Two local kickboxers, Morgan Holling and Bob MacMillan, training out of Campbell River, fought on the Fury V Kickboxing card in Victoria Friday Sept. 14.
The Fury V event featured eight kickboxing matches with amateur fighters from across Canada.
Holling, who took his fight on less than 24 hours’ notice, fought a catch weight exhibition match against a tough, young fighter out of Victoria. The tightly-contested battle went the full three rounds, featuring precise striking by both competitors. Holling continually snapped his opponent’s head back with stiff jabs and landed powerful roundhouse kicks to his adversary’s body. Due to the match being an exhibition, no winner was declared.
Later in the night, Bob Macmillan, who is a teacher at Southgate Middle School, stepped into the ring against Stephen Najera of Duncan. Once again, the fight went the distance with MacMillan taking home a unanimous decision win. MacMillan’s constant pressure, highlighted by some brutal cut kicks to the thigh of Najera and hard knees in the clinch, sealed the decision.
“It was a real rush,” MacMillan said afterwards. “At 40, I never thought I would be doing something like this, but under our coach, Kru Sandra Bastian, and with the help of an amazing team, I am in the best shape of my life.”
Holling and MacMillan are part of an ever-growing, and ever-improving, Muay Thai kickboxing team based out of the Heart and Soul Muay Thai gym in Campbelton. Currently, the group dubbed “Team Bastian,” features 11 active fighters who have been competing all over Canada and the US during the past two years.
Their Kru, or coach, Sandra Bastian, is a former World Champion Muay Thai Kickboxer with over 50 amateur and professional fights to her credit.
“We are so fortunate to have someone of Kru Sandra’s calibre in Campbell River. When you consider what she has achieved in the sport of Muay Thai, it is like having Trevor Linden or Henrik Sedin coaching the Campbell River Storm,” said MacMillan. “Although she is much tougher than either of those guys,” he added with a grin.
Bastian’s gym, Heart and Soul Muay Thai, recently had its grand opening on Sunday, Sept. 16, and is currently accepting new members. Of course, you don’t have to have dreams of fighting in the ring to join. Heart and Soul is an inclusive gym which offers classes to children up to people in their 80’s.
“We offer something for everyone. Beginner classes, advanced lessons, ladies only classes, children’s classes, private lessons and bootcamps.” Said Bastian.
If you would like more information about Heart and Soul Muay Thai, you can visit their website at www.heartandsoulmuaythai.com or their Facebook page.
Next up for Team Bastian is a big Muay Thai Kickboxing Card in Calgary on Oct. 20 where Morgan Holling, Jordan Howes and Kaitlynn Jorgensen are scheduled to fight.