CRAZY MONKEY DEFENSE IN THE NEWS! - Part 1

A little while ago, our good friend Sharon Ling (reporter extraordinaire with the Star) interviewed the Studio 23 CMD team about the program. This short writeup appeared in yesterday's issue of the Star (Sarawak Edition, sports section page SA15, for those of you who still have a copy!).

It highlights the positive changes that the CMD program is able to bring about in peoples' lives, and offers a little more insight into the workings and mindset of our training.

There is also a longer feature article that will be out soon, so stay tuned!

Edit: The CMD article is out TODAY (March 2, 2011), in the Sarawak Edition of the Star! Sports section, page SA14. Check it out!

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From virtual to real-life sparring

Kuching: Reuben Yap, 28, used to be a computer game addict, playing for hours without stopping.

That was until he discovered the Crazy Monkey Defense (CMD) programme at Studio 23.

"I've been doing CMD for more than two years. Before that I used to play computer games all the time.

But when I started CMD, I didn't feel the urge to play games any more. Now I get the same rush from CMD. It's like playing a real-life fighting game but in a safe environment," Reuben said.

For Owen Tan, 25, CMD was a good way of staying fit.

"I had quit rugby and was looking for something to keep up my fitness levels. CMD is not too extreme but it does require some fitness which you can build up over time," he said.

"In classes we do drills, go through the basics and do some sparring. We also meet new friends and learn new techniques. It's a great way to keep fit."

It isn't just the men who enjoy CMD. Joanna Yap and Georgette Tan have been taking the classes since last year and both say they have benefited from it.

"I was quite intrigued by CMD because it's something different. It's practical and emphasizes economy of movement, so that attracted me to it.

"It's also emphasized during class that CMD is not based on aggression. Instead there's mutual respect. It gives opportunities to people to learn from each other when sparring," Joanna said.

For instance, she said she was less experienced compared to the men, so they would bring their sparring to a level she could learn from.

"Everyone learns at their own pace so there's no pressure to be able to do certain things by a certain time. This gives me the opportunity for self-improvement. Also, what I learn in CMD class, such as reacting calmly, can be applied to other situations," she said.

Georgette agreed that CMD classes were conducted in a friendly atmosphere.

"In fact, you hear us apologizing to each other a lot. No one is out to get you, although you have to expect physical contact such as getting your face and body punched."