Documentary Film About Muay Thai in Thailand

•August 24, 2010 • 2 Comments

By Mike LNg

Lumpinee Film

Amid many of the new projects I get emailed about regularly one in particular really caught my eye: Lumpinee. Lumpine is a documentary film about the famous stadium from the perspective of Thaiboxers.  There have been some prior documentaries about Muay Thai that have run the  spectrum from being blatantly exploitative and over glamorized to others that were pretty gritty and realistic. I am pretty hopeful about this one though since both director and producer are native Thais (though both went to film school abroad).

Lumpinee Stadium

From the prepared treatment of Lumpinee the film is described on the official film website:

The story takes place at a boxing camp in a small community in southern Thailand. Destiny leads kids of varied backgrounds and purposes to travel to the boxing camp. Some join the camp because they love boxing. Some are homeless drifters; impoverished, drug addicted, or charged with filching. Some simply need a shelter, kids who view Thai boxing as lifeʼs last resort. They live together in this boxing camp that turns into a small society filled with both friendship and conflict – all centering and leaning on Thai boxing and Uncle Sak, the campʼs owner. The boxing camp thus resembles a juvenile rehab home or a mental rehab center. Its strict rules of behavior and rigid boxing training serve as potent medicines in rectifying the kidsʼ mind and body, and Uncle Sakʼs loving kindness towards the kids inspires them to look up to him as an adopted father. Uncle Sak, in turn, aims to breed the supreme Thai boxing from the South, so that one day his boxers could make their way up the rank and have the chance to fight against Bangkok giant campsʼ boxers. His ultimate dream: Lumpinee Stadium Thai Boxing Championship Belts.
A budding boxing life not only gives the kids a new life but also grants them the vision of hope. They open up their mind, revealing their
dream, on a journey that the only thing available for them to hold on to is determination and faith. They journey ahead in a quest for victory and
social acceptance, perhaps attainable in the short moment when the winnerʼs hand is help up high on the ring, the only lifeʼs greatest merit
they want to seize.
Interestingly the funding is partially supported by the Jan Vrijman Fund, IDFA, Netherlands.
I like the look of this film and it promises insights into boxers lives before, during and after the climb into the ring.  Something not only rare for any foreigner to see but it sounds a bit smarter than some of the documentary treatments about Muay Thai we’ve seen in the past.
Check out the teaser trailer below.

Fight Sports Inaugural Show Adds Super Fights

•August 23, 2010 • 1 Comment

By Mike LNg

September 11th the date of the inaugural Fight Sport Industries 1st card is rapidly approaching and it looks like the super fights for the event have been fully solidified. In addition to the 8-man tournament ( a first for the minds behind this event) the super fights too are loaded with some top UK talent. So if a picture is worth a thousand words: 4 pictures ought to serve to cover the superfights lineup:

Edlin Versus Beale

Sallan Vs. Hira

Douglas Vs. Skeer

Akufo Versus Bright

The tournament portion of the card is covered here. For further details check out www.fightsportevents.com, or for tickets call  0844 338 8000, or go to: ticket factory’s site.

Muay Thai Preservation Benefit Dinner

•August 23, 2010 • Leave a Comment

By Mike LNg

Muay Thai Preservation Benefit Dinner

I just got this notice from John representing Muay Thai Preservation Orgnaization.  A little note John, you need to fix your DNS since no one can email you back. Any how this is a new non-profit organization.  Muay Thai is the core of what the charity is about.  And it’s so new that they don’t have any listing of programs quite yet. John and his project have been vouched for by one of my link partners otherwise I probably wouldn’t have mentioned it all.

Here’s what John has to say about his own organization:

It has been a great privilege and honor to be part of such an amazing sport and way of life. For the past six years, Muaythai has been my teacher. It has taught me more about myself than any book or person could ever do. The lessons I have learned from Muaythai have guided me through both the darkest and the brightest moments of my life. It has revealed to me a side of myself that I never knew existed. Muaythai has forced me to grow as a person, all the while not recognizing this growth, until one day waking up and realizing that without it, I would be nothing.

For when I speak of Muaythai, I am not merely referring to the sport alone. When I speak of Muaythai I am referring to the whole: the people that have touched my life and the places that have left an everlasting impression upon my soul. It is the students I teach, the teachers I learn from, and the masters who taught them. It is both the time spent in front of the pads as well as the time spent behind them. It is the conversations held at gyms far across the world between two people who would otherwise barely understand each other, but where language barriers are broken down because of one common sentiment, the love of Muaythai.

