This is Why You Should Sign up for an MMA Class

 Unleash your inner warrior

There’s so much to celebrate about being a woman. I mean, good sense of judgement and great looks aside; we can kick some serious ass! It’s such a shame that martial arts and strength-based exercises have, in the past, been labelled as predominantly ‘male’, because why should we shy away based on a generalisation? So when the opportunity to take part in Warrior Academy’s 11-week, all female MMA programme arose I was immediately keen. One session in and I was hooked (boxing pun intended!).

In partnership with IMPI World Series, the programme had been designed to challenge, empower and mentor lean, mean and dangerous ladies across Hong Kong. And with the option to actually fight in the World Series at the end of the 11 weeks, all of us who signed up were taken out of our comfort zones as we soldiered on to build confidence, muscle and hone some serious self defence skills. Only having dabbled in the odd kick boxing class in the past, I came in a complete novice but left with a burning desire to (despite humbly turning down the fight!) continue my progress at Warrior Academy. So if you’ve been thinking about trying it out or are unsure of where to start, this is why you should sign up for an MMA class, even if it’s just once…

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You’ll get (fighting) fit

Not only does punching something (or someone) burn some serious cals, but after a couple of classes you’ll also soon start to notice a huge difference in your stamina. All in the name, Mixed Martial Arts adopts a ton of different techniques, which ensure that you’re ‘match’ ready and that much closer towards meeting your fitness goals.

Far from a gym bunny, I was a little unsure as to whether I’d be able to keep up, but I quickly got my head around the fact that that’s not what my sessions were about. Instead of worrying about my level of fitness I dove headfirst into the sessions and essentially, ran, wrestled and punched my butt off in the weeks that followed. Led by experts ‘in the field’, the programme runs five days a week and covers all types of training, i.e. Mondays were cardio (a killer start to the week), whereas Tuesdays were purely grappling and technique, which kept the sessions fresh, interesting and gave my poor, aching body time to (somewhat!) recover.

You’ll learn essential self-defence skills

From punches and kicks to takedowns and chokeholds, you’ll add a ton of moves to your repertoire! Sadly, there is a need to think about our personal safety and it totally pays to be prepared for sticky situations. And even if you only take a martial class once in your life, having one self-defence move ‘in the bank’ may just help.

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Your confidence will soar

And with that in mind, if by learning a couple of these moves equip you with the confidence to fight back, it would then be worth it.

I found that my confidence had strengthened mentally, too. Waking up at 7am and starting my morning with a round of circuit training, bag work or even a sparring session prepped me for the day ahead and was an awesome way to release stress. And as I built muscle, I became more assured in appearance and myself too.

I’ve never been one for ‘traditional’ workouts, running on a treadmill and lifting weights in a gym just isn’t for me, so knowing that my workouts were varied, fun and packed a serious punch kept me motivated and looking forward to the hours ahead – even after a night at the races…

Read more: Five Female-Focused Fitness Classes in Hong Kong

Interested in the next round? Email [email protected] for all the deets or to register your interest!

Warrior Academy 1/F Hong Kong Plaza, 188 Connaught Road West, Shek Tong Tsui, Hong Kong www.warrioracademyhk.com