WASSUP.
It’s fucking hot. I know. No, we are not ever getting A/C in the gym.
Something something, diamonds forged in heat and pressure yadda yadda, but seriously, make sure you are training smart, eating well before and after training, hydrating correctly with electrolytes, bringing an extra change of clothes and sweat towels, along with drying and airing out your equipment for the sake of sanitation.
New Coach
We’d like to congratulate Mher Z. on his shift to a coaching position. Mher has been training with us for over 3 years and has accumulated a record of 6-0 with 2 TKOs. Last year, he stepped in to help us build the teen program as assistant coach and now has moved forward to helping us with our adult program.
Coach Mher teaches Mondays 11AM All Levels and 7PM Beginners Muay Thai.
Speaking of 7PM Beginners, Coach Jordan, who previously taught that class, will be taking a few months’ hiatus to recover from an injury and minor surgery (unrelated to Muay Thai).
Let’s wish Coach Jordan a speedy recovery. We look forward to having Coach back!
As a reminder, we greatly appreciate your help in referring to our coaches as “Coaches” as a way to honor their work towards maintaining our community with their sacrifice of time and effort.
Thank you, Coaches.
New Operations Manager
I hired an assistant to help me organize TBI in order to help provide the best experience to our members. Her name is Mary, and she will be messaging you from either the GymDesk messaging system or info @ THEthaiboxinginstitute dot com under the title “TBI Management and Operations.”
It is super important for y’all to be tracking your attendance in order for us to maintain our records. You can use the tablets at the front and back door to do so, or you can use your phones to log attendance.
I have included a sign-in link to your GymDesk Member Portal on the front-page navigation of our website:
She will be periodically checking in to see how you guys are doing and what we can help you with.
Please, absolutely NO DMs or text messages to my personal number about your membership or the gym. You can text me through GymDesk or the TBI phone: 310-596-5034.
It’s very helpful to keep all correspondence to email since it’s the easiest for me to track and delegate.
Some of you have been asking how to book Coach Robbie’s 6AM classes. You can do that through GymDesk, but you have to log in. You can also use your login to cancel and reschedule bookings. Pasted markdown
Content on GymDesk
We’ve been working on moving our social media technique library over to GymDesk as well. This is especially helpful if you have no social media.
If you log into your GymDesk account, on the left-hand side there is a menu with a tab labeled “Content.” You can click on that and watch our technique videos.
YouTube
If you’re into long-form content, we also have a YouTube channel with a few videos explaining techniques and the culture behind the sport:
https://www.youtube.com/@thaiboxinginstitute
Our “Clinching 101” video (a must-watch if you are doing clinch or our clinch classes) is particularly useful:
https://youtu.be/AUGMOVZ54f0?si=dbhN9uAzGC3wVxCl
Help Needed
So, Jonathan has been helping out with new member intake temporarily, but this week has taken a leave of absence since he is now a new father. (Congrats Jonathan!)
I’m looking for 4 to 6 members who can help out once a week with new members during our Monday and Wednesday 6PM Intro/Beginner classes.
The role is pretty simple: Just be kind, helpful and courteous and help new people feel comfortable training at TBI.
You’ll work out with them and help show them how to be a good training partner. How to drill with someone, hold Thai pads, understand intensity and how to modulate it depending on who you’re working with.
You don’t need to coach or teach technique. It’s more about helping brand new people understand how we train together at TBI and making their first few classes a little less intimidating.
I will have the intro members arrive 10 mins before class and will show them around the gym and teach them the basic techniques. Then they will stretch with the class and proceed to train with you in Coach Robbie’s class.
If you’ve ever been interested in coaching at TBI, this is a great pathway towards that.
Ideally, I’d like enough people involved that everyone only has to commit to one class a week.
If this sounds like something you’d be good at and you’d like to help out, let me know!
Thank you!! Pasted markdown
Glove Shipment
Sorry y’all. Our last shipment of gloves we got were way too small. Apologies for the inconvenience and appreciate y’all’s patience.
New gloves should arrive today!
Holiday Closure
Just a heads up for November!
We will be closed from the 25th–27th for Thanksgiving break. Class will resume on Saturday the 28th at 11AM.
October Curriculum
October 5–11
Boxing Pt. 2: Long Combos
October 12–18
Dealing With a Boxer Pt. 2: Distance Closing
October 19–25
Kickboxing
October 26–November 1
Coaches’ Choice
This Month’s Influences
This month’s theme is centered around boxing, kickboxing and how to deal with this particular style that is pretty prevalent in “Western” style Muay Thai. I want to highlight some originators and contemporaries of this style along with boxers that are good at neutralizing this “kickboxing” style of Muay Thai.
