen Ji-dan and Michelle Yeoh. She has also represented Hong Kong in taekwondo championships, and previously practised judo, karate, kung fu – wing chun and Hung kuen – and nunchucks.

READ MORE – Young and dangerous: Hong Kong’s women muay Thai boxing champions

She also has a softer side, as a former beauty pageant winner, singer-songwriter and author.

These days, when she’s not on the film set, Chan is one of the star coaches at Fight Factory Gym (FFG) in Central, where she teaches muay Thai and functional training classes for women three times a week. About 40 per cent of muay Thai students at FFG are women, she says.

“Muay Thai is definitely getting more and more popular now, not only because it’s a very good cardio workout, it also helps women gain self-defence skills. Moreover, it helps build a strong, confident and healthy image for a woman,” she says.

“When I am away for film projects, my students will need to take a short break from my classes. But I will give them some self-practice material to keep up their workout and skills. I also have a group chat with my students for them to ask any fitness and martial arts questions.”