WOLLONGONG is home to one of the youngest and most talented female Muay Thai kickboxing fighters in Australia.
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At only 15 years of age, Chloe Duff is showing enough potential to make her trainer Dominic Lavalle very excited.
The Reflex Martial Arts Centre fighter prevailed in her first fight at the Bush Bash in Picton on June 21.
Fellow Reflex competitor Mitch Holden also won his Muay Thai kickboxing bout.
Lavalle said Chloe and 18-year-old Mitch trained hard, and were looking forward to future fights later in the year.
"What I like about the two fighters is they both have great technique and skills to grow into strong fighters that will do our club proud," he said.
The duo's success capped a great month for Reflex Martial Arts Centre.
The Wollongong club has established itself as one of Australia's premier stick fighting gyms, with a seven-strong team bringing home 15 medals from the Australasian Stick Fighting Championships in June.
Sixth-degree black belt and two-time world stick fighting champion, Lavalle led the team to the Australasian titles on the back of a gruelling 12-week preparation.
Lavalle took the gold in the men's over-40s no armour category and silver in the single and double stick events.
Martin Levitski claimed silver in the single stick and bronze in double stick (under-39s), and Lara Moore brought home gold in the single stick and the forms events in the under-16 girls.
Michael Milovanovic won bronze in the single and double stick (under-18s) and Mohammed Bazzaz silver in the juniors double sticks.
Darrin Benfield picked up a special medal for best stick fighting achievement.
The true standout was under-16 competitor Tony Musumeci, who brought home three gold medals in the single and double stick and no armour category.
Musumeci will be with Lavalle and 22-year-old world champion Jaron Ponce, who missed the Australasian titles, at the World Stick Fighting Championship in the Philippines in August.