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By Dawn Tay
TAKING a beating of 200 hard bare-knuckle punches and kicks to different parts of his body is part of normal training for karate exponent Tham Boon Kit.
The 30-year-old third-level black-belt holder is training hard for the upcoming 11th Asia Full Contact Karate Championship this Saturday.
A fitness-and-karate instructor, he is one of Singapore's bright hopes.
This is the first time Singapore is playing host to this tournament organised by Singapore Oyama Karate-Do Kyokushinkai-Kan, a branch under the sport's international organisation.
In Kyokushin karate - or full-contact karate - fighters face off in five rounds without any protective padding. Besides no hands above the neck and no kicks to the groin, everything else is fair game, and fighters fight to K.O. - knockout.
The eight-man Singapore team boasts no fewer than 12 local and international competitions under its members' belts. They will be up against heavier, top-ranked opposition - watch out for about 40 fighters from 14 other Asian countries, such as South Korea and Indonesia, who have considerable experience in world tournaments and weigh around 90kg to 100kg. The Singapore team averages around 80kg.
Said Mr Peter Chong, 68, chief instructor and president of the Singapore Oyama Karate-Do Kyokushinkai-Kan: "The Singapore team have been training hard for this tournament for the past six months, (spending) about five hours daily on their physical and mental preparation this month."
Mr Tham, who used to weigh 70kg but piled on more than 10kg in preparation for the tournament, said: "I'm fighting to do Singapore proud. I'm aiming to be one of the top seven fighters in this tournament."
The event will be held on Saturday at the Jurong East Sports and Cultural Centre from 2pm to 9pm. Ringside seats cost $80 and general admission seats, $35. Students need pay only $10 for seats.
Interested parties can call 6323-3392.
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