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)

MAKING CLINCHWORK FUN

(This one's for Frank.  He and Eugina know why. Or do they?)

When I first began competing in MuayThai events in 1993, my striking was god-awful.  I was heavy on my feet, my footwork was all but non-existant, I threw sloppy/looping punches, and I had trouble rotating my support foot and rolling my hip over when I kicked.  Despite this, I was winning my matches because I could clinch!

Admittedly, my clinch game in the early 90's was far from technical.  I was simply adept at the double-neck tie and straight knees.  Defensively, I had a strong posture.  Basically, I was able to dish it out WITHOUT taking it in return... 

My competitive days are behind me now.  Currently, I focus on coaching and promoting.  The aspect of the sport I focus most heavily on is clinchwork.  I'll never understand why so many MuayThai students/practitioners appear so reluctant to clinch.  It is one of the most challenging  and exciting aspects of the sport!  If I were to take a guess as to why the clinch is often so neglected, I would say that most martial artists and fighters tend to gravitate towards the particular skillsets where they feel most comfortable. 

For me, it boils down to dividing the population between those who like striking vs. those who like grappling.  This is plainly evident in Mixed Martial Arts competition.  MMA demands that fighters develop skills as both strikers and grapplers, yet as we watch most MMA matches, it is readily apparent which competitors favor which facet of the fight.  Those who gravitate towards striking will try to steer the fight towards a boxing/kickboxing match, while those who favor grappling will try to take their opponent to the ground.

MuayThai is an interesting situation.  While it is, by nature, a striking sport, a strong grappling game is essential for success.  I feel that most people who gravitate towards MuayThai choose to do so because they are drawn to the striking element, but eschew the clinch for the same reason they do not study Judo or Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.  Combine that with the fact that you face the prospect of knee and elbow strikes coming at you, and its understandable that the MuayThai clinch can be so intimidating.

As a coach, I have found that teaching a few simple tools go a long way towards taking away the intimidation factor of the MuayThai clinch....

First and foremost is proper posture.  When fighting from range, a MuayThai fighter typically stands with his weight towards the rear, his chin tucked, and his shoulders hunched forwards, creating a formidable barrier between his head and his opponents weapons.  However, once the fighters close the gap to clinch, one should be trained to "posture up".  A fighter should rise up onto the balls of his feet, straighten his back, and lift his chin.  At the same time, the practitioner should press his hips forwards into his opponents hips, leaving no room for his opponent to strike. 

For me, drilling my students and fighters on this simple concept is the essential to successful clinchwork.  Once a fighter is conditioned to automatically posture up when a clinch is initiated, they find that the clinch is no longer a frightening experience.  They understand that having and maintaining the proper posture nullifies most of their opponents weapons.

Now that the student has achieved this level of comfort, we begin to sprinkle in the actual techniques of the clinch.  We start with the simple things first....  pummeling for the double-neck tie or body control, shoulder rolls to break your opponents structure, and the various arm positions and holds.

Finally, the real fun begins.....  strikes and throws!  The methods of striking and throwing from the clinch are endless.  As they say, the MuayThai Clinch is a fighting art in and of itself.  One can spend a lifetime mastering just the clinch, but by focusing your training on the principle of proper posture, a student will no longer fear the clinch, learn to relax and genuinely have fun with it!

BEGINNER FUNDAMENTALS vs. PROFESSIONAL STRATEGY?

I have a MuayThai student who has been training with me for just over a month now.  He is a Taekwondo practitioner with years of experience.  Teaching MuayThai to someone with a previous martial arts background can be a mixed bag.  In many cases, previous martial arts training can be a hinderance to learning MuayThai, but in his case, its shortened his learning curve.

That being said, we were recently discussing the match between Yodsanklai Fairtex vs. Cosmo Alexandre at this years Kings Cup Tournament in Thailand.  The conversation was in regards to proper MuayThai scoring.  Many who have seen this fight were shocked when Yodsanklai was declared the winner.  They cried "Foul!" and accused the judges of being biased towards the fighters from Thailand.  While I cannot claim to be an expert on Thai officiating, I have spent the last 4 years studying their scoring system.  When I first watched the fight, I came to the same conclusion as the judges.  Yodsankali won the match, fair and square.  There was no "hometown bias"...  it was MuayThai officiating at its finest!  But I digress....

