Editor’s note: Yay, another contributor! Let’s give a warm welcome to Christina, who shares her Wanchai muay thai experience with us in her first post…

I’ve noticed that a lot of people you wouldn’t deem fitness-obsessed have gotten into Muay Thai boxing, so when my friend Phoebe opened up Rush Studio in Wanchai opposite The Pawn, I figured I’d sign up for a trial class and see if it really could become the exercise regime of choice for a semi-reformed couch potato like myself.

The cozy studio utlizes an open floor plan, with a boxing ring in the middle, a row of punching bags by a window and another sparring area on the other side. Classes are organized according to a schedule, unless you book privates, but usually even group classes are divided into two sections, with one instructor taking beginners and another teaching intermediates.

Our beginner class kicked off with a warm-up session, followed by group movements — sort of like your typical aerobics class, but more punching and kicking. The emphasis was on form, rather than power, and even for a novice fighter like myself the steps were easy enough to follow (even remembering them in sequence later was easy, and my muscle memory is horrifically bad).

We were then allowed to don boxing gloves and practice the same moves on punching bags. Although… I’m not sure which or who was the punching bag, really. When that thing swings back and forth as you attempt to kick it, it comes into contact with your shin more often than is comfortable… but I’m sure that’s a condition that’s alleviated with practice. The final portion of the class involved one-on-one sparring — ie the instructor holding up giant foam pads in various directions and heights and having you practice punching and kicking.

With the exception of one girl, who got kicked in the face by her overzealous neighbour (evil laugh), this was a relatively easy experience for everyone, but still a good enough workout to get you sweaty. I wouldn’t recommend it necessarily for someone who’s looking for a hardcore consistent cardio programme (for that, go bootcamp!), but it certainly is fun and a good way to get moving — and beef up your self-defence skills.

Prices for a trial class are HK$120 and HK$190 for regulars, with monthly unlimited memberships costing HK$1,360. Check out www.rushstudio.asia for class schedules and more info.