The Creative Director of Choke Clinch Crank Combat talks about her personal and professional growth, and exploring life’s options post teaching in Singapore.
“I was a teacher for 10 years. After fulfilling my teaching bond, I was curious to explore other creative pursuits and utilise the skills I had gained over the years. Should I stay in education, or try something else?
When people think of education, they tend to associate it solely with teaching in schools. But there are so many other ways to share knowledge and create impact. I chose to explore beyond Singapore and spent over two years in Australia.
I was initially there for a three-month curatorial attachment at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney. That attachment opened up new paths in the field for me. Although it lasted only three months, it felt much longer. I learned a great deal and truly enjoyed my time there.
The museum wasn’t just an exhibition space; it was a learning environment. With a decade of teaching experience, I appreciated how their programming catered to different learning levels, making educational content accessible to diverse audiences.
My background? That’s a long story. [laughs] During my eighth year of teaching, I felt the need to pursue a new direction. That led me to enrol part-time at Nanyang Technological University to pursue the Master of Arts in Museum Studies and Curatorial Practices.
I wanted to formalise my passion for museums and build a stronger foundation in the field. It’s an uncommon path in Singapore, right? But thanks to my parents, I’ve always had a deep appreciation for history and the arts.
As a child, my parents often brought me to places like the National Museum of Singapore and the Singapore Discovery Centre. Even on holidays, visiting a museum or cultural institution was always part of the itinerary. It was a big part of my childhood.
My parents believed it was important for me to be exposed to alternative forms of learning from an early age. That’s why learning solely from textbooks wasn’t enough for me. I often visited museums on my own and actively sought out part-time or volunteer opportunities.
I’ll never forget the first biennale I attended—the 2006 Singapore Biennale, Belief—as part of my school’s arts programme. It introduced me to a whole new realm of art that wasn’t just about making, but about meaning, context and experience. I was captivated.
I became a teacher after receiving a teaching scholarship. Right after my O-Levels, I was enrolled in a joint programme with the National Institute of Education (NIE) and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA).
I split my time between NAFA and NIE, attending classes at NAFA four days a week and at NIE once a week to develop my practice as an artist-educator. Upon graduation, I stepped straight into teaching.
I first met Andrea, founder of Choke Clinch Crank Combat (CCCC), during my second school posting. She was just starting out as a teacher in English and Literature, and we sat across from each other in the staff room.
For as long as I’ve known her, I’ve always been aware of her literary pursuits and passion for combat sports. She practises Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and I’ve always admired people who remain committed to a passion or hobby while managing a nine-to-five job.
When she told me she wanted to shed light on the combat community in Singapore, I was all for it. With my background in the arts and experience in exhibition programming, I sketched out a project timeline and became very hands-on with the publication’s creative direction.
CCCC is a visual and story-driven independent publication featuring 25 fighters based in Singapore, representing various combat sports such as wrestling, boxing, jiu-jitsu, muay thai, and more.
While I dabbled in weekly boxing classes, I wasn’t familiar with the combat community. I took on this project because giving a platform to voices that are often overlooked or unfamiliar to the wider public resonated with me. At the same time, I was craving a creative outlet.
Naturally, there were many challenges—from finding individuals willing to share their stories with the wider public, to juggling our demanding teaching schedules, all while navigating the uncertainties of COVID restrictions at the time.
But what made it all worthwhile were the people involved with the publication. At its core, CCCC was always about the people—the special individuals who made the book, and that also meant people in our team who made it happen.
It took us over a year to find the right people. These were individuals who not only shared our passion, but were also willing to pour their time, energy, and hearts into something beyond the demands of their daily lives.
What made it even more special was having our team comprising former students who were establishing themselves as designers, event producers and programmers at the time. They have gone on to find tremendous success in their own careers.
Finally, we weren’t the ones teaching them but learning alongside them. And that’s what made it so meaningful. Here we were, telling underrepresented stories, and we were one of them.
We were a group of teachers, students, designers, and dreamers who rarely see ourselves centred in projects like this. It came full circle. While amplifying voices from the margins, we found our own reflected back at us.
Yes, people were naturally skeptical about the book. Some fighters we approached asked, ‘Who are you to write about this?’, ‘Are you going to do a good job representing me and the community?’ or ‘You can’t even tell me the deadline or publishing date for this book?’
Andrea and I went into this project knowing it would involve a lot of hard work. But we were somewhat naive and underestimated the hurdles we had to overcome and the many moving parts involved. In hindsight, that might be attributed to our conditioning as teachers.
If you think about it, I committed to a career path at 16 and had only ever gone for one job interview before I started teaching at 21. While my friends were dyeing their hair five different colours, travelling the world or doing overseas internships, I was already stepping into adulthood.
In some ways, I was cushioned—I never had to go through the grind of job-hunting, multiple interviews, or the uncertainty and rejection that comes with that process. Entering the working world so early gave me structure, not space to explore who I was outside of the classroom.
Working on CCCC pushed me out of that comfort zone. It made me feel like a student again, and I was pushed to learn new things about myself. Promoting the book meant talking to the various stakeholders and searching for a genuine voice, without the filter of teacher protocols or the pressure to say things the ‘right’ way.
And it proved worthwhile. People were genuinely invested in what we had to say. It became my chance to speak from the heart, unfiltered—to share who I was, not just what I did. That was a big learning moment for me.
As I step into this new chapter of my life, I’ve come to understand the importance of trusting myself and the projects I take on. CCCC is one such example. But this sense of self-belief didn’t come overnight. It’s been shaped by personal experiences, discomfort and growth over time.
If you never leave your comfort zone, you miss the chance to be challenged, to change, and to grow. As the Qur’an reminds me, ‘Verily, with hardship comes ease.’ I carry that with me. I welcome the good, and I accept the obstacles that come with it––they come hand in hand and are a part of life.
Looking back, teaching feels like a lifetime ago, but it gave me a work ethic that continues to ground me in the arts and cultural sector I am a part of today. CCCC wasn’t just an exciting project; it felt like the right step at the right time, with the right people. And that made all the difference.” – Astrini Alias, Creative Director of CCCC
Interview by Arman Shah
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What an inspiring journey—thank you for sharing Astrini’s story. I loved how she spoke about finding her voice beyond the classroom, and how the CCCC project helped her reconnect with herself through creativity and community. It’s always moving to see someone take bold steps off the well-trodden path and create something meaningful in the process. Justine and Michael.