About the Documentary

When you are a fighter, winning and losing is everything. For the women of “The Girl Fight Gym” in Toms River, New Jersey, winning means more than having your arm raised after a match.

Prairie Rugilo opened her all-female Muay Thai kickboxing gym in 2009, and since then has been inspiring and empowering women through the martial arts to help them learn what fighting is truly about. Along with her training partner Jaime, Prairie instructs a team of ladies who would have never stepped into the ring unless they were at this gym. One of those students, DeAna, plans on making her amateur debut, while Prairie prepares for a second chance at a championship belt that she lost in a controversial fight.

Prairie and DeAna must overcome their personal struggles to become the champions they want to be, embarking on a journey that takes them down roads they did not expect to go through over the course of 18 months. In the backdrop of The Jersey Shore as it continues to try to rebuild after the devastation of Hurricane Sandy, these two fighters battle in and out of the ring against their greatest opponent – themselves.

This movie is an official selection for the Rahway International Film Festival, come see the film on August 30, 2015 at the fest!

HEAR WHAT THE REVIEWS ARE SAYING!

Here are some of the reviews on the documentary so far, with more on TheGirlFightStory.com:

"Girl Fight" creates a very natural connection between the life of the average person on the street and the person willing to put themselves through a fight camp and step in the ring... It's not why the future stars fight, but why the rest of us do it.” – Bloodyelbow.com

"These are real, every day people who are right out there in our backyards... That’s what makes the daily life aspects of the film—the ones like the Sandy aftermath—that might not be directly related to kickboxing so relevant: People only know that participating in a fight gym like this is an option for the every day person if someone tells them so.... I’d absolutely recommend the film to anyone who has even a passing interest in competitive martial arts as a sport or hobby, or if you’ve got a little one at home—but not too little, this is a combat sport, after all—who could use some positive role models." - Dan Van Winkle, TheMarySue.com

“This film is a great look into a gym that is empowering young women and building their self esteem, confidence and strength through the martial art of Muay Thai. Girl Fight reminds you that while there are superstars like the UFC's Ronda Rousey who are paving the way for young women in martial arts, there are gyms like Girl Fight and instructors like Rugilo, who are putting them on that road and preparing them for the ride.” – MMAMania.com

The Message

“Girl Fight: A Muay Thai Story” is about self-esteem, empowerment, and fighting for what you want, whether it is in a ring or elsewhere. While this movie is about women, the message is universal.

Winners are not made through their victories, but through hard times on the road to victory. As Prairie says in the film, “We learn more from our losses than we do from our wins,” and this is an important message that people of all genders and ages need to understand.

This is not your traditional fight movie. It is a personal story of struggle, with the martial arts used as an outlet for self-expression. You would be surprised how easily problems outside of the ring can affect a person when they step inside it. What it means to win is not beating up someone in front of you; it's beating the obstacles that you put in front of yourself. What makes the fight worth it is not having your arm raised, it's accomplishing the unthinkable and taking a risk to show yourself that yes, you can do it - and if you were not victorious this time, learn from your mistakes and keep moving forward.

Not every woman who sees this documentary will want to be a professional fighter, but the message of overcoming adversity and accepting who you are and want to be as a person is a powerful one that we sometimes need a reminder of. You can be a fighter, whether you wear boxing gloves or not, and still battle to make a difference and become who you want to be.


30-second Teaser Trailer

About the Director

Matthew Kaplowitz is the executive producer and director of "Girl Fight: A Muay Thai Story". A lifelong practitioner and fan of martial arts, he began working for combat sports websites and magazines starting in 2006, with a resume that includes Sherdog.com, MMAweekly.com, MMA Worldwide Magazine, Fight! Magazine, and many other web sites & magazines.

In 2009, he started TheFightNerd.com, a news website dedicated to the sport with a focus on videos. As part of the launch he created his first documentary, “All-American: The Chris Weidman Story”, which followed Chris Weidman as he made his MMA debut, years before he would become the UFC middleweight champion. In 2011, he made a documentary short with Kahleem Poole about how the NY MMA community was affected by 9-11 called "Fighting Spirit", and another with filmmaker Cherrie Shepherd about women in MMA titled “In Her Corner”.

In 2012, Matthew became a Production Assistant with Original Media, where he worked on the weekly sports talk show, “MMA Uncensored Live”, for Spike TV. After the show wrapped up, he became Associate Producer at Matador Content, and has worked on over a dozen shows for Spike TV, including the “Frank Shamrock: Bound by Blood” documentary, several documentaries in the “Unrivaled” series, pay-per-view and event specials, the “Rampage 4 Real” reality show, and other shows currently in development.

Punches in Bunches

Your contribution, no matter what size, makes a big impact to the momentum of the film. We believe in “Punches in Bunches,” a term from boxing that means when a fighter throws rapid combinations of strikes to overwhelm an opponent.

Your contribution is one punch in a combination of many other contributors that will all add up to victory. Every jab we get from people like you push this film in the right direction. Help us unleash that knockout punch that will make this movie a reality and reach the masses!

"Going The Distance" - What we need

The good news is that the documentary has already been filmed and edited. With much of the production completed, we need to wrap up post-production and begin the next phase of the project - distribution.

Funding this documentary will help us with making this film ready for the public through the following:

- Finishing the audio mix to get the sound ready for theaters & VOD

- Creating professional DVDs

- Promotional materials such as posters of various sizes, stickers, pamphlets, postcards & anything else we might need to make

- Ability to enter more film festivals (most festivals have an entrance fee that can range from $25-100 USD or more, so applying to be in these events can add up into a large cost very fast)

- Hiring a PR person to handle publicity & advertising

- Travel expenses for promoting the movie and attending film festivals we make it into or expos, conventions, and arthouse cinemas to take a grassroots approach

Road to Victory

Just like making a film, a great fighter is not built overnight - it takes hard work and dedication. I have spent over two years of my life laboring over this film to make it the best I can. We may never be an Oscar Winner for Best Documentary, but we have a film with a powerful message that needs to be seen.

As a filmmaker, the story of these ladies became a personal one for me. It was not an easy story to tell, and mirrored my own issues with doubt and self-esteem. Making it to this point is a surreal one for me, but I am glad we are here, and I am committed to sharing this positive message with as many eyes that will watch this.

"Girl Fight: A Muay Thai Story" is about a strong group of women who will take you on their journeys to experience what it takes to be a “fighter.” That translates into an inspiring life lesson for any gender, and turns something that these ladies went through into a learning experience for audiences around the world.

It's time to punch self-doubt in the face, and kick down whatever is holding you back. Make a difference in getting this movie completed, so that we can make a difference in the lives of people that need a reminder that their struggles can be overcome, and that we can all be winners in life, no matter what road we take to get there!

Other Ways You Can Help

If you can not make a monetary contribution, you can help us in other ways!

• Spread the word by using the IndieGoGo share tools!

• Post our campaign on your Facebook page, which may show this to a person you know that might want to be part of this project!

• Follow our Facebook page and our Twitter page to help them grow!

• Use the hashtag to spread the word #thegirlfightstory

Have another idea for a way to help us out, a different way to create a partnership, media/ press requests, or want to set up a screening in your location? Send an email to thegirlfightstory@gmail.com and let's talk some more!