The conversation prompted me to recommend that my students/fighters to look up the fight on YouTube and watch it.  Unfortunately, the link I had provided was removed, which led to my student looking up other Yodsanklai video clips.  After watching a number of clips, he contacted me with some questions....




MY STUDENTS EMAIL:

I went looking for that fight video you mentioned (since the one you posted to the group got pulled), and I found a couple clips of Yodsanklai Fairtex doing some pad drills. I noticed some interesting things about his technique that I wanted to ask you about. These clips are good because they do a slow-mo section where you can really see what he's doing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1Gpi7G6jQE&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgpgWWzeER4&feature=related

1) Towards the end of the first clip, he demonstrates a rear leg round kick. I noticed that he doesn't really step to the outside with his lead foot (more like he takes a step forward), and also his lead/support foot seems to leave the ground for a bit.

2) In the second clip, he does a hook/cross combo. His right hand seems to drop A LOT (almost to his waist) when he throws the cross.

3) In that same combo, he finishes with a rear leg round kick. He doesn't seem to step with his lead foot at all, and simply throws his kick from the position he's in.

4) His round kicks seem like they're traveling upwards at a 45 degree angle rather than across.

So I'm wondering -- is this an example that even pros have their bad habits? Or is it just his own personal style that works for him -- he's so good, he can do whatever he wants?

 

 

 

 

MY RESPONSE:

 

Good Questions!

I can answer without even looking at the videos. It was your final question that pretty much hit the nail on the head... It's a combination of the fact that even top-level pros have developed bad habits and that he's developed his own personal style of what works for him.... and what he's able to get away with in the ring.

Here's the thing... as we start training, we learn the strict fundamental techniques. We learn to do everything with our guard up, with the proper footwork, etc. But Yodsanklai Fairtex has been at this his whole life. He's already mastered all the fundamentals the way they're properly taught and has now ventured into the realm of developing his own style.

One of the reasons Yodsanklai is a top-level pro is because he is not just because he's been at this for so long, but he has the physical gifts that all top-level professional athletes (regardless of sport) possess. These physical attributes actually make it so that he doesn't NEED to follow "the rules". One of Yod's skillsets is his very precise head motion. He is able to stand toe-to-toe with someone trying to outbox him, and move his head just enough that the guy always misses, while Yod counters back with successful strikes. They call him "The Computer Wizard" due to this speed and precision.

Now, in regards to question #4, there are multiple angles for the round kick. I prefer teaching beginners how to kick through the target on a horizontal plane. However, as your training progresses I will introduce new kicking angles and discuss the possible scenarios for each kicking angle.

Reality Check

I'm a "Glass Half-Full" guy. 

This past Saturday (October 30, 2010) I refereed the MuayThai fights at "Operation Octagon 13" in Sterling, VA.  There were 10 amateur MuayThai fights on the card, including 2 amateur title bouts.  A number of the fighters chose to compete under full Thai rules, which includes elbow and knee strikes to the head.  The organization I work with most closely, the Global Combat Alliance (GCA), takes pains to officiate and score their MuayThai matches adhering to actual Thai standards and was the events sanctioning body. 

The fighters, apart from those competing for titles, were predominantly novices.  A number of them performed Thai pre-fight customs such as entering the ring over the top rope, sealing the ring, or performing the Wai Kru (Ram Muay).  They all fought with a lot of heart and displayed excellent sportsmanship!

Having been a part of the MuayThai fight community for the better part of the last 20 years, I see this as a sign of progress.  At the same time, if we are to continue to improve, we must be completely honest with ourselves...

We have a long, long way to go!

Taking Saturday afternoon's fights for instance, much of the fighting was sloppy and ineffective.  Fighters had obviously not focused their training on MuayThai's scoring techniques.  They displayed weak stances and a poor sense of balance.  Apart from the double-neck tie, most fighters seemed lost in the clinch.  Many of the matches were essentially brawls.  Even taken into consideration that most of those competing were novices, one can't help but wonder why most MuayThai competition in North America is subpar?

