Demi-Lee has the fighter’s spirit
Demi-Lee competed in her first major competition, Ground Quest, in December 2017, and finished in second place after the match went to a judge’s decision.
Like many girls her age, Demi-Lee van Zyl enjoys socialising and going out with friends.
While these interests might seem normal for a matric learner, what sets Demi-Lee apart is her strength and ability in a fight in the mixed martial arts (MMA) arena.
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Naturally talented at grappling, Demi-Lee took to kickboxing and Brazilian jiu-jitsu after being introduced to the sport 18 months ago.
“I started fresh – my friend invited me to try. My first reaction was ‘yikes’,”she admits. “I thought it would be very tough and I was the only girl, which was scary.”
Over the next year and a half with TNS (Tap Nap or Snap) Academy however, Demi-Lee found more than she expected: anger management, rational thinking and a sense of belonging, forming bonds with her club mates as strong as family ties.
“It’s comforting to be at the academy,” she smiles. “It’s not unsafe or violent; you get thrown around but our instructor works on low contact. It’s important to protect your training partner.”
Describing herself as the calmest she’s been, Demi-Lee explains how jiu-jitsu forces a fighter to use the opponent’s panic against them, while they control their own reactions.
She has certainly put this strategy to good use.
Demi-Lee competed in her first major competition, Ground Quest, in December 2017, and finished in second place after the match went to a judge’s decision.
Flushed with success, she now competes wherever and whenever she can.
Her ultimate goal might be surprising: “I would love to fight in a cage one day,” she beams.
Given the way MMA has become part of the mainstream, Demi-Lee has noticed a number of females joining the academy, often for the benefits of self-defense.
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For her, this disproves the notion of it being a male sport.
“This is a sport for anyone. Even those with closeness issues could benefit from MMA.”
Discussing her achievements to date in MMA, Demi-Lee says her most notable accomplishment was losing over 10 kilograms and as such is considered a super lightweight.
She says weight training is an important aspect of contact fighting.
As Demi-Lee explains, all bouts have to be fair, which means fighters of similar weight are matched but in the case of a mismatch, the heavier fighter is placed at a disadvantage.
Facing lighter opponents plays right into Demi-Lee’s strategy.
“Brazilian jiu-jitsu is very hands-on. For me striking is scary but I learned to overcome that. I’d describe myself as a brawler with no specific fighting style.”
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