Monika “Volcano” Chochlíková is one of the two athletes who has qualified for The World Games 2022 in not one, but two sports! She starts her Games with Kickboxing on the 13th of July, and continues with Muaythai on the 15th! Monika Chochlíková is our athlete this week Building up to Birmingham!
Chochlíková actually started with her current sports quite late: “I was doing Karate for 10 years (since I was 6), but when I was 16 I lost motivation and stopped. A few months later, my friend asked me to join him to a Muaythai class. I immediately fell in love with this sport. Two years later I started doing Kickboxing too, because I had a back injury and for a while I couldn´t clinch, which is one of the crucial parts of Muaythai,” she says. “I was fascinated with the sports, because even though we are fighting, we have to obey rules and observe fair play. It’s not some street fight. You have to have ‘Fighting IQ’; to overcome your opponent, you can´t be taken away with your emotions, you have to stay FOCUSED. It´s like chess. You have to predict your opponent’s moves.”
At The World Games 2022, Chochlíková’s goal is clear: “Obviously I want to win some medals!” But it’s not going to be easy: “It´s going to be hard though, because it´s a contact sport. And besides I have to cut weight to make the weight limit.” If she finds the time, she would also love to watch Karate, Floorball and Sumo while in Birmingham. “My preparations for Birmingham have already started. Now I have a few fights before The World Games, so that I will maintain my condition. I have 10 training sessions per week + regeneration. I am also going to the USA 10 days before the competitions in order to acclimatise myself.”
“Normal training for Kickboxing and Muaythai depend on how long it is to the next fight, and under what rules the fight is, and on the type of a tournament (1 or more fights), and on opponents. Every training is different – which is one of the things I love about these sports. I have Kickboxing classes, Muaythai classes, and strength training. A Muaythai training involves warm-up, stretching, technique (usually we train something new or something that will be efficient against my opponent), drills or sparrings (both for condition) and in the end stretching again.”
Chochlíková also does Mixed Martial Arts, and besides training 10 times a week, she likes to play football or volleyball in her free time. Finally, she answers questions she received via our social media:
How many training sessions do you have per week?
10 trainings per week
How many calories do you eat per day?
It depends on how much I have to lose and if I´m on diet. Currently it´s 2 000-2 200 kcal.
Who is your idol in kickboxing?
My coach, who had a knee injury and therefore couldn’t kick with one leg at all. He still won medals in WAKO World Championships!
What has been the biggest challenge in your career?
A back injury when I was 18. Some doctors told me to stop training, but I didn’t listen to them and a few years later I became world champion in two sports: Muaythai and Kickboxing (discipline K1).
Do you have a favourite athlete who is also going to The World Games?
Yes, Alexandra Filipová also from Slovakia will be competing in K1 -70kg (her instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexandrafils/)
The World Games is a multi-sport event staged every four years by the International World Games Association, organised with the support of the International Olympic Committee. The 11th edition of The World Games will be held in Birmingham, Alabama, USA, 7-17 July 2022. 3,600 athletes from 34 sports and over 100 countries will take part in The World Games.