A
professional fighter with more
than 100 wins under his belt,
renowned coach to a
line-up of world-class
champions, and muay Thai and boxing
instructor at Epic MMA fitness and
martial arts club in Central, Ton Kunchat
is all geared up for his latest and
greatest challenge. As a first-time father,
Ton is as fearlessly passionate about
parenting as he is about his profession.
“Parenting must be done right. The
father-son relationship is very important.
I believe that children need a father
figure in their lives who can lead, protect
and mentor them,” explains Ton, who
was inspired by his own father to master
the art of muay Thai.
After an intense day of pushing his
students to, as he puts it, “Go hard or
go home!” Ton returns home to feed
and bathe his baby son, Lionel Thor.
He spends his weekends with his family
exploring new places and attending
church.
“By actively being involved in Lionel
Thor’s life, I hope to encourage him
to lead an honest and principled life
doing what he loves best,” says Ton, who
attributes his own self-discipline and
confidence to muay Thai.
A certified World Muay Thai Council
coach, Ton is no stranger to mentoring
family members to take their best
Boxing
clever
Tough in the ring, but kind and patient at home, this dad
has struck a perfect balance, writes
Angela Baura
.
shot – be it in life or in the ring. In 2011,
Ton coached his world-champion
older brother Tum to compete in, and
ultimately win, “The Challenger Muay
Thai”, a reality fighting show in Malaysia.
Ton’s family and work priorities are
effortlessly balanced, thanks to the
support of his colleagues, he says. “At
Epic, we look after each other and share
our workload as a unit. When I need to
take my son to the doctor, for example,
we work around each other to make
it possible. My happy and rewarding
work life inherently transfers into my
personal life, giving me the time and
energy I need to wholeheartedly take
on the challenges of parenting,” Ton
concludes.
February 2015
41