For far too long, the MuayThai fight scene in North America has been overseen by individuals that, while having the best intentions at heart, do not actually understand the Sport of MuayThai.  Sure, they had trained in the Art of MuayThai...  having learned many of the techniques and strategies...  but they hadn't actually learned the rules and scoring of the sport itself! 

This has had a very detrimental effect on the North American MuayThai community.  Many of those who promote the art and serve as its officials erroneously apply the rules and scoring standards of other combat sports to MuayThai.  Sports such as Boxing, Full Contact, & K-1 Kickboxing have influenced how MuayThai is being officiated.  These other combat sports, while sharing varying degrees of similarities, are simply NOT THE SAME as MuayThai!  Due to MuayThai being officiated and scored similar to these other combat sports, the style of fighting we now see in the ring is rarely true to the Sport of MuayThai.  More often than not, what we see in the ring are essentially (sloppy) Kickboxing matches using MuayThai's techniques.

Yet I am still a "Glass Half-Full" kinda guy... 

I'm sure that the light I see at the end of this tunnel is *not* an oncoming train!  More and more people are taking a genuine interest in learning and promoting authentic MuayThai, adhering to genuine Thai customs and staying true to its standards.  The community is genuinely becoming interested in seeing the authentic Thai "style" to the fights, and in learning how fights are properly scored in Thailand.  Implementing these changes will not be an overnight process, of course, but slowly and surely the real Sport of MuayThai will eventually dominate the rest.




(this ones for you, Bill)

Khun Kao is back!

"I have returned."

It's rather silly to make any comparison of my return to the Muay Thai community to the triumphant return of General Douglas McArthur to the Phillipines during World War II, but I can't deny the overwhelming sense that I've returned home.  While the community and fight scene carried on without me, the sentiment I have received from numerous individuals was that my absence was truly felt...  that the community was definitely missing something.

"Operation Octagon 13" (Saturday, October 30th at the Dulles Sportsplex in Sterling, VA) was my first foray back into the Muay Thai & MMA fight scene.  I was contacted to referee the 10 Muay Thai fights, including two amateur Muay Thai title matches.  It was great to so many fighters challenging themselves to step into the ring and I truly felt that all the fighters showed a lot of heart.

I was admittedly nervous.  I hadn't refereed a fight in almost 2 years.  I had concerns of "ring rust".  (No, this is not a condition that only affects the fighters.)  As a referee, my responsibilities are 1) to ensure the safety of the fighters, 2) ensure that they adhere to the rules, and 3) keep the action moving.  This task was a bit more complicated than your typical fight event because the agreed upon rules of the fight were slightly different for each bout.  A couple of the bouts were fought using full MuayThai rules with no additional safety gear.  Other bouts included safety gear such as shinguards, elbow pads, or headgear.  Still others had agreed not to use elbows or knees to the head.

From my previous stints as a Muay Thai referee, the blown calls still weigh heavily on my mind.  While I can comfortably say that none of my mistakes as a referee has ultimately affected the outcome of a match, it still bothers me when I miss a call.  It's especially troublesome to me because I am considered to be one of the most knowledgable local "authorities" on the sport of MuayThai.  I feel that when *I* make a mistake, it's exponentially worse.

Throughout the first 2 matches of the fight card, I was anxious, my heart was racing, and I was sweating profusely.  Sometime around the 3rd match, however, I settled down and really began to enjoy myself.  I'm fairly confident that I didn't miss any calls that I should have made.  If there is one thing that I would like to review, it would be how I handled the clinch.  I wonder if there are some instances where I allowed the clinch to carry on too long when the fighting was ineffective?

Despite some lingering doubts about my performance in a couple of areas, I have heard from numerous individuals (coaches, fighters, and officials) that I did an excellent job and that there was a marked difference in the "flavor" of the bouts compared to when others have been the man in the ring.

I don't think there could have been a better "Welcome Back" message than that!