Personal Experiences If I Could Start Over: What I’d Do Differently as a Fighter Healing from Disordered Eating Posted on January 21, 2026January 21, 2026 By Angela Chang We call starvation “fight camp” and treat extreme restriction as dedication. For so many years, I believed I had to earn my food and shrink my body to be taken seriously. If I could start over, I’d stop chasing someone else’s ideal and start prioritizing power over aesthetics. This is what I’ve learned about healing from disordered eating while staying in the sport. Read more
Fighting and Training Do Women Need to Cut Weight Differently From Men? (The Science) Posted on December 14, 2025December 14, 2025 By Angela Chang Just do what he does” is dangerous advice. From hormonal cycles to body composition, female physiology operates on a completely different set of rules than men’s. If you’ve ever felt like your weight cut was fighting against you, you weren’t wrong—you were just using a map drawn for a man. Here is how to finally cut weight for the body you actually have. Read more
Fighting and Training Stop Starving Yourself: The Science-Based Weight Cut Protocols That Actually Work Posted on November 7, 2025November 7, 2025 By Angela Chang Weight cutting is one of the most anxiety-inducing parts of fight preparation. It’s also one of the most misunderstood.The combat sports world is drowning in bro-science, outdated “traditional techniques”, and straight-up bad information. We’ve been conditioned to believe that suffering equals success; that if you’re not miserable, dehydrated, and starving, you’re not doing it right.If no one’s told you this yet: You don’t have to starve yourself. A smart, strategic weight cut based on actual science is not only easier and safer, it’s far more effective. Read more
Fighting and Training Training Hard vs Abuse – Where’s the Line? Posted on September 26, 2025September 8, 2025 By Angela Chang Muay Thai glorifies pushing limits. Anyone who chooses to step into this world quickly learns that discipline, resilience, and perseverance are non-negotiable. The mantra of “no pain, no gain” can feel empowering… until it becomes a justification for practices that endanger both physical and mental well-being. There’s a very fine line that gets blurred far too often in Muay Thai and other combat sports: the line between training hard and enduring abuse. Read more
Fighting and Training The Science of Shin Conditioning: A Fighter’s Guide to Bone Adaptation Posted on August 29, 2025August 19, 2025 By Angela Chang If you’ve spent any time in a Muay Thai gym or scrolling through social media and fight forums, you’ve probably seen people smashing their shins with bottles, rolling pins, or even kicking trees in the name of “shin conditioning.” The idea is that you need to actively toughen your bones and deaden your nerves if you want to be able to kick hard and block kicks without breaking down. This is especially common among beginners. When their shins hurt from kicking bags, pads, or sparring, they might think the pain comes from having “weak shins,” leading them to believe that they need to actively make their bones tougher and their nerves less sensitive to improve. Read more
Fighting and Training Signs a Gym is Actually Women-Friendly (And Why It’s More Complicated Than You Think) Posted on August 22, 2025August 9, 2025 By Angela Chang One of the most common questions I get is: “Do you know any women-friendly Muay Thai gyms?” I wish the answer was as easy as handing you a list. But here’s the truth: what makes a gym “women-friendly” isn’t as simple as having a few women on the mat.It’s one of the most basic and understandably asked questions. It comes from those completely new and wanting to start their Muay Thai journey, as well as from seasoned practitioners looking for a change in environment but unsure of what to look for before forking over high monthly training fees. Yet, it’s also a question that’s deeply nuanced and difficult to answer. In this article, I’ll break down why the question is so complex, what you should really be looking for, and then give you a starting checklist you can use when evaluating a gym. Read more