WORKOUT REVIEW: BEGINNER MUAY THAI, HYBRID MMA

I've been missing out on boxing classes the last month since our favorite kickboxing coach (Hi Ari!) took off to bake a bun in her oven, so I naturally jumped at doing a beginner Muay Thai lesson at the newly opened Hybrid MMA.

First impressions when I stepped in: Damn, this space. Iz naaaaiiiiice.

The gym has a really big MMA mat space, complete with all the equipment and tools you need for your workout. The other half is filled with weights stations and machines, where PT sessions take place. 

Hybrid's mainstay is MMA and it offers Brazilian Jiujitsu, boxing and Muay Thai, as well as striking lessons, HIIT classes, judo for kids and a pretty menacing-sounding Hurt Locker class. 

Katie and I picked the perfect time to glove up: a Friday evening after a challenging work week - much better to take your frustrations out on a bag than to get yourself arrested after clocking someone. (Perhaps it'll soon be time for me to try out some Hurt Lockering. Or for my boss to be, uhm, Hurt Lockered?)

Our coach Corey started out the Muay Thai session with a refresher on how to wrap our hands, which was very useful and something I'd forgotten after getting too lazy and just slipping into handgloves the last year. We warmed up with some simple plyo shuffles and hip openers before diving straight into striking drills.

What I really liked about the class was how technical Corey got. Because the class was so small (just me and Katie that evening), he really took the time to observe our stance, correct and adjust our strikes and kicks, and give us advice on how to follow through with our basics. I also really loved that we were constantly on the move - if I wasn't striking or kicking, I was holding the pads or bag for Katie's turn (and trust me, that requires so much more core than it appears to need). 

We did many rounds of jabs, crosses, uppercuts, hooks combinations, which made the class super cerebral at all times. We had to commit to remembering the combi no matter whether we were striking or holding up the pad (miss a move and risk getting socked in the face!), and I thought that was really good practice for staying alert during a real fight. 

I'm used to most of my boxing sessions being cardio-focused, so it was really ace to do one so focused on technique. 

Moving on to the kicking rounds, we got on the bag and I got some really good tips on my straight kicks and how to get the most power out of them (lean back more, free hand always protecting my face). Corey asked if I had any karate background based on my kicking, and I had to admit that my practice and flexibility comes from extending my legs to fetch the remote control with my foot while sitting on the couch. See, I knew I was honing my talent.

(And you can also see how patient poor Corey was with two girls who were getting high with the giggles at the impending weekend)

Seriously though, the hour-long class was such a good session of refining my basics and correcting my technique that I could really see Hybrid's calling card shining through. It's an MMA specialist and it shows.

And of course, after a sweaty sesh which saw my arms and core getting really sore, Hybrid's bathrooms are a sight to behold. The sleek automatic lockers, indulgent Loccitane shower products, and a very strong rain shower... Iz naiiiiiice.

And as a female who has lost every single hair tie she's ever owned, this sight made me do a huge awwwwww!

Besides a full box of hair ties, the female bathroom also provides sanitary napkins, tampons and all the things you might need in any form of gender-specific emergencies. I really appreciated the little touches that made my visit extremely comfy and convenient.

Plus, they carry my favorite Barebells strawberry and chocolate protein shakes, so that's another tick in the box for me!

I had a lot of fun and really enjoyed the Muay Thai lesson. I'll definitely be back to hone my natural karate kid kicks (hurr hurr, you heard that, husband?) or to jab-cross out any work week frustrations!

Hybrid MMA
13F Entertainment Building
Central
Hong Kong
+852-3468-7702