HONG
KONG: A punch-up isn't the best way to start a marriage but several brides in
Hong Kong are pulling on boxing gloves and sweating it out in the ring to
becoming fighting fit for their wedding
day.
Crunches, push-ups,
swiping at punching bags and sparring are all part of the tough, pre-nuptial
regimen designed by boxing coach and Hong Kong rugby player Andrew Wong Kee who
spends most of his time training stressed-out
executives.
Wong Kee's JAB gym
also tailor-makes diets to ensure brides look their best for the big
day.
"I'm trying to get fit.
Trying to lose weight and tone up at the same time," said Fiona Campbell, an
accountant who comes to the boxing classes with her Hong Kong fiance. "I got
really fed up with cardio at the gym, so I thought this was a really good
alternative," she
said.
Marriage is big business
in Hong Kong, a city steeped in both Chinese and Western traditions and where
many brides prepare for lavish weddings with the help of planners and even
fortune-tellers to select an auspicious
date.
Bridal shops, stocked
with both white gowns and traditional Chinese red silk outfits, line the streets
of posh neighborhoods and elaborate wedding banquets are common in Chinese
restaurants and hotels across the densely populated
city.
Photographs are a big
part of the wedding, especially for Chinese couples who have no qualms about
spending thousands of dollars to get the perfect shot. So looking good ahead of
the big day is a big priority for most
brides.
At JAB gym,
brides-to-be can opt for one-on-one training sessions or group classes that
range from HK$750 to HK$1,560 ($96-$200). Most train for up to a year before
their nuptials and Wong Kee ensures there are no slackers in his
class.
"What I do is I get them
training together and then I get them training individually," he said.
"Obviously in a group environment they can kind of relax a bit but when it comes
to one-on-one training, they cannot
hide."
Boxing bride Jules
Peedom, a recruitment specialist who is getting married in England next spring,
said the training left her drained, but
exhilarated.
"I am just
exhausted. I feel good, but my whole body is shaking," Peedom
said.
The brides hope the aches
and pains from their untraditional, and quite unlady-like, wedding preparations
will yield a very feminine result - fitting into a wedding dress that is a few
sizes smaller.