MEDICINE HAT, AB – The best kickboxers of the prairies are gathering for the Fists of Fury Fight Saturday.
A total of seven Medicine Hat locals will be competing at the Cypress Center.
Fists of Fury took about four months to plan, and organizers are hoping for a big turnout this year.
Jamie Droeske of SACA Kickboxing says it takes a special type of person to be willing to get punched, and her and her students do it on a daily basis.
Droeske is a Medicine Hat local, and is competing this year.
“I was in a car accident in 2018, and so I had to take a couple years off, and now it’s been 5 years, and before my body starts to say no more, I just want one more,” she said.
Not only has Droeske been planning the event and training for her own fight, she is also preparing her students to compete.
For many of her students, this event is their only opportunity to fight in front of a large crowd.
While this year’s main event stars two out of town fighters, half the competitors are from Medicine Hat. Local Jordan Larochelle is competing for his second time.
“Just getting in the ring again, I’ve missed it,. It’s been a year since my last fight. I was hoping to get a few more before but nothing came up, so I just wanna get back into the ring and fight,” Larochelle said.
Larochelle is grateful for the second opportunity to compete, because he feels like his nerves got the best of him in last year’s fight.
“I could hear my coach occasionally but I kinda just tunnel visioned myself by accident. This one might be a little bit different. I’m trying to really focus on hearing everything so I can actually get the first win this time,” he stated.
Droeske says her students are getting comfortable being in the ring.
“All but one have fought in fists of fury before, so it’ll be nice that they are a little more comfortable now, and it’s not such a new nerve wracking, it’s always nerve wracking, don’t get me wrong, but they’re a little more comfortable and they know what to expect,” Droeske said.
She says it has come a long way in terms of entertainment, including a light show, smoke when the fighters come out, and great energy from the crowd.
For those who can’t attend, they are streaming the event on their YouTube channel.
