The Rise of Muaythai in the East

by John Wolcott

Practitioners of Muaythai have been asking the powers that be for the implementation of full-rules into the New York fight game for years, and for years our cries have fell on deaf ears. It seemed as if those governing the sport did not have the same desire to grow Muaythai as the purists who yearned for a better rendition. They continuously denied promoters the rights to put together full-rules events, and for some time it felt as if there were a conspiracy against the advocates of traditional Muaythai. Fighters and gyms on the east coast where forced to dumb down their ring techniques to suit the standards of New York’s Muaythai directors. Because of this, it was the fighters who had received all the scrutiny from their western counterparts. And not once had their been an intervention from the people in the highest positions to make a change; at least not until now.

Pictures: Weigh-ins for The Warriors Cup XII

John Wolcott at the weigh-ins for The Warriors Cup XII to snap some shots of the pro fighters. The Warriors Cup XII will be the first full rules Muay Thai event in the history of New Jersey and will feature a main event for the WBC Muay Thai welterweight international title between Justin Greskiewicz of Philadelphia, PA and Liam Harrison of Leeds, England.

National Muaythai Day

by John Wolcott

As legend has it, sometime around the late 1700’s on March 17, a Thai boxer by the name of Nai Khanom Tom, who was held captive by the King of Burma, fought and defeated ten Burmese boxers sequentially earning himself his freedom. As the story goes, Tom’s first opponent was so thrown off by the performance of Tom’s Wai Kru that he attributed his loss to the ceremonial dance. Because of this the referee declared Tom’s victory invalid. Tom was then ordered to fight nine more opponents, consecutively defeating them all. The Burmese King, who was so impressed by Nai Khanom Tom’s capabilities, granted Tom his liberation and bestowed upon him two wives. Nai Khanom Tom returned to Thailand a legend.

Although centuries have passed and times have changed the legacy of Nai Khanom Tom remains. So much so that every year, on March 17, the Muaythai community celebrates in his honor. On this day participants across the world take time to reflect on the sport they love and show gratitude to the ones who teach it, and rightfully so. The job of a Muaythai trainer is often thankless. Generally, the men and women behind the scenes rarely get the recognition they deserve. How many times does a trainer get the pat on the back after their fighter has had a stellar performance? The job of a trainer is the ultimate sacrifice - giving up ones own time, body and energy for the betterment of another. What greater abandonment of the self exists? The idea seems fitting for a sport that melds almost seamlessly with Buddhist tradition. However, it doesn’t stop there.

Muay Thai is in the mind and heart

by John Wolcott

 

As I sit here 10,000 meters above sea level I could not help but think about the latest articles I have read regarding the current state of Muaythai in America and the continuous debate on the whole East Coast versus West Coast matter. There have been some recent discussions whether the fighters on the East Coast can call what they do Muaythai or should it be referred to as kickboxing. The most recent article I read while siting at JFK Airport en route to Thailand featured some comments by professional Muaythai fighter Chaz Mulkey. Mulkey, who holds a passionate stance on the matter, openly invited East Coast fighters to step up and take the challenge of competing against a few of the West Coast fighters. He also stated that East Coast fighters are amateur at best, amongst other things. What better way to kill a handful of this fifteen and a half hour plane ride than to explore some ideas on the situation at hand?