Joël Singer: “Competition brings me joy and balance”
Joël Singer, a master's student in sports science, won first place in low kick in the under-65 kg category at the French University Championships, which took place in Brest from January 31 to February 2, 2025.
He's not very heavy, but he hit hard, beating all his opponents to climb to the top step of the podium. His discipline? Low kick. "It's a variation of kickboxing in which you can't use your knees, only your feet and fists," explains Joël Singer, who competed in the Espoir category. "It's full contact, which means that the blows are hard, knockouts are allowed and even sought after, as they are a way to win the fight." The other way? Score more points than your opponent by landing blows that are powerful enough to be counted by the judges.
A discipline in which Joël Singer now excels, but which was not his first choice in martial arts. "I started with taekwondo, but I wasn't very good at fighting, and I wasn't flexible enough: after 10 years, I still couldn't do the splits! " So in 2020, the young man made a small shift that led him to Thai boxing, where "anything goes," before finding his calling in low kick, a discipline in which he can exploit both his kicks and a certain taste for punches, which he fully expresses at the Body-Fighting Club in Montpellier where he trains.
Fifteen hours of training per week
Joël Singer pursues this passion alongside his studies in sports science at the University of Montpellier. "During my bachelor's degree, I had a lot of sports classes. Between those and my club sessions, I was training fifteen hours a week," recalls the young champion, who is now studying for a master's degree. "This year, I have a little less opportunity to train, so I'm down to about six or seven hours a week." That's half as much as last year, but still enough to hold his own in the ring.
As for the future, the young athlete already has a very clear idea of his plans: a thesis aimed at quantifying training load in combat sports. This project allows him to combine his sporting activities with his studies, and he hopes to pursue a career in research. And his athletic career? "I'm already committed to my studies, which take up a lot of my time, so I don't think it's compatible with a professional athletic career, but I'll continue to fight. Competition is something that always pushes me, motivates me, and diversifies my areas of expertise. It brings me joy and balance."