In another exercise, Phung hops 10 laps with a 55 kg weighted tire on her head. Watching the Thai ethnic woman train, even veteran athletes at the center are impressed.

Few know Phung doesn't come from a professional sports background. She was a preschool teacher in Lai Chau province, growing up among cassava and corn fields, her back soaked with sweat and her hands calloused.

"Perhaps because I'm used to going into the forest to chop wood and carry cassava and rice since I was little, I have good physical strength," the 27-year-old, 1m55 tall and 50 kg, says.

27-year-old Lo Thi Phung left her job as a preschool teacher to pursue a martial arts career. Photo: Provided by the subject

27-year-old Lo Thi Phung left her job as a preschool teacher to pursue a martial arts career. Photo: Provided by the subject

Since high school, Lo Thi Phung has excelled in stick pushing, a traditional sport. At Lai Chau Community College, she became a familiar face in competitions, from school and district to provincial levels. For three consecutive years (2017-2019), she was the national champion in this sport.

However, Phung's initial goal was to become a teacher. After graduating, she taught for a few years and thought she would spend her life in the classroom. The turning point came when she met martial arts master Le Hoang Mai, who has trained many professional MMA (mixed martial arts) and Jiu-Jitsu fighters. At the end of 2022, Phung decided to seek him out as her master.

Knowing his student was poor, Mai bought a plane ticket, intending to welcome her to Ho Chi Minh City. But on the day of departure, her family strongly opposed the idea, forcing Phung to cancel the ticket. In the following days, she was torn between her parents' wishes and her burning passion.

She quietly booked another ticket and left home in the middle of the night. The note she left behind simply read: "I won't return until I succeed."

Three days later, Mai unexpectedly received a call from Phung announcing her arrival in Ho Chi Minh City. Looking at the exhausted girl, her eyes still shining brightly, he recalled his first encounter with her five years prior.

At that time, he was in charge of Ho Chi Minh City's stick pushing team competing in Lai Chau. Phung sought him out, asking for technical guidance, having previously relied on instinct. To his surprise, after a brief demonstration, Phung needed only seconds to push his experienced student out of the ring.

"That day I saw this girl's inner strength, and now I also know her resolve," he says.

Lo Thi Phung (in blue) defeats Tran Tra My after 1 minute and 4 seconds at the LION Championship, 12/2024. Photo: Le Hoang Mai

Lo Thi Phung (in blue) defeats Tran Tra My after 1 minute and 4 seconds at the LION Championship, 12/2024. Photo: Le Hoang Mai

But Mai didn't allow Phung to live with half-hearted dreams. He required her to become a student at the University of Sports and Physical Education. Concurrently, she trained in martial arts at his center, with all expenses covered by him.

The early days were extremely difficult for the former teacher. She didn't understand the southern dialect, struggled with communal living, and wasn't used to following strict rules, leading to isolation from her peers.

The training regimen was as rigorous as that of special forces. Every day, trainees practiced for 8 to 10 hours, regardless of weekends or holidays. The first week, Phung's body ached all over. The special exercises assigned by her master were like tests of human limits. "Many days, I was hit by my master or classmates during practice, and I cried from the pain," Phung recalls. "But after crying, I continued."

She gradually recognized the results of her persistence. Initially, Phung could only hang for 20 seconds; now, it's over a minute. She could only hop once with the 55 kg tire; now, it's 10 laps. Her breath-holding improved from 30 seconds to over two minutes. She can now immerse herself in ice water for dozens of minutes.

In December 2022, at the National Sports and Physical Training Congress, Lo Thi Phung faced a choice: return to her familiar stick pushing, where a gold medal was almost certain, or start from scratch with Jiu-Jitsu, the sport Mai was assigned to lead that year. She decided to follow her master and teammates.

In her first professional Jiu-Jitsu competition, Lo Thi Phung was a newcomer, with no expectations. Yet, she advanced straight to the final, only losing to Phung Thi Hue, a legend in Vietnamese Jiu-Jitsu, holder of every title from world and Asian champion to SEA Games and ASIAD gold medalist.

Just a year later, at the Southeast Asian Championship, Phung stunned the martial arts world by defeating Phung Thi Hue in just 33 seconds. That same year, she won four medals at the 2023 National Championship.

In 2024, Phung successfully defended her national gold medal and won the Jiu-Jitsu World Cup on the beach in Thailand, defeating opponents in higher weight classes. She also defeated American fighter Chelsey Cashwell, the 2023 LION Championship winner.

Lo Thi Phung had no remaining rivals in Jiu-Jitsu.

Around the same time, Le Hoang Mai began guiding Phung towards MMA, saying: "Think of MMA as a form of healing."

Phung didn't fully understand her master's words until she stepped into the ring. After only two weeks of training, she won all three rounds against a 56 kg female fighter. Without a break, Phung was then put to the test against a male fighter and won after 10 minutes.

That same year, Phung competed in three professional MMA matches, all against opponents in higher weight classes: Le Thi Thuy Vy, Ho Thi Ngoc Bich, and Tran Tra My. She finished all three matches in the first round.

"It's true what my master said, MMA is like healing," Phung shares.

Lo Thi Phung won four medals at the national championships in 2023-2024, becoming one of the most outstanding athletes of the season. Photo: Le Hoang Mai

Lo Thi Phung won four medals at the national championships in 2023-2024, becoming one of the most outstanding athletes of the season. Photo: Le Hoang Mai

Outside the ring, Lo Thi Phung's life has another dimension. Every day, she spends about two hours teaching children with polio and mobility impairments for free. She considers the joy of seeing these children walk on their own feet more valuable than any medal. "I miss each child after they graduate and go back to school, but I'm also happy. Seeing them gives me motivation," Phung says.

Thanks to the tournaments, Phung has been able to buy her parents a new motorbike, a refrigerator, and a TV, and occasionally sends money to support her two younger siblings' education.

Her parents, once opposed, now fully support her. They don't miss any of her matches. Once, after a quick victory, her mother said with regret: "Why did you fight so fast? I didn't even get to watch."

One of Phung's teammates shares that everyone gets tired and complains with such intense training. "But Phung says it's nothing compared to what her parents endure at home."

This August, Lo Thi Phung will step into the octagon at the LION Championship to compete for the 52 kg title. Next, she aims to challenge the 56 kg title holder, and then venture into the international ONE Championship arena. Despite the demanding training and competition schedule, the final-year student aims to pursue a master's degree.

Whenever she appears in the ring, she wears vibrant traditional Thai clothing, carrying the pride of her heritage and an uncommon confidence. The coaches call her "the tiger in the ring" because of her decisive manner and unwavering spirit against any opponent.

Lo Thi Phung explains: "I train at a high intensity every day, as if I'm competing, so stepping into the ring is just like another training session."

Video of Lo Thi Phung training and competing.

Phan Duong