FaMA - Fitness and Martial Arts, true to its open-door-train-with-everyone policy kicked off 2019 with a series of seminars for members and non-members.
Since opening its doors three years ago, FaMA has always welcomed martial artists and fitness enthusiasts from across the globe regardless of their belt rank or achievements to train at its facility.
Over the years, FaMA has organised a steady stream of seminars for members to give them an opportunity to learn from world champions and expose them to different styles of training. These seminars are also open to the general public, directly influencing those who attend to better themselves through fitness and martial arts.
This month, FaMA hosted three different seminars over two weekends to start the year with a bang. First up was Ladies Muay Thai with Muay Thai World Champion Kru Saifah Sor Suparat, or Kru Fah, as she is known among her students.
Kru Fah, a Muay Thai World Champion from Chiang Mai, Thailand has been a Guest Instructor at FaMA for several weeks and took the opportunity to share some of her favourite techniques to a group of passionate and eager to learn ladies.
Women from various martial arts background ranging from absolute beginners to those who have had several years of training attended the seminar to learn Kru Fah’s favourite technique in the art of eight limbs.
Muay Thai or Thai boxing, as some of you may know, is a striking martial art from Thailand that uses fists, elbows, knees, and shins along with various clinching techniques. Muay Thai became popular in the 20th century when Thai fighters began competing in kickboxing, mixed rules matches, as well as matches under Muay Thai rules around the world.
Next up was a grappling seminar BJJ for Judo/Judo for BJJ conducted by Judo Black Belt and two time Southeast Asian Games’ medallist Timothy Loh Yu. Timothy showed two main techniques that every Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner should have in his or her arsenal - Kibosh Gaeshi (ankle pick) and Ippon Seoi Nage (one arm shoulder throw).
“Judo is a very fast paced martial art with many quick changes in direction. Our training involves many explosive and quick reaction drills. Supplementing this into the BJJ practitioners training would improve their game overall. We as judokas also work a lot on developing a very strong base and with that comes a great sense of balance and weight distribution which is a grappling essential,” said Timothy after the seminar.
“I was really happy with the huge turnout and the amazing opportunity to work with the people from the BJJ community. Judo and BJJ are such similar grappling forms and with each specialising in different aspects of the game, there is so much we can learn from each other. We would also like to keep this going and do more BJJ/Judo seminars in the future,” he added.
Lastly, before January was over, Kru Fah conducted a second seminar, Championship Muay Thai, but this time it was open to everyone. Dozens of people turned up to train with the World Champion to learn some of her striking setups and favourite attacks in the clinch.
As the year goes on, expect FaMA to host more seminars and events that will be beneficial to members and the general public.
FaMA - Fitness and Martial Arts Established in 2016, FaMA is a world-class martial arts training facility located in the heart of the Central Business District in Singapore. Walking distance from the Clarke Quay MRT station, FaMA’s main goal is to help people improve their lives through martial arts regardless of age or athletic capability. Each program is led by experts in their respective fields. Whether it is weight loss, a fun workout, camaraderie, competition training, or just to break a sweat, FaMA has something for everyone.
Muay Thai
Muay Thai, or The Art of Eight Limbs, is a martial art developed in Thailand thousands of years ago to help the Kingdom protect itself against invaders. Using the human body as a weapon, Muay Thai practitioners are well-versed in punching, elbowing, kicking, kneeing, and clinching with their opponents. What was once only used for self-defence and protection of the Kingdom, Muay Thai has grown to become one of the most popular sports not only in Thailand but in the world. Muay Thai is known to provide a complete total-body workout that will help build lean muscle, core strength, and help with weight loss. At FaMA, Muay Thai classes are taught daily by Tanaphong Khunhankaew, or better known as Kru Ping, and Kru Jerel Louie.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, or BJJ as it is commonly known around the world, is a self-defence martial art that enables a smaller, weaker person to protect themselves against a much larger attacker using leverage and pressure. Formed from Kodokan Judo in Japan, Jiu Jitsu found its way to Brazil in the 1910s through Mitsuyo Maeda, a Japanese judoka and no-holds-barred prize fighter. During his time in Brazil, Maeda accepted a young Carlos Gracie as his student. Carlos would later pass on his knowledge to his brothers, most notably Helio Gracie - the father of modern Brazilian Jiujitsu. The Gracie family would go on to spread BJJ through The Gracie Challenge and eventually the creation of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Today, BJJ has grown to be more than just an effective unarmed fighting system. It helps young children deal with bullies and adults live a healthy lifestyle. BJJ classes are offered daily at FaMA under the tutelage of Black Belts Zoro Moreira, Robyn Goudy and Thiago Gaspary.
FaMA Fit
An all-in-one fitness class suitable for everyone, FaMA Fit incorporates moves from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, Boxing and Kickboxing together with functional training to help develop flexibility, mobility, strength, balance, and stamina. For beginners who are just starting out, the FaMA Fit Fundamentals class is an entry-level program that will work the entire body. FaMA Fit and FaMA Fit Fundamentals classes are run by professional athlete Coach Kirstie Gannaway.