CHANGKAT JERING, April 2 — It sounds like a story from the movies. No one had heard of the unassuming 12-year-old boy from here before March 15. That was until he fought his way to glory at the World Muaythai Boran Championship in Bangkok.

Against the odds, Iskandar Zulqarnain Mohd Ezry Azamin returned home a champion, holding the world title for the Under-33kg category.

Hailing from the slow-paced village of Kampung Bonggol Pasir, Iskandar was born to Fazlyna Mohd Yusof, 33, and Mohamad Ezry AZamin Abdul Wahab, 36.

Ezry, a salesman, is barely making enough to support his wife and three sons. Ordinarily, his life is like many other Malaysians — trying his best to make ends meet.

But Ezry had a passion, a lifelong love of an ancient martial art which would end up taking his eldest son to international glory.

“I come from a family which practises the Muay martial art (not to be confused with Muay Thai). My dad was a teacher in Thailand and he taught my siblings and I. It ran in our blood,” he said when met at his home.

“Muay wasn’t popular back then, so we didn’t get the chance to participate in tournaments.

“But when I had my own children, I vowed to train them and give them the chance to become a Muay fighter,” he said.

After Iskandar was born in 1984, Ezry could not afford to rent a gym to train his son. Refusing to give up, he then decided to turn his house porch into a gym.

It was from these humble beginnings that a champion was born.

“My first Muay lesson started when I was four-years-old. I don’t remember all the training, but I do remember punching and kicking. It was fun!” said Iskandar.

When he was six, Iskandar entered his first tournament, emerging as champion. His momentum has not stopped since.

Over the next six years, he took part in 51 Muay competitions and won 33, either by knock outs or technical decisions. The victory in Bangkok marked his first sojourn abroad.

His record is no fluke, for Iskandar truly embodies the classic saying “No pain, no gain”.

Guided by his father and accompanied by his five-year-old brother Iskandar Danish, the young champion trains every day at the DK Muay Fitness Club in Taiping.

It is a gruelling routine which would cause people twice his age to shudder. Before beginning his training session, Iskandar jogs 5km to maintain his cardiovascular fitness.

He continues his “warm-up” session by jumping rope and firing off 50 push-ups.

Only then comes the two hour-long training sessions. Elbow strikes, punches and high kicks are targeted furiously at the long-suffering punching bags. Even at his age, the sound of the strikes echo thunderously around the gym.

Ezry focuses on strengthening the elbow and knee, which are the primary attack and defence weapons in the sport.

“I also make sure he practices the ‘‘Wai Khru Ram’’ dance ritual, which is performed before every match. The ritual is done to request blessings from the fighter’s gurus,” he said.

His success does, however, come at a price. It is not easy for Iskandar, a pupil of SK Changkat Jering, to balance martial art, studies and playtime without sacrificing one or the other.

More often than not, his dedication to Muay causes him to lose out on quality time with his buddies.

“I usually don’t spend much time with friends. Once school is over, I head back home to rest because training starts at 4pm. After that, it’s time for homework.

“I know children my age will be playing games and spending time with their friends but my heart lies with Muay. I have no regrets,” said Iskandar.

To maintain his edge, Iskandar has eschewed the average diet of a 12-year-old boy — no potato chips, candy or fast food.

“He is only allowed to eat rice once a day and we make sure he takes all three meals at the correct time,” said Fazlyna.

“We can’t afford to buy for him supplements, so we rely on protein-rich food like milk, fish, chicken and eggs. No junk food is allowed except during the off-season,” she said.

It is not an easy life for someone who has not even entered his teenage years. But the young champion views these challenges as a necessary sacrifice to achieve his goal.

With the same steely-eyed determination he possesses in the ring, the pint-sized powerhouse says he has only one thing in mind for the future: ultimate glory.

“I will never stop practising and I want to go professional. I want to be world champion,” he said.

Iskandar’s idol is Buakaw Banchamek, a professional Muay Thai kick boxer from Thailand who has won many pro-competitions.

He said likes Buakaw because of his style and powerful attacks, and incorporates some of the moves into his matches.

The next major tournament Iskandar will take part in is the “Inter-Continental Muay Championship”which is expected to be held in England in May.