Can MuayThai change girls’ lives?

You know how so many boxing films are set around the mean streets of some nasty city and our hero gets saved by the ring? Well, this week’s video is a real-life version of that with a Thai twist.

Plus heroines of course …

Elite Boxing Gym in Bangkok is joining with  local charity SATI to teach self-defence to teens living out on the streets or almost on the streets. Thailand has a lovely paradise-feel to it if you’re a wealthy tourist but for these women life revolves around staying safe.

The EFN Champions League event tomorrow sees the launch of a ‘Muay Ying’ campaign, meaning Girl Boxing or Female Boxing. The fightcard also includes four women so the separate empowerment campaign isn’t just lip-service.  These fights are promoted by Ms Pariyakorn Ratanasuban ( Khun Oh) who was the first female promoter in Thailand on a grand scale, and a great driver of change in women’s boxing.

It’s sounds quite idealistic but after watching the video, which blogger Melissa Ray from MuayThai on the Brain tweeted, I’m a convert.

We see two teens talking about quitting drugs, wanting to live clean. They’re from a small town miles away from Bangkok, probably can’t go home for shame/ loss of face reasons but seem to be finding a new family. I know, I know corny but those movies always have a kernel of truth to them.

Mod, a female trainer from Elite Boxing, is taking the classes. And looking at the girls’ faces as they see how strong she is kicking the pads, tells me this could really work. Elite Boxing are funding the work through SATI which makes it more sustainable than a one-off donation too. Let’s see if this pans out.

Have a look, and tell us what you think?