Podcast Episodes

In this honest and heartfelt episode, host Angela Chang is joined by Dan Ferrer to discuss into the intersection of mental health and Muay Thai. As fighters and coaches themselves with more than a decade of experience each in Muay Thai, they share how the sport helped both of them navigate difficult chapters in life, and when it was necessary to get the appropriate help. Dan opens up about struggling with depression, recovering from injury, and finding strength in community, coaching, and therapy. Together, they explore how fighters (and non-fighters) can better care for their mental well-being while staying engaged with a sport they love. Whether you're a fighter, coach, or someone who just loves Muay Thai, this episode offers a candid reminder: you are more than the gym.Show notes:Follow Dan's journey and contact via:instagram.com/_danferrer_linkedin.com/in/danfnyc/Trauma-informed coaching resources:Off the Zone: Trauma-informed teaching for martial art instructors and athletes. Currently 3 online courses are available. https://www.off-the-zone.com/Conscious Combat Club: “By teaching combat in a conscious way, guided by trauma-informed principles, we aim to help people expand their window of tolerance.” Online and in-person training and a course available for coaches. https://www.consciouscombat.club/———-If you'd like to more high-quality content, please consider supporting Muay Ying through Patreon. Any amount is appreciated and it will go towards my efforts to run all the platforms Muay Ying is on, as well as create content for each of them. http://patreon.com/muayyingYou can also find us: instagram.com/muay.ying  muay-ying.comYou can find the host (Angela) via instagram.com/angelasitan or angelamuaythai.comIntro/Outro music by Maki of the Moon

A few years ago, Silvia asked me a simple question: "Why do you choose to fight?" At the time, I answered it straight from the peak of my competitive career. I still believe everything I said then… but a lot has changed since.Now, I hear my own words differently. This episode isn’t a revision of that original answer. It’s just an honest look at the layers underneath with things I couldn't see while I was still in the thick of it.In this episode, I look at the motivations that stacked up over my years of competing: from needing to prove something early on, to the quieter shift of wanting to owe it to my future self, to realizing how much I subconsciously relied on the fight life to give me structure, community, and an identity.Whether you are currently fighting and dealing with what the ring exposes, or you're going through the slow, uncomfortable process of transitioning out of an environment that structured who you are, I hope this gives some language to it.Original reply to Silvia: https://youtu.be/-n4qv0n2ubQ———-If you'd like to more high-quality content, please consider supporting Muay Ying through Patreon. Any amount is appreciated and it will go towards my efforts to run all the platforms Muay Ying is on, as well as create content for each of them. http://patreon.com/muayyingYou can also find us: instagram.com/muay.ying  muay-ying.comYou can find the host (Angela) via instagram.com/angelasitan or angelamuaythai.comIntro/Outro music by Maki of the Moon