8 reasons you need to pick up a fighting sport

“Fighting keeps you engaged and challenged,” says Nurshahidah, who holds the Universal Boxing Organisation (UBO) Female Intercontinental super-featherweight title.

Repetitive lunges and squats take a backseat at training sessions. The focus here is building technique and learning a new skill. There are many different disciplines to try, which keeps it interesting, adds Tiffany, who started with taekwondo before learning muay thai and then MMA.

Training is intense, warns Nurshahidah. “But that also equates to more calories burned.” That’s because training in fighting sports incorporates a balance workout that includes physical conditioning, technical combat skills like how to strike, out-manoeuvre opponents or combine moves. Fighting requires both agility and strength, and is guaranteed to get your heart pumping.

In a fight, you have to be quick on your feet. Training improves your hand-eye coordination to keep you nimble and enable to you dodge and deliver swift blows.
           

“Your overall reflexes and reaction time will improve as a result,” Nurshahidah says. This keeps your brain sharp and helps to slow down the effects of ageing.

“Unfortunately, women are more vulnerable to threats to physical safety,” Tiffany says. “We cannot always control our circumstances, but we have some control over the outcome if we learn to protect ourselves.”

Even a basic fighting sport like boxing can help to synchronise your mind and body to respond and take on an attacker.

You can expect scrapes and bruises while training, but in the long run your technique will become more refined so you can avoid injury more effectively too. 

Nurshahidah says, “It is satisfying to know that after training and working hard, I can now defend myself.”

“When you’re physically fit and you know you can defend yourself, your self-confidence builds,” explains Tiffany. This confidence will spill over into other aspects of your life and help you perform better at work too, as it motivates you to set higher goals and put more effort into the tasks you have to accomplish.

While it builds confidence, fighting also keeps you humble. Nurshahidah says that even with years of training, fighting has remained challenging and she is continually improving herself.

Her biggest test to date is the upcoming Singapore Fighting Championship (SFC) on Nov 12, 2016 (tickets are $45 each, available at http://www.singaporefightingchampionships.com/ ) where she will be competing against World Champion Boxer Gentiane “AAA” Lupi of New Zealand for the Pro Boxing WBA Oceania Super Featherweight title.

Tiffany agrees that fighting makes you a better person. She adds: “It has taught me patience, humility and discipline. These three characteristics benefit me both inside and outside the ring.”

Fighting is a great outlet to let out all your negative emotions, says Nurshahidah. Not only is it a form of cathartic release, it also helps you to reduce anxiety and increase focus.

The best part is you don’t have to be very athletic to start out with, as Tiffany assures us: “Beginners can start with boxing because it’s very straightforward. The basic punches – jabs, straights and hooks – are easy to learn.”

“Another striking fight sport appropriate for beginners is kickboxing,” says Nurshahidah. “Once you’ve mastered the basics, you can move on to other types of fighting sports.”