Grandview chiropractor wins national kickboxing title 

By Tony Madden

In March, Grandview chiropractor and Parks and Recreation Board Member Alex Scavuzzo finished at the top of her class in the USA Muaythai Grand Nationals Tournament in Delaware. The kickboxing title comes with a belt, but she’s not taking it home. Scavuzzo said it will hang on the wall at Low Kick Camp, her gym in West Bottoms.

“No one does a fight by themselves,” she said. “They might be the only person actually in the ring, but they have a coach in a corner that’s yelling at them, telling them what to do the entire time.”

Muaythai, also called the “Art of Eight Limbs,” is a style of kickboxing originating in Thailand. The name comes from its utilization of eight different points of contact on the body. 

“It’s kickboxing, but you can knee and elbow,” Scuvazzo said.

Scuvazzo was introduced to the form of martial arts by a patient at her former clinic. Before she knew it, she was treating martial artists of all types. As she approached her 30th birthday, she decided: it’s time to compete. Her first competition was in October, when she emerged victorious in her weight class at the Des Moines Thai Boxing Association-Sanctioning Authority Muaythai Tournament of Champions.

“There was only one other girl in my weight class, so it ended up being just one fight,” Scuvazzo admits. “I won that.”

She competed again this spring, winning another title at the USA Grand Nationals Tournament in Delaware. She emerged as the winner of the “novice” class. 

“It’s the most terrifying and thrilling thing you can do,” she said. “Anybody who fights and says that it’s not scary, I just think they’re lying.”

The fear is there, but it’s coupled with a certain respect for one’s opponent, Scuvazzo said. “Their job is to hurt you,” she said, but both opponents spent time, effort and resources to arrive in the ring.

“There’s no way to explain fighting to somebody who’s never done it,” Scuvazzo said.

At the end of the day, it’s the camaraderie that keeps Scuvazzo practicing and competing in the art of eight limbs. She remembers a point in the Delaware competition when two of her “top-notch” teammates both lost on the first day. She said then, the pressure was on. 

“I’m the only one left and we’re all still here just because I have to fight on Sunday,” Scuvazzo remembers. “I want to do well, because they trained me, they pushed me. They were there every sparring day, every hard practice, and I want to do well so that the whole gym wins.”

Scuvazzo doesn’t remember exactly when Muaythai went from being a casual hobby to her greatest passion. That being said, she’s glad it happened. She remembers sending a text message to one of her early coaches before taking to the mat in Delaware to thank him for bringing her into the community. 

“People can do little things that have a significant impact on your life,” Scuvazzo said. “I won that belt. Everybody’s like, ‘Are you gonna hang it up?’ I’m like, ‘I am gonna hang it up, but at the gym, because it’s not my belt. It’s my gym’s belt.’”