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Hello and Welcome as always to our Camp Update. Our year 2002 ended with a couple of serious injuries and some hard loses, but I am happy to say the New Year started out more promising and there are some interesting times ahead this year.
We also have what for me is the story of the year from Lanna / Kiat Busaba Camp, a demonstration of what heart is all about and it comes from one of our youngest lads.
But first we start with Friday night, 22nd November 2002 when Supot, one of our trainers stepped back in the ring after a several year absence to take on a former student, Hendrik, from Germany. Hendrick moved down to Udon to train with another gym and then came back to Chiang Mai to fight. Because of Supots lack of fight fitness he came out with a measured and unrelenting low leg attack that had all but finished his opponent by the end of the first round and within 30 seconds of the start of the second the referee mercifully stepped in to stop further punishment. Hendrik learned a tough lesson as well as some humility and Supot was happy but mostly relieved!
As I mentioned in my last report JR was scheduled to fight in Bangkok and he finally made his long awaited debut on TV from Bangkok on the 24th November. Unfortunately the combination of too much weight loss prior to the fight and nerves on the big day left JR drained and though he fought out five rounds he was outclassed by his opponent who turned the tables on JR with sharp hands and accurate low kicks. JR was naturally disappointed at losing and ending his 17 fights no loss streak, but he will be back!
The day following JR's fight we traveled to the countryside in Lamphun district, for one our youngsters, Jin, taking on an older fighter at a local village school fair. Experience won on the day with Jin being taken the distance by wits and guile of an old experienced fighter. Another good lesson!
This year we did not have a fighter in the Kings Birthday Tournament in Bangkok as we had hoped, but instead Chiang Mai celebrated the Kings Birthday with their own fights, staged at Thapae Gate in the centre of Chiang Mai on the 4th December. First up was Solam taking on a tall lanky fighter from Uttdradit and after hard first round with both fighters connecting, Solam found the mark half way through the second with a straight to the chin! A lovely KO! Immediately after Solam, Kem stepped into the ring to take on an opponent from Uttdradit whom he had fought earlier in the year and won over five rounds, and this time going one better and pulling off one of his trademark shin kicks to the head! Another lovely KO! Last up on the night was Jono, taking on his last fight for this visit before returning to the UK (in December? rather him than me!). Jono was up against a highly respected though semi retired fighter Muan Wai who still puts most of his younger opponents through the ringer and at 41 years gives hope to some of us who thought we might be over the hill! This night was no exception for Muan Wai and despite Jono's youth and strength he could not gain control of the fight and lost a five round decision. What can I say, another good lesson learned!
The following night, 5th December, once again in Lamphun district, Marco from Italy fought to a 3rd round KO win over a smaller but more experienced fighter. Marco has since traveled to Koh Samui where he is continuing his fighting ways with 3 wins and a loss so far. Good luck Marco and if you ever tire of the sun and sand we will be happy to see you back up here again.
The following evening, now our third fight night in a row, was at Gawilla Stadium in Chiang Mai, for our regular Friday fight night. First up was Manat, Chun and Sompong's younger brother, he was fighting a boy who had beaten him in their last two meetings. It was a hard fight from the first bell that went five rounds with Manat winning the decision after a decisive display of knees and clinching, the lack of which had lost him the previous two encounters. But this is where the story just begins, after the fight Manat complained of a sore arm (left and he is southpaw) and upon getting an x-ray done on the way home from the fights we found Manat has a fractured arm. When reviewed later the video shows clearly that the very first kick of the first round does the damage but remarkably Manat, with not a word of complaint, fights on despite, he tells us later, being unable to punch (remember he is lefthanded) push or pull with his left hand! And all this from a 12 year old boy. It truly is a matter of heart, to never give up. Something that many of us have forgetton, or in all reality have no idea about! Manat has just recently had the cast removed after a month of lugging it around with him on his daily runs and he is very happy to be able to get back to some serious training again. His next fight will be 14th February.
Now, this Friday night still has not finished, because after Manat, it was Mel, from Toronto, who was entering the ring for his second fight against a good fighter from Chiang Mai and though he easily out weighed his opponent, the Thai fighter decided to end the fight in the third round before Mel's weight overwhelmed him, with a measured uppercut elbow which he had only just missed in the second round at a first try, and broke Mel's nose! Luckily it is not to bent out of shape, the nose that is, and Mel is now back in training wanting another crack at the ring!
Friday the 13th was our next fight night with Ashley from Denmark following in his brother Leroy's footsteps and having his first fight at Gawillla Stadium. Though Ashley showed much style and potential technique. His lack of any real fight experience lost him the decision, but a good showing nonetheless for his first fight.
The following Friday Eric Wu stepped into the ring at Gawilla for his 7th fight in eight months and was very unlucky to catch another elbow in the second round above the left eye and the ref had no choice but to stop the fight on Doctors orders! So disappointed was Eric that one week later, cut barely healed, he entered the ring again on the 26th, Boxing Day! And, up against a very tough fighter who came out of the corner in the first round with heavy punches straight to the solar plexus and chest, so sudden and powerfully accurate were the blows that Eric was down within 1 minute of the first round. This was to be Eric's last fight before he returned home to Toronto to continue his engineering studies but before he left he had the pleasure of seeing a very good fighter from Isan (northeast Thailand) suffer the same fate as he did at the hands of his last opponent! KO'ed in the first with a series of powerful and accurate punches to the chest and solar plexus!
