Our Garage Gym

Now that warmer weather is finally starting to arrive, the garage is slowly and surely shaping up into a genuine training environment.  After returning the borrowed set of mats we've been training on for the last year, Glenda and I ordered a new set of mats online.  216 square feet for under $190!  Not bad...

I also purchased a large dry-erase board to write daily training notes and a list of upcoming events.

I've also started storing our spare gear in a large plastic bin to keep it clean and organized!

Otherwise, we've been spending a lot of time focusing on our Boxing and Footwork recently.  I continue to stress the importance of proper footwork as the foundation of all of our skills, especially considering how important a part balance plays in Muay Thai.

Support MuayThai in the DMV!!!

This past Saturday, January 29th in Sterling, VA marked the start of a new MuayThai Fight Series, "THAI CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING".  The event featured 34 amateur fighters in 17 action-packed MuayThai matches!  The arena was sold out... standing room only!  The crowd was loud as hell, with everyone cheering on their fighters enthusiastically!

This event, being a "smoker" (unsanctioned event), used modified MuayThai rules.  In this instance, no elbows permitted to the head, though knee strikes to the head were permitted.  The officiating followed genuine Thai scoring criteria as used in Thailand.  All in all, the event was really well received and the fighters, coaches, and crowd seemed to really enjoy the experience.

As one of the event organizers, I am calling upon the MuayThai community to do their part in helping this, and other, local MuayThai event series grow!  Though this event was a sell-out, there were many notable faces missing from the crowd whom one would hope would have come to support the event. 

Believe me, I understand!   When your own fighters, friends, or training partners are not competing in an event, you are much less motivated to spend the time and money to see others fight...

...BUT...

I implore all of you to see the bigger picture!  The more support you give by attending your local fight promotions, the more often these events are able to be scheduled. This in turn gives the local fighters more (and better!) opportunities to compete and advance in not only the local rankings, but regional and national rankings as well!

One of the most important features of supporting your local MuayThai community is the fact that we are making a concerted effort to promote MuayThai the way it is actually fought in Thailand!  We offer full Thai rules matches for amateurs, whereas many jurisdictions don't even permit professional fighters to compete that way!  We apply the actual Thai scoring procedures, judging in favor of fighters who show the genuine Thai style of fighting rather than rewarding a fighter who kickboxes using Thai techniques. 

Despite the groundwork we have laid out, this is still a work in progress.  Our officials, though having received formal training in proper MuayThai scoring and officiating, still lack experience.  This experience can only come from continued practice judging real events.  Also, I was frequently stopped by members of the audience and asked to explain judges decisions...  why did a particular fighter win rather than his opponent?  I did my best to explain how MuayThai is scored, and believe that they left with a better understanding of our sport. 

We have an opportunity here for the local fighters and fans to grow in the sport together.  This is why we need the continued support of everyone in the MuayThai community.  Please come to the events, support your local fighters, and learn as much as you can about the genuine Thai-style of fighting.

Together, we can make this one of the strongest MuayThai fight scenes in all of North America!

Muay Thai Fighters You Should Know

It's been awhile since I've blogged.  I've had a number of different ideas rattling around inside my brain but haven't been able to formulate them into posts yet. 


Anyone who has trained with me knows that I like to use fights/fighters as genuine examples of the techniques, strategies, and ideas that I'm trying to convey while coaching.  This has led to questions regarding what fighters I recommend watching?  I've compiled a short list of fighters that I believe everyone who is serious about learning MuayThai should become familiar with.


In no particular order:

Yodsanklai Fairtex "The Computer Wizard". He's one of Thailand's best in their heavier weight classes.  A very precise southpaw fighter with great head motion and a very heavy kick.

Saenchai Sor.Kingstar (now called Saenchai Sinbi MuayThai). He is considered by most to be Thailand's best pound-for-pound fighter.  He is so talented that he is one of the fighters who can pull off “trick” moves successfully in the ring.  His signature move is a hand-stand kick.

Buakaw Por.Pramuk (fights a lot of K-1 matches) used to be ranked #2 in Thailand in his weight class and was unable to fight for #1 because his gym-mate was the title holder. I really like his style a lot because there are so many similarities to the style I was taught.

John Wayne Parr (of Austrailia). He is one of the most accomplished farangs in the sport. He has fought some of Thailands best, including Yodsanklai and Buakaw.  JWP is retiring from fighting MuayThai later this year.

Liam Harrison of the UK is another extremely talented “farang” fighter who is worth looking up!

Anuwat Kaewsamrit.  One of the things in particular that makes Anuwat a fighter to watch is that he wins MuayThai fights with boxing!  When MuayThai is scored properly, boxing ‘typically’ does not score highly, if at all.  A fighter must use his hands to devastating effect in MuayThai to win consistently.  Anuwat does just that and has the belts to prove it!

Rambaa "M16" Somdete is a real treat to watch. He was such an amazing fighter. He was extremely talented, but took a lot of risks which made for an exciting fight every time he entered the ring. I can almost guarentee that you will NEVER see another MuayThai fighter that is anywhere near as entertaining!

Samart Payakaroon. This guy was arguably the best MuayThai fighter in the history of the sport. An excellent tactician, he could beat you in so many different ways. He was also a WBC Boxing Champion.

Diesel Noi. This guy is one of the most dominating one-trick ponies in the history of the universe! This guy is the reason why the clinch game in Muay Thai became such a specialized subset of techiniques. He ended his career with 16 straight knockouts with his clinch knees. No one would fight him after that and he was forced into an early retirement.

Samson Esarn (Samson Noi).  It’s hard to find clips of this guy.  He was a ferocious boxer with a relentless clinch.  He was one of my favorite fighters.  After MuayThai, he went onto to become an undefeated boxing champion (WBC?)

Kaensak Sor.Plonjit was called “Mr. 180 IQ” because he was such a smart fighter.  He won the Lumpini and Radjadamnern Stadium titles twice each, and was the MuayThai fighter of the year twice.  I've actually had the chance to train with him and learned some of my favorite clinch tricks from him.

Ramon Dekker.  One of Holland’s most successful MuayThai fighters.  This guy was the little engine that could!  He fought with some of Thailand’s best when MuayThai was at its best!  (see also:  Rob Kaman)