Two Bunbury Muay Thai fighters will test their skills and face up to the challenge of competition later this year.
Odine’s Martial Arts Centre students Chris Morten and Ross Oldham will compete in November 11’s Evolve tournament in Perth.
Morten took up Muay Thai two years ago, having always had an interest in combat sports.
The fighter is training three to four days per week at the centre, as well as a bit extra at home, in the lead up to November’s event.
His regiment includes sprints, sparring, pad work, wall running and “not eating much” to reduce weight.
Morten appears confident, having won his last fight in June by decision.
Morten admitted he has found the training regiment and schedule immensely satisfying. “Between Gary [Odine] and Jason [Lea] it’s pretty good,” he said.
When asked about the transition from training/exercise to competition, he gave a brutally honest answer: “I wasn’t good at any other sport, so I thought getting punched in the face was pretty straight forward [laughs]”.
“It can get mentally draining but it’s also mentally rewarding at the same time, for example when you’re cutting weight that can get a bit mentally draining.
“Seeing the results in the end makes it all worthwhile.”
Oldham took up the martial art two years ago to overcome mental issues and get active.
“I’ve done martial arts before, for a long time, and Jason introduced me to Muay Thai and it’s changed my world,” he said.
Oldham is “all systems go” in the lead up to his fight, training every night for two to three hours.
The five-days-per-week schedule includes running every second day, strength and conditioning, and pad work.
Evolve marks the fighter’s first Muay Thai competition.
“With all my issues I’ve been dealing with it’s been a big of a test so I just wanted to test myself a bit further and see how far I can go,” he said.
Oldham thoroughly recommended Muay Thai, saying it provided a buzz and improved health, fitness and mindset.
“We’re here pretty much every night, there’s lots of classes to choose from. I’d highly recommended it for any age group, really,” he said.
“Come down and give it a shot, it’s a good, friendly bunch down here as well.”