By Alena Siaw Min En (24S03O) and Shannen Lim En-Qi (24A01A)
To Tan Shi Yin (12A01D), fighting is all in a day’s work.
Her average day looks like this: waking up early to train in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), teaching classes to impart her skills and knowledge of the sport, and then pulling together her strength to train once again, at night.
It is a big departure from her previous job as an English teacher at The Learning Lab, which she left just less than two years ago. However, Shi Yin has always had a passion for MMA. “Even though it sounds a bit weird, I already knew I wanted to train and compete even before I went into JC,” she says. Shi Yin started training in martial arts, specifically in Muay Thai, at 15 after seeing MMA fighters in a Taiwanese reality television show.
“I was hooked from the first [training] session, and I knew there and then I was going to train for my whole life,” she says, her voice full of joy. She finds herself lucky to have found her passion so early, and to like something so intensely.
MMA has always been a big part of Shi Yin’s life, so despite her career in it being relatively new, it feels more like second nature to her. “It’s less pretending to be proper, answering to superiors and doing admin all the time, more doing what I like to do and sharing it with others,” she says.
Though she appreciates the hands-on, active approach of her current job, the career switch from ‘steady and proper’ to ‘unstable and rough’ was initially very scary. “There’s this typical Singaporean mindset [which encourages] you [to] want a stable job and a plan for the future, as Singaporeans are very risk averse,” she explains.
It was daunting to not have a fixed or stable income as she worked in a few different gyms during her career transition, with the uncertainty of it all stressing her out. Her parents were also initially unhappy and not supportive of the decision, but she understands now that it came from a place of care and concern for her.
“I’m glad I took the risk, because if I didn’t try it, I would’ve regretted it”, she says. “All jobs have instabilities and change, I just needed to adapt and be more proactive on my own.”
Now, Shi Yin focuses on having her own voice and self-evaluating her skills as she trains. “When I was younger, I was a lot harder on myself and took whatever my coaches said as the [unchallengeable] authority. But now that I am a coach, I realise what it’s like to be in their shoes and that we actually don’t know anything [definite]. It’s important to balance self-awareness on what you do well with feedback from them,” she says. “But ultimately, this all comes from experience.”
As a coach, she finds joy seeing the kids she trains change and grow right before her eyes, progressing quickly in the art of MMA.
As a fighter, the controlled chaos of the cage seems like a realm where her comfort zones are shattered and true mental resilience awaits. Embracing the scariness of pushing her limits both physically and mentally, Shi Yin finds her growth from MMA translating into various aspects of her life, powering her to remain unrattled against the relatively minor setbacks and tedium of daily routine.
“When you do things that are super uncomfortable for you, it really helps to make you a more mentally resilient person and it teaches you to just try a lot of things that you’re scared of.”
Shi Yin Tan, on stepping out of one’s comfort zone
While many may perceive success in MMA as a female fighter to be an uphill battle, Shi Yin’s reality has defied these expectations. Undeniably, her smaller physique raises the intensity and challenge of training sessions. However, in a sport historically dominated by men, professional female fighters are in a better position to stand out, garnering attention and respect for their skill and tenacity.
“Finding people who are of the same size and level to train with is difficult, but women pursuing it as a career actually have an advantage due to [fewer competition]”. As such, the road to success in MMA for women, while challenging, is paved with ample opportunities for those willing to seize them.
Like many other things, taking the first step to explore a new path may seem impossible, but they often make the fondest memories. “My first fight was in J1. I had a presentation the day before and I started crying due to all the anxiety… so it was really memorable for me.” Most of the time, the first experience is rarely one of success, but it’s more important to learn from it—rather than letting it affect us for the rest of our journey.
Being an MMA fighter is challenging due to its constant risk of injury, yet despite its inherent danger, the sport continues to captivate and attract people from all walks of life—including Shi Yin. “My most life-changing fight was when I tore numerous ligaments in my knee during one of my fights in Malaysia before my MMA debut… Surgery and recovery took a few years but everything worked out! Just don’t give up.”
Choosing a career path as an MMA fighter requires a unique blend of courage, determination and passion. Be it the rigorous 6-days-a-week training regimens, or the significant emotional toll that comes with the territory, can understandably cause many individuals to be hesitant in pursuing this profession.
However, the opportunities opened up by such a career path that allows one to try new things can also be what makes MMA such a compelling sport; only through experiencing failure can one gain insights and grow as a person. To Shi Yin, this career transcends the realm of a typical mundane job; it’s a lifestyle and a journey filled with profound lessons. Unlike traditional occupations, every aspect of an MMA fighter’s life revolves around discipline, perseverance, and self-discovery.
All in all, she interprets her unconventional career as one that involves “finding peace in the chaos”. Being from the arts stream back in JC, she finds this quote by Francis Bacon apt in underscoring the duality between the relentless pursuit of physical and mental excellence, and finding peace amidst the chaos of it all.
With her love for the art of MMA and the creativity behind it, such a quote resonates with her through how fighters must cultivate a calm and focused mindset, and the ability to remain centred in the face of chaos that extends beyond the octagon.
To her, it’s about embracing the unpredictability of the sport—and in extension, life itself, finding solace in the midst of turmoil, and emerging stronger and more resilient with each punch thrown.