On the same night as Eric's spectacular KO, Ashley had been up earlier and once again lost a five round decision but showed he had learned from his first fight and gave a strong display of good basics. And last of the evening was Melissa, also from Toronto, who unfortunately ended her fight a no contest due to the weight and height difference. There are not too many 6ft Thai women around!
And so ended 2002, a year of many fights once again, some won some lost and a lot learned! We had a delicious Christmas dinner, courtesy of Pom and Howard. New Year passed quietly for some and not so quiet for others. I was up on the mountain at 7am, walking the dogs! And we were continuing on where we left off the last year, preparing to fight.
First for the New Year came on the 5th January, at the 700 Year Stadium in Chiang Mai. A very big fight for us with JR appearing once again on the TV, in his second top level fight, this time up against a favoured fighter from Isan. Once again JR had cut his weight for the fight and was not at his best, but he proved us all wrong and fought a controlled and intelligent fight to win by decision. It was a nice start to the New Year and I was also honoured to have one of my former bosses from work days in Saudi, Karl Hilthon, come to see us and attend the fights. After years of talking about my "other life" it was good to have a friend from the work see it for real!
In the meantime our fight nights in Gawilla continued on the 10th January, with Jin, once again fighting an older fighter, and after an exciting non-stop five rounds lost a very close decision. Next up was Solam, fighting an old enemy! They have met twice previously, Solam won the first, lost the second, KO'ed! and was looking for revenge tonight! And get it he did, though it took five rounds he dominated from the start and showed great improvement even over his last fight to win a convincing decision. There is a slightly unusual re-match coming between these two soon! Last on the evening was Ashley, entering the ring for his third fight against the "Old Man" Muan Wai, who beat Jono earlier. Once again the fight went five rounds and though we were all sure Ashley had won, the decision was given to Muan Wai, out of respect if not points! Ashley, as Jono, was very privileged to have been able to fight against Muan Wai.
We had a couple of weeks off from the fights before returning to Gawilla on the 24th January with Shannon Forrester from Australia. Shannon was back again for a brief visit and decided to take on a fight at short notice to fill in for Rhys who had to return to NZ on a family emergency. We hope all is well back at home, Rhys! Shannon outclassed his opponent staving off a frantic first round assault to finish the fight in the second when the ref stepped in to stop the damage!
The next and last fights for this update came on the 1st February with Ashley fighting in his fourth fight and having a rematch with the second fighter he previously fought. Once again the fight went five rounds and this time Ashley was beaten by his lack of fitness, but again a good lesson was learned! And finally, we see once again Alex Ricci back with us after a break of two months, enjoying the festive season back in Canada (and all that good, fat food!) returning to the ring after a month of hard training to come back down to fighting weight (almost) and win his fight. After a scrappy first two rounds he planted the perfect elbow in the middle of the third to knock his opponent down and prompt both his corner and the ref to step in and stop the fight! A good start to Alex's return and start of his long haul to the top!
Our next fights are coming up on the 14th and 15th February. JR and Solam are both fighting at Lumpinee on the 14th, with Solam taking on his last opponent in a straight boxing match, an interesting prospect as it is next to impossible to turn a Muay Thai fighter into a boxer in two weeks. Solam is very strong and knows his opponent well. For both Solam and JR, not to mention myself, it is going to be an experience of a life time and what I hope will be the first of many visits to Lumpinee with our fighters. On the same night but back in Chiangmai at Gawilla Gat and Jay from Canada will be fighting. On the following evening in Hang Dong, Manat will be fighting his first fight after having his cast removed.
Doi has now joined Den in England, and is working with Mike Duffy at Knuckles Muay Thai in Oldham. Den is continuing to live in Manchester for the meantime freelancing his Muay Thai training at various gyms and waiting on an interesting new project we have in the making. I will not tempt fate by speaking too soon, but this could be a first for us and we are very excited about it!
To finish up this update I had thought of many things I would like to say, especially on the way Muay Thai is going, both here and overseas. But as words usually go in one ear and out the other, ultimately actions speak louder than words. I think it is best to continue quietly doing what we believe in, with dedication and heart, staying true to the life and culture of Muay Thai.
It is with great anticipation that I am looking forward to another year both inside and outside of the ring. I wish everyone the very best of luck and may Muay Thai be a grounding and strengthing in your life.
Take Care as always!
Andy
PS. Hope you enjoy the pictures!
Supot, going back a few years. |
Size doesn't matter..... |
A gauntlet of bags..... |
Hit it! |
Buk, in the Zone! |
One of the first, Piero.... still going strong! |
Respecting the spirits |
Solam and Eric, "hanging tough" |
Sompong working hard! |
A boy and his punch bag! |
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