KOCHI: Dawn breaks early at the Regional Sports Center (RSC) in Kadavanthra, where grunts and shuffling screeches from its boxing academy welcome one. From eight-year-old children to adults, both men and women, follow the stern instructions given by their coach. Their zest fills the air. Boxing has always been popular in the city, but at a latent level. Now, however, it is on the rise and getting mainstreamed. Also, across Kerala, there is a welcome trend of more women and girls entering the...

KOCHI: “There is a tendency to get bored when workouts are identical. MMA is different. You never know the routines that await you every day,” says Monica Lal. Once an overweight child, she joined former wrestler Jophil C Lal’s Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fitness classes in Panampilly Nagar years ago. “I used to always leave gyms halfway for the very reason - the same machines, the same workouts. But I transformed after attending MMA sessions. And I’ve developed a passion towards it,” she...