The start of ZafinaFitness™ begins with a dream of a teenager becoming a fitness coach. Brings along with him as he migrates to city life from his hometown, he hopes and ambitions to help thousands of people achieve their dreams. The teenager, Yazid Abdul Rani, is now a big name for his extensive involvement in the nation’s fitness industry.

From the Ministry of Youth and Sports, big local corporations, to countless leading NGOs, Yazid has brought a new fitness perspective, the Malaysian way.

In the era where convenience is everything, Yazid sees that the Malaysian fitness level is declining day by day. Though there had been multiple attempts from outside countries to persuade people to exercise—Zumba from Brazil, K-Pop from Korea, Masala Bhangra from India, Bokwa from South Africa—none were in line with the local culture.

Women lost interest because of the intensive movements and tight clothing. And men only see these dances as feminine and un-manly.

Yazid realized; to solve these problems, he needs to go back to his roots and see what exactly embodies our local culture. And that is where Zapin found its glorious way into Yazid’s life. In his view, although Zapin is originally a cultural and heritage dance, the movements it has is quite energetic.