It is because of these notions and countless others that I feel a strong passion to give back. That passion, along with the passion that resides in the hearts of the cofounders of this organization, has helped turn an idea into an action. And through our action it is our mission to make a positive impact on the lives of the less fortunate, all while preserving an art that has made a positive impact on us.

We are a NJ State Non-profit Organization. Our mission at Muaythai Preservation Project is to make a positive impact on the lives of the less fortunate, primarily through volunteer services, fundraising, charity events, and community programs that offer Muaythai as the path to self-improvement.

If you would like to contribute in any way please email me at:

info@muaythaipreservationproject.org

www.muaythaipreservationproject.org

Muay Thai Becomes Legal in Ontario, Canada

•August 20, 2010 • 8 Comments

By Mike LNg

I have some good news and more good news.  Though, its taken until a decade past the 21st century Ontario has finally been granted the legal right to fight full rules Muay Thai. For a long time now it appeared Calgary would enjoy a virtual monopoly on the ring sport in the nation of Canada.  That appears to at long last be at an end.

Much like the United States of America, Ontario’s decision to in effect legalize MMA will give umbrella coverage to full rules Muay Thai. How did this decision come to be?

The Minister of Consumer Services, Sophia Aggelonitis was quoted as saying ” the province has come around on the issue after seeing the benefits that MMA could bring to Ontario.”

“Our government has been monitoring MMA for some time. We know that the sport has evolved and that Ontarians want to see it here,” Aggelonitis said in a statement released Saturday.

“My goal is to make sure we have the tools to keep the competitors safe, and provide an economic boost to communities that want to host MMA events”.

This will mean a lot to the burgeoning Muay Thai community in Ontario that includes Phady’s, Siam No.1, Iron Tiger and many other gyms.  Though it’s early and highly speculative to say at this juncture, I suspect Vancouver B.C. could be next and Calgary will no longer be alone in having full rules Muay Thai (albeit in Calgary it requires elbow pads).

I had a feeling something was afoot in Ontario with their first announced amateur Muay Thai card in 2 years.  Despite some in-fighting and a struggle to hold it back via Calgary’s Robin Finley, Ontario has gotten the greenlight to proceed with rules allowing Muay Thai. This is very good news and hopefully more good news will come in the days and months down the road for Ontario and all of Canada.

Coban Comes to Iron City Muay Thai

•August 19, 2010 • 5 Comments

By Mike LNg

Coban Seminar

Summer time is almost wrapped up but seminar season continues for Muay Thai and this is a big one.  Typically I say almost nothing about seminars or training junkets since they to my opinion aren’t all that note worthy and as many of you know for yourselves vary very widely in quality and worth. This one comes To Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada and features none other than Coban Lookchaomaesaitong.

For those you that don’t already know (and you really should), Coban was a fixture of Muay Thai in the 1990s and one of the biggest Thaiboxing names of his time to go international. Coban fought more than 270 fights in his 23-year career. During Coban’s very decorated fight career he would become a Lumpinee stadium champion twice and win the world title 5 times. Coban’s knockout reels have become things of legend among Muay Thai fans. Before there was Anuwat Kaewsamrit there was Coban.

Coban’s perhaps best known for his clashes with Muay Thai legend and pioneer Ramon Dekkers.  The two would fight a total of 4 times with 2 wins a piece. Coban since 2000 has retired from fighting and is now training students in New York. This is a pretty big deal for people not exposed to Coban or only know of Coban from his training with the Gracie Brazillian Jiujitsu team on the east coast.

Like Hermosa Boxing Works Seminar with Sangtiennoi this represents a chance to really get some in depth training from one of the champions of the golden era of Muay Thai. For more information you can contact Iron City Muay Thai at their email address: ironcitymt@gmail.com.

Desellek Zujibamikew Vs Promrob Sakhomsin

•August 18, 2010 • 1 Comment

By Mike LNg

Asawindum Stadium

More action from Asawindum stadium.  And this one is not necessarily the tactical feel out match one may expect. Desellek Zujibamikew in red fights Promrob Sakhomsin in blue at the November 29, 2009 fights from Aswindam stadium.  After watching this without spoiler the word best used to summarize this is ‘ouch’. This fight was matched at 118lbs.

Payback 2 Trailer Released

•August 18, 2010 • 3 Comments

By Mike LNg

Payback 2 Card

The Payback 2 card looks full. For those of you that are not certain what the the theme is in the Payback series of cards  it centers around John Wayne Parr. Basically Parr gets a chance to avenge his losses against former opponents.  The first opponent Parr rematched was Mike Zambidis whom he initially lost to in a K-1 MAX Oceania qualifier years ago.

