Fighting fit

She says she also takes boxing as a form of mental exercise, in addition to physical stimulation. That thought was rooted in her mind after she was beaten by her partner during one training session.

It was a completely new sensation for her.

"Taking that first shot is never easy, but it's important to me to show that women are as strong and talented as men in this kind of sport. If you want to do it in a serious way, you have to be ready to take the shots," she says.

Huge potential market

According to data from the National Fitness Program for 2016-20 launched by the State Council, China's sports population is expected to reach 435 million by 2020. Experts say that, as a new form of fitness training popping up in China, boxing has great potential in the future.

By the end of 2020, gyms in China are projected to have more than 21 million paid users, up from a total membership of 16 million at the end of 2017. According to Xinhua News Agency, the number of people attending gyms across 70 Chinese cities has increased by over 4 million each year since 2011.

Equally, an increasing number of fitness gyms featuring boxing programs have sprung up across China, signaling that a boom is underway.

However, there is still a big gap in the recognition and participation of boxing in China compared with Western countries.