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Welcome once again to a late Camp News! It has been another hectic time and never seeming to be enough of it for all that has to be done! We have a new Champion at the Camp, some first timers in the ring, and few friends departed and returned. Our boxers bio has finally been updated and there are some updates to the equipment list too.
After nearly two years with us Eddie has finally had to return to the "real world" back in Toronto, and is he feeling the cold or what! What can I say!!! But a few months of hard work, some money in pocket and who knows, Eddie may be back for more! Some who have returned for more include Joey, the Canadian winter over Xmas was enough, Jaime (Kasper) back from Spain, and finally, after some mis-adventures in Norway, Ahmed is safely back with us.
Our first fight of the new year was Kem at Rachatdamnern, on the 10th January, and though we did not get to see it on TV, Kem KO'd his opponent in the third, starting the year as he ended the last one!
Our next fight was Garth(Gaz)Brady from Mike Duffys' Knuckles Muay Thai Gym in Oldham, fighting his second fight this visit, at Gawilla Stadium on the 18th January. He got a measure of revenge for his first fight loss, winning in the second by knee KO. On the following Sunday Gat and Sompong fought in Lamphun, with Gat losing five hard rounds and Sompong winning in five against a good fighter from Isan.
On the 25th January we once again journeyed to Lamphun where Solam fought for his Northern Champions Belt, he won in a display of control and power punching and kicking, a very good fight for Solam and a deserved win. He will have the chance in a few days(3/3/02) when he will be defending the belt, to show his strength, we are eagerly anticipating the fight! On the same fight card Boon had his first fight in the North since his return from Bangkok and won easily. Not so later!
Our last fight night for January was on the 31st, with Manat, Jin, Shuji, from Japan for his first time, and Alex, all fighting at Gawilla. Manats' fight was his third and I had particular interest in this one as I have taken personnal charge of Manats training and we have been working a lot together, but though Manat fought hard and controlled much of the fight at the end of three rounds his opponent had sat him on the floor too many times. Jin continued in his amazing run of KOs' by kneeing his opponent out of the fight in the third. Shuji, up for the first time faced a Thai boxer of good standard and after an explosive 1st round where Shuji gave almost as good as he got the referee stopped the fight with seconds left in the first round. Shuji is back training and learning from that first visit to the ring! Alex fought last on the night and though much was expected from Alex against an awkward Thai fighter who has had considerable success against our foreign fighters, he was unable to deliver and lost a five round decision.
On the same night, but in Mae Hong Son, JR fought a local Mae hong Son boy and won by third round KO, "with everything" JR said! JR and our Trainer, Supot, flew to Mae Hong Sorn, an adventure for both as neither had flown in an airplane before!
The next fight night was on Valentines day, lovers and boxers! In a small town near Poms' hometown, called Wang Chin. Alex again up this time in a rematch against his first opponent in Thailand, whom he lost to and George Chan, from Holland and Hong Kong, had his first fight in Thailand against the same fighter Alex had fought two weeks previous. Alex proved that he had learned some of his lessons when he took the fight to his opponent and gained a good five round desicion. George confounded everyone with a solid, smiling effort against a much better opponent, cutting him in the fourth and upsetting him throughout the fight with a great smile! only to lose the decision!
On the weekend of the 22nd, 23rd February we set a new record for fights, with three fighters fighting in Chiangmai, one in Bangkok, two in Koh Samui, and one in Perth, Australia. The next trick we have to master is how to be four places at one time!
On Friday, 22nd, in Chiangmai at one of the local Bar Beer Centres, Gat once again had a very hard fight against a much better opponent and though again showing great heart and fighting spirit lost the decision. Derry Temple from Ireland, up next, was having his first fight in Thailand and though his opponent was an overweight Thai boxer it proved to be a great fight with a very close decision going to Derry. He was well pleased with the result and we will have more news of him in the future. Boon fought last and was very unlucky to get caught with an elbow in the second, opening a cut just below the eye and the Doc stopped the fight. At about the same time as we were fighting in Chiangmai Joey would have been in the ring, in Perth, for his match against a good Aussie fighter, Eugene, who caught Joey with a hook out of nowhere two minutes into the first round. Joey was disappointed to say the least, to have gone all that way!! Anyway he is back at training and looking to improve that guard!
On Saturday both Carla and Ninna fought at the new stadium at Lamai Beach on the Island of Koh Samui. Both won by first round KOs and are already well back into training looking for the next fight. They both had their first visit to the Islands and though they enjoyed the beach were happy to be back home in Chiangmai and training within a couple of days!
Finally, also on Saturday Kem was fighting on a hot afternoon, just outside Bangkok, where he lost a tough fight against a good opponent and against the heat of the afternoon. This fight ended his win streak in Bangkok at five fights, but he is back at Rachatdamnern on the 18th March, and we are looking to make up for this loss.
And lastly for this report, Friday night, 1st March, at Gawilla Stadium in Chiangmai proved to be a good night with Jin, fighting a very tough, though older fighter, lost the decision but not before giving all he had, It was a excellent fight for Jin and a good lesson! Following Jin was a new boy. Pin, who was having his first fight in the big stadium. We had no idea of his ability other than being told he had heart and so it proved with five rounds of swings and round abouts and lots of heart. Pin taking the decision after five rounds. Next was Jaime(Kasper) having his first fight since returning from the Xmas break and this time he was, unusually, up against another foreigner, Pat from Ireland. Kasper proved to be much supierior and after landing three unanswered knee elbow combinations the Irish lads corner threw in the towel at the end of the first round. Pat was not happy and seemed to be very keen to take on Kasper again at a later date, but first he will have to learn to stop being a boxer!!!
The Camp continues to be busy with many people coming through for training from all over the world. Our training schedule is starting to pick up the pace a bit more now with all the folk coming to train for fights and this year continues to look promising on the fight scene with many opportunities coming up as the year proceeds.
The mountain run record held by Ahmed has been broken by Lee Lancaster from England, by just five seconds, and as Ahmed is on his way back to peak fitness we expect a few good morning runs up the mountain over the next few months!!
On a final note I have just read through the open letter that Stephan Fox of the WMTC wrote on the Internet, in answer to the critics of himself and WMTC. And he had many good things to say concerning all the problems and politics that is currently plaguing many aspects of Muay Thai at the moment. I truly hope that everyone will stop the infighting and begin working together to promote Muay Thai in a way that it deserves. And he also answered something that is close to my own heart. It is time that all those people sitting in their comfortable chairs back home, telling the world how good or bad gyms are in Thailand (without actually visiting) to realise that it is not the gym but the people themselves who make the difference as to how much they can learn or to being a good fighter. I doubt there is a Gym in Thailand that would not teach you and teach you well, if you showed the right dedication, desire and heart. So regardless if the gym is on Koh Samui, in Chiangmai or the heart of Bangkok, the trainers at these gyms are dedicated to teaching Muay Thai and it is only up to you as to how much you can learn. Do not wait to be told, get out there and do it for yourself.
Until the next time round I hope everyone enjoys their training, gives it their all, and good luck to all those taking on that ultimate challenge in the ring.
Take Care..........Andy
Solam in action……… |
On his way to winning………… |
 | The Northern Champions Welterweight Belt |
Manat squaring up to his opponent in his third fight |
A view of the ring at Gawilla Stadium in Chiangmai |
George being presented with a garland, for luck! |
After the fights in Wang Chin |
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