I started training in kickboxing 20 years ago and progressed through semi-contact tournaments to full contact fighting for Kick’s gym in Brighton.

A friend I trained with had competed in Muay Thai previously and I was drawn to the added complexity of striking with low kicks, knees and elbows that full Muay Thai rules competition involves. After learning a little from my friend, I travelled to Thailand and spent several months training full-time in a Muay Thai training camp near Chiang Mai – this involved two 3-4 hour training sessions per day, 6 days per week. I ended up living with a Thai family near the gym, teaching their kids English in between training sessions to pay for my food and board.

I was inspired by the kind, gentle and compassionate nature of the Thai’s I was living and training with and how that stood in stark contrast to their absolute ferocity and power in the Thai boxing ring.

My training progressed and I was entered for my first full Muay Thai rules bout by the gym – no shin guards, full contact punches, kicks, knees and elbows allowed to the heads, legs and body.

My opponent (who I had been assured by my coach previously had ‘one fight’ experience) entered the ring like a ball of ripped, Thai muscle. His Wai Kru (traditional Thai dance used to cast out evil spirits from the ring) was a thing of beauty, he shimmered all over the ring like he was barely touching the mat – I could tell he’d done this a million times before. It later transpired he was the former Northern Thailand champion, who had previously retired and they’d given him me to blood him up a little before facing stiffer competition later.

Fighting a man who has literally done little else since childhood but learn to strike the human body with the maximum impact possible was a terrifying and brutal experience. He wasn’t the best boxer and my punches began to catch him - for the first couple of rounds I began to feel I might actually have a chance. Every time I’d land a hard punch, however, he would smile and kick the same spot on my left thigh – over and over again. In the third round my leg left literally collapsed underneath me - he had torn the muscle on my quadricep, leaving scar tissue that I can still feel to this day. I was saved from a (legal) kick to the head on my way to the canvas by a very sharp referee, but the fight was over.

I returned from Thailand and continued to compete for a couple of years under John Jarvis of the Lumpinee Muay Thai Gym in Crawley – I had mixed results including a draw against an opponent who went on to become British champion, but I was never stopped again in a Thai boxing fight. I would be the first to acknowledge that I have extremely limited natural athletic ability – I was always picked last at football, could barely run a mile growing up etc etc. Training for me gave so much to my life in terms of confidence, discipline and an understanding of what dedication requires that I held great pride in my capacity to compete in such a high level sport, even if I lost more fights in my Muay Thai career than I won.

The confidence, discipline and dedication I learned in Muay Thai had carried me in my adult life and career – I am a Team Manager in Children’s Services in Lewisham and was a front line Social Worker for a decade prior to that. Working in child protection is a difficult, dangerous and sometimes traumatising role, but my training has always given me that space to clear my mind, focus myself and then be able to continue working compassionately and effectively for the most vulnerable.

It’s these qualities of confidence, discipline and dedication that I hope to share with others through my involvement in MGM gym. We have enjoyed amazing success and hold a competitive record of 6 wins and 4 losses as a coaching team, which is excellent for a fledgling club in the highly competitive world of Muay Thai. Jonathan and Hannah have a huge amount to offer young people in Lewisham and I am proud to be part of the team.