Kickboxing, Muay Thai programs pack a punch

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This article was published 11/09/2014 (4206 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Young girls now have the chance to learn some valuable fighting skills from a two-time Muay Thai champion.

Trisha Sammons, head trainer at Winnipeg Women’s Kickboxing and Muay Thai (1777 Portage Ave.), usually teaches the disciplines to teenage girls and women, but the 35-year-old Tuxedo resident began offering a girls-only class, for girls between the ages of 11 to 15, on Sept. 5.

Sammons, who has been doing Muay Thai for 15 years, offered a kids’ camp over the summer as a pilot project. About 10 girls attended the camp, and the response was positive.

“Their parents really wanted me to stick with it, so I ended up throwing in another class,” Sammons said.

Girls who sign up for the program will train for three months, depending on when they registered. Classes take place at the St. James-based gym on Friday evenings from 5 to 6 p.m. and early Sunday afternoons from noon to 1 p.m. The program is $200.

Two-time Canadian Muay Thai champion Sammons said at the camp, the girls can expect to learn self-defence, keep in shape, have fun, and meet new friends.

“Kickboxing (is) mainly kicking and punching. (There will be) a lot of pad work. You’ll be partnered up with a partner, and doing a lot of work with them,” Sammons said. “Muay Thai — we do a lot of knees and throws and stuff like that.”

Sammons said she opened up a women’s gym mainly to teach self-defence to women as well as to provide a safe and comfortable exercising environment for these women.

“Being in other gyms, I remember walking to some gyms and it was pretty intimidating with a lot of guys there,” Sammons said. “Other women may be uncomfortable with their physique and feel uncomfortable. In here, it’s all women and they don’t really get judged.”

Sammons is a mother to four children, and said it’s important for young people to know basic self-defense skills.

“Obviously you have to protect yourself anywhere, such as when you’re being bullied,” Sammons said.

Sammons said learning kickboxing and Muay Thai will also help young girls learn how to speak up for themselves and build confidence.

“A lot of younger girls need that boost,” Sammons said.

Girls interested in registering for the program can do so by emailing Sammons at tsammons2008@yahoo.ca or calling 204-930-6780. Sammons also recommends visiting the gym to check out the facility beforehand.

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