A knockout body workout

Liu Anqi, center, trains at Princess Women's Boxing Club. Liu says boxing helps her relieve stress. [Gao Erqiang/China Daily]

Gong opened the club in 2010 to change the perception that boxing is not a blood sport meant only for men. She notes that business did not take off until 2013, she says.

"Boxing has been classified as the 12th most dangerous sport in the world, after soccer and basketball," Gong says. So boxing is not as dangerous as it seems and that it is more about concentration rather than brute strength.

Gong herself is an example of how boxing can effect positive change. Once a constant target of bullying during her childhood days, she transformed into an athletic powerhouse after her dad enrolled her in boxing classes. Today she weighs only 46 kg and does not have a hulking physique but that can be deceptive－Gong is a former World Boxing Association competitor and a Chinese champion.

"When you box, your overall athletic ability improves. My teachers and classmates saw my change. The bullying stopped once I started boxing."

At Princess Women's Boxing Club, there is a greater emphasis on toning and conditioning as Gong tailors the training to suit the physique of Asian women. She has also fostered a competitive spirit on the premises, offering her 300 members three training levels that differ in intensity.

Ascending the first tier requires members to pass fitness tests set by Gong, such as being able to perform 15 push-ups using the fists and 45 sit-ups, both within one minute. In addition to these stamina tests, members must be able to demonstrate proper boxing techniques and a solid knowledge of the sport.

Only members in the second and third tiers are allowed to fight in the ring. A member has to defeat three opponents of the same level and weight class to graduate to the third level.

"When you stand in the ring and are hit in the face, your self-esteem hurts," Gong says, You'll be driven to train harder so that you don't get hit in the nose next time."

"Boxing is ultimately a confrontation between two people. You either win or lose."

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