‘Tornado’ Tucker: Toy seller by day, fighter by night

For kids, it’s a wonderland.

Shelves of toys stretch as far as the eye can see, and for parents, another newly opened section sells children’s footwear, and clothing.

During the day this is where you will find her, the polite quietly spoken, articulate blonde at Kidstuff on Timaru’s main street, selling to young mums with their toddlers and babies.

And by night? Kaitlyn Tucker, 29, the shop manager smiling at babies cooing in their prams, slips into another persona.

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She becomes “Tornado Tucker,” Lucky Nine gym “witch pack member, New Zealand Muay Thai champion with a kick that could fell a mule’’, and other “weapons” certain to injure someone like this writer even if delivered at a fraction of her power.

We go and chat in a corner of the shop. Only 10 days before, Tucker had her first international and biggest fight of her career in Perth against an Australian, Victoria Sullivan.

Sullivan, one year older than Tucker and about the same size, 166cm tall and 61kg, is not exactly a household name but big in the world of Muay Thai. Her record includes Australian championships and a world title with 16 fights and seven losses; Tucker’s record going into this fight is 14 wins, five losses, two draws.

Muay Thai originates from Thailand; fighters use punches, knees, elbows and grapple like wrestlers. The gloves are more padded than what you see in Mixed Martial Arts and there are other differences.

“Some fighters come from other martial arts and are more specialised,” says Tucker.

“I’m definitely a Muay Thai striker; others might love boxing. I love the kicking and knees and stand up grappling. That’s more Muay Thai.

“They call it the art of eight limbs. You use all your limbs. I look at it as an art form. A lot say it’s violence. I don’t.

“It takes a huge amount of teamwork. Without a coach teaching and holding the pads and others to spar with you won’t get anywhere.

“The first thing to learn is to kick. In Muay Thai your stance is so important.”

You will not see flashy swing kicks in Muay Thai as in Taekwando which Tucker says are high risk for little reward.

“You turn your back, risking an elbow in your back. I stick to the basic swing. Kicks are more powerful in Muay Thai and do more damage; not speed.”

When younger, Tucker was a gymnast which she says built flexibility, speed and strength. At high school she played hockey. After starting work full-time selling children’s toys and clothing she went to the gym, lifting weights which she says became boring.

“I wanted a big challenge. I wanted to learn how to kick and try for proper martial arts.

“I never went in with the intention to fight.”

She went to the Lucky Nine gym at Washdyke and has been there ever since coached by Scott Tweedie.

“He’s always pushed me really hard. I wouldn’t have appreciated it back then, but he’s made me the fighter I am today.”

He suggested a novice fight. That was eight years ago; the adrenaline rush from fighting got her hooked.

“I liked the thrill it gave you and the confidence. Once you put yourself through training there’s no better feeling at the end of a fight. It’s crazy.”

However, not all her family are “crazy” about her choice of sport.

“I was a very feisty, wild child on one side and on the other side I wouldn’t hurt a fly. I’m a caring, empathetic person. My mother doesn’t like it. It scares the s… out of her. The rest of my family thinks it’s cool, but it scares them. They’re scared I’m going to get hurt. They’re more scared than I am.”

Tucker won her first four fights, then lost her fifth against Seelen Small at a promotion in Wellington called Capital Punishment.

”I made mistakes in my training with weight cutting.”

Weight cutting is reducing food and fluid intake to make the necessary weight for a fight.

“I was really drained, and it affected the output in my fight. It was a split decision. Some thought it went my way. I thought I never wanted to put my body through that again. I don’t want to go in unprepared. I took training more seriously and committed myself.”

She went on to win the national title in her weight division, then lost it to Fi Sim four years ago in Christchurch.

“There was a lot going on then, health-wise, with people around me, and I had to run the shop, and I had a lot of fights coming up.

“I was not in a good headspace. I lost to her and then went back and re-fought. I just thought, ‘there’s no way I’m losing’.”

Tucker won.

“After the fight I went professional, and won a couple of other titles, one in 2021 and 2022.

“You get fees for fights and bonuses, but in this sport there’s no money unless you go overseas.

“As a fighter I don’t do it for the money, I do it for fun. You’d be stupid to train 12 times a week if you didn’t love it. If it was for money I’d be broke.”

Daily training comprises cardio in the mornings: running, swimming or air-bike using a heart rate monitor to ensure she’s in the right zone. Every second morning is weights conditioning “preparing the body to take the impact of what you’re hit with”.

Evenings are in the gym working on skills, hitting bags, sparring.

“Over the last year I’ve worked on my strength and conditioning. It’s what gives me confidence. I want to be a lot stronger than my opponents.”

As to that matter, worrying her mother with the potential of getting hurt and the pain, Tucker brushes those thoughts aside:

“So many of my fights I don’t remember them; it’s not because of knocks to my head. It’s just that it’s a big blur.

“And at the time you won’t feel much (pain), your brain acknowledges you’re hit, but you don’t feel pain until next day when you feel like you’ve been hit by a baseball bat.

“But if you’ve won you don’t care, it’s worth the pain. Your opponent goes for all over the body; not the spine or back of the head. All the rest is fair game.

“You get used to getting hit in the face. If you’re quick enough you don’t get hit.”

Tucker’s unmarked face suggests she must be quick. She shows no signs of that big fight against the highly rated Sullivan in Perth 10 days ago.

“I wasn’t nervous. I knew I had prepared mentally and physically. I wanted to show Australia what I was capable of, so I can go back and fight there again.

“I’m now a more forward pressure fighter. To win in fighting you have to go forward to put pressure on. I used to be a counter fighter.”

That’s how Tucker fought Sullivan, moving forward aggressively.

A check of the fight video shows Sullivan with a worried frown looking surprised and perplexed, as the super-aggressive Tucker took the fight to her in the first of the five two minute rounds, displaying her strength at one point by grappling Sullivan to the canvas.

The round was Tucker’s. Having to counter Tucker’s constant attacks, Sullivan managed to work her way back into the fight, yet seemed to still lag behind going into the last round.

Just before the round ended, a Sullivan stab kick drove Tucker briefly to the canvas; Sullivan’s best move of the entire fight. But overall Tucker looked to have the edge.

”I threw more strikes, more kicks and punches. I definitely out-kicked her,” says Tucker.

“At the end of the fight I raised my arms and thought I had done enough for the win.

“The judges saw it as even, but a lot of the crowd thought it tilted my way. I have to accept in this sport unless you knock out or TKO (technical knock out), then it’s the judges’ call. It shouldn’t be left to a judge.”

Tucker has the chance to amend what could be a hometown decision with a rematch on the cards.

And since the fight, promoters have been calling talk of other fights.

“Basically I’ve kicked in the door in Australia … my next fight is on the Gold Coast.”

There has even been talk of a world title match.

Until then, Tucker is back behind the counter of that kids’ wonderland in Timaru, amongst the babies, toddlers, mums and dads.

Most of them would not have a clue they are being served by the feared “Tornado Tucker”.