This time around Parr will get a 3rd match against Yodsaenklai Fairtex who after his stadium title runs went on to fight and beat pretty much everyone internationally outside of some close battles with decision losses or draws (most of which to me were questionable). Parr has been dealt 2 losses in total from Yodsaenklai and I guess the thought is maybe the 3rd try will be the charm. Some speculation has been that Yodsaenklai has looked in less than stellar shape lately and Parr could possibly leverage that into a win.  However I’ve never not seen Yodsaenklai not in shape for a fight. And honestly there is in my opinion little precedent for a 3rd match since to my eyes they weren’t remotely close fights with Yodsaenklai dominating both prior bouts in what has become typical fashion for the world champion.

Parr has become a fixture of Australian Muay Thai so much so that I wonder if there will be any big events in Australia without him. One way or the other Parr has left a legacy in international Muay Thai that is nearly peerless.

To promote the fight a clip has been released.

Slamm! Fighting With the Stars in Surinam

•August 18, 2010 • 9 Comments

By Mike LNg

Slamm in Surinam

On the August 29th, 2010 Slamm returns with a new card in Surinam, Fighting with the Stars. The Slamm! promotion brought us the much celebrated Holland Versus Thailand series and was instrumental in raising the profile of Orono Vor Petchpun internationally. Slamm! again imports many fighters to the Surinam site for Fighting with the Stars including some American nak muay.

The line up thus far announced is as follows:

Kadensi Ogri Dagu VS Kojeba Gazza Basi

Ivan “Destroyer” Summerville VS Ebu “The Professor” Jones

Cyrano “The Morning Man” Dankoor VS Marlon “Turbo” Steward

Ladies Revenge Night

Titiana van Polanen VS Joanna Jedrzejczyk

Denise Kielholtz VS Lindsay Scheer

Reduan Cairo VS Philip Verlinden

Andy Ristie VS Henry van Opstal

Darryl Sichtman VS Joep Beerenpoot

Eddy Almeida VS Fred Sikking

Jairzinho Rozenstruik VS Vladimir Toktasynov

Jason Wilnis VS Brandon Richardson

Jafhar Wilnis VS Rowan Tol

Gerson Main VS Dave Emanuel

Clyde Brunswijk VS Mervin Rozenstruik

Mark Hoft VS Clinton Tilborg

Max Redmond VS Nahim Ramahi

And now the promo clip for the event itself:

WCK Muay Thai Substitutions for August 28th Show

•August 17, 2010 • 2 Comments

By Mike LNg

WCK Card

Australian Joanna MacEachern will be on the WCK Muay Thai August, 28th fight card substituting for SuJeong Lim (out with a shoulder injury. Joanna Mac Eachern will instead fight Jeri Sitzes for a WBC MuayThai International Title. Joanna brings to the ring three Australian National championship titles in two weight categories and experience of fighting in Thailand.

Scotty Ray Leffler well also be out in August due to a training injury as well. Replacing Scotty will be Shane Oblonsky against Cool Heart’s Justin Greskiewicz.

For the rest of the WCK August card see this post.

John McPhail Has Passed Away

•August 17, 2010 • 5 Comments

By Mike LNg

John McPhail With Ilonka Elmont, Malaipet, and Dirk Stal

Sadly, John McPhail, long time trainer at La Puente Muay Thai passed away Saturday night in his sleep. John McPhail was known in internet circles under his pseudonym the “Flame”. And he chose the name correctly.  The ‘Flame’ was an appropriate name not because McPhail was an especially fiery personality or a quick tempered person but because his heart truly did burn with sincerity for the love of Muay Thai.  In many ways John was actually more like the “breeze” for his calm and gentlemanly demeanor.

I first met John At the height of Super League’s days in Europe.  At the time John McPhail had Malaipet as a member of his team and Malaipet was truly at the height of his international powers putting on virtual Muay Thai clinics in his clashes in Europe. John surprised me amid all the trash talking before Malaipet was to fight Patrick Erikson he had none to offer. John offered only assurances that Malaipet would do well and that he wasn’t worried.  True to his prediction Malaipet pulled a decision win out.

I won’t say John was the biggest, or best of anything but instead I will say that he was a good guy for Muay Thai.  And our sport lost a good guy and a gentleman for Muay Thai. Rest in peace John and thanks for giving so much to the sport.