Interview with Roxy "Balboa" Richardson - Muay Thai

Roxy "Balboa" Richardson

Roxy has a truly inspiring story with her Muay Thai experience. (Read it here). She became the IAMTF Women's Lightweight Champ from 2008 & 2009. She held a pro record of 3W-1L and an Amateur record of 12W-4L-3T. She currently owns and operates an ultra modern, highly successful fitness center in the Los-Angles area.

BKO Kung Fu: We have spoken with other women Muay Thai fighters. Some of them feel women don't get enough recognition in the sport. Do you agree or disagree? Why?

Roxy: I think women who are talented and skilled get plenty of coverage. The top women of Muay Thai are a big draw and definitely command respect. Just look how popular Julie Kitchen became. The fight with Julie vs Miriam Nakamoto was very much anticipated and closely followed and covered. Tiffany Van Soest is headlining the next Lion Fight card in Vegas. Talented women do get respect in the sport.  There are just not as many female fighters so guys are covered more in the press overall. I don't want special treatment for being a female, so I don't expect anyone to give me respect or recognition unless I earn it via skill not gender. 

BKO: What would you tell a new person that wanted to fight but was scared?

Roxy: Well, no-one should make you fight if you don't want to. I'd hope they had been training for a while and had some time to think about why they want to fight. It's not for everyone. If you're confident in your training, your coach believes in you and you have a solid reason you want to fight, I say focus on the reason and know every fighter gets nerves before fights - It's how you deal with the nervous energy that makes you a good fighter. Personally I keep focusing on how hard I've work and how much I want to win and keep the negative self talk away. 

BKO: How did you encourage yourself before your fights?

Roxy: I would just trust my coach and my training. If I put in the work the results showed. It also helped to journal and get my thoughts down on paper if I felt anxious or stuck.

BKO: In your opinion, what determines the difference in technique between a good fighter and a great fighter?

Roxy: Technique is only one part of being a good fighter. Conviction, conditioning and strength also come into play. There are great fighters with excellent technique and there are great fighters with fair technique but they are strong, fast, and confident which goes far. It's always good to learn and improve technique, but you have to realize there are other elements to the sport which must also be improved to be a well rounded fighter.

BKO: How do you tell if you are pushing yourself to far in training versus not training hard enough?

Roxy: I would monitor my sleep, mood and performance. Signs of over training include insomnia, irritability, and lack of energy. As I got older I realized that sometimes it was better to rest more than train more. 

BKO: There's a lot of shin banging going on in Muay Thai. After the much talked about Anderson Silva's leg break, we would like your advice on how to keep this from happening to us.

Roxy: Turn your kicks over so you can hit with the hard top of your shin. Assuming you have done the work to condition you shins, your leg won't break that way. It takes time, years to condition your shins with bag work, sparring and TLC and even the toughest shins can feel pain if they mistakenly hit a knee or an elbow - it's just part of the game, so time your kicks well and do your bagwork on hard bags. 

BKO: Tell us about your Gym and what you want to accomplish with it in the next few years?

Roxy: My gym is called  Function 5 Fitness in Los Angeles, CA. It's a hybrid gym with the heart of our programs being Muay Thai, but we also offer Kettlebell Classes, Circuit Training, Personal Training, and Nutrition. We are unique in that we offer our clients a well rounded fitness and health program with everything from sport to nutrition to resistance training to massage. I'm blessed to have an amazing team of trainers that help to coach our clients. In the next few years, we plan to expand to a bigger facility so we can help even more people change their lives with Muay Thai, health & fitness. 

BKO: Ok, we have to ask. We saw you offer Rofling at your location. What is it?

Roxy: Rolfing is a type of body work that is structural therapy. It's like deep tissue massage, but different, it's a 10 session system designed to re-structure the body back into balance. It is very beneficial for those struggling with postural imbalances and also for athletes. 

BKO: What's your favorite quote?

Roxy: I have so many but here is one:  "I'm tough, ambitious and I know exactly what I want, if that makes me a bitch, okay." - Madonna

BKO: Is there anything else you would like to tell our readers?

You can follow me on twitter @roxybalboa and on Facebook at Facebook.com/missroxybalboa I'm also on Instagram as @missroxybalboa