Also, you did know Muay Thai has specific types of weapon specialists?
Often, powerful punchers are referred to as “Muay Mat” for their boxing prowess.
You can learn more about Muay Thai styles in our video:
5 Things You Didn’t Know About Muay Thai (Pretty Interesting!!)
https://youtu.be/yz_1YDE3AQ4?si=-dCGNM4Qs330Wi_p
Boxers in Muay Thai
We can’t talk about this topic without mentioning Ramon Dekkers. A Dutch kickboxer that fought the very best of Thailand’s Golden Era boxers. If you are training Muay Thai, you must know who Ramon Dekkers is.
Ramon Dekkers Highlights
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KH2RXZr7R-w&pp=ygUNcmFtb24gZGVra2Vycw%3D%3D
Another highlight of his, very old, but “back in the day” it was one of the most hyped pieces of digitally archived Muay Thai. I used to watch this all the time before I would go and train.
Ramon Dekkers Highlights
https://youtu.be/DujrAq83yfc?si=oOgEudBRLrMRLm-T
Dekkers against Coban, another prolific power puncher of the Golden Era. My own coach went up against him in the 90s as well. Coban punched him so hard he ruptured my trainer’s eardrum, leaving him deaf in one ear.
DEKKERS VS COBAN II
https://youtu.be/PAC05VQaM40?si=rMFvLggZyJRcGk2E
Anuwat was a powerful knockout artist in the early 2000s. I loved watching his fights and especially admired his courageous boxing style. He coaches now at his home gym, Kaewsamrit Gym, a notoriously tough gym in Bangkok.
Anuwat Kaewsamrit – The Iron Hands of Siam (Highlights)
https://youtu.be/P-TM3mDn-_8?si=KyKbduP12wk9qS3m
Rodtang Jitmuangnon, probably the most popular Muay Mat of this current generation. I personally don’t prefer ONE FC-style Muay Thai, so I’ll focus on some of his Muay Thai fights.
Rodtang Jitmuangnon Highlights – Fights Outside ONE Championship
https://youtu.be/JPOCwBXOwJs?si=feWKP3Z35PJEkiXT
He had a series of fights against Seksan that were prolific as fuck:
Rodtang vs Seksan / รถถัง จิตรเมืองนนท์ VS เสกสรร อ.ขวัญเมือง
https://youtu.be/ABRPQAOiwzs?si=nkREOeseCZnve-Cj
His fight against Tenshin under Japanese kickboxing rules is another phenomenal fight to watch. A true “styles vs. styles” clash with the exuberant, flashy style of Tenshin against Rodtang’s unrelenting grit and pressure.
Tenshin Nasukawa vs Rodtang Jitmuangnon
Tenshin highlight for exciting kickboxing:
https://youtu.be/fY8VoyJSrs0?si=EEDssndVVY6ULP6z
I am a fan of Tenshin’s style too.
Tenshin Nasukawa (那須川 天心) Extended Kickboxing Highlights
https://youtu.be/wY-Pva3aPA8?si=3cDGrBbkjwptGZKT
The next few I think do well against boxers.
Sitthichai is a Thai champion that transitioned to GLORY kickboxing and had a very dominant career as a southpaw left kicker. Very pretty, fluid style too.
Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong “Killer Kid” Lyrical Highlight
https://youtu.be/rqQWv3HsxtU?si=A0e1Vd_UCl0FobiP
These two are from FA Group, Bangkok’s premier clinch-style gym.
Yothin is a particularly dominant clinch-style fighter with a Muay Femur sensibility to it. One of my favorite boxers:
Yothin FA Group “Сlinching Highlight”
https://youtu.be/lf-w-INwGjg?si=U7MYSaJ9N8kbK1kG
All of his fights on the RWS fight series are some of the most exciting displays of Muay Thai I’ve encountered.
Highlight l Yothin F.A. Group vs Andres Unzue I RWS
https://youtu.be/MmhE1psbgkk?si=ZaXiyikyhgoz7VvN
Petchboonchu, Yothin’s stablemate and arguably one of Thailand’s most decorated fighters in the past decade. Monster clinch style.
Petchboonchu FA Group (Bor. Plaboonchu) “Muay Khao. Deadly Knee Of The Mekong”
https://youtu.be/ZLBmGpFOHCA?si=cBQE8Q3CKnVHdLJV
I’ve trained at FA Group and even recently, while in China, got the chance to train with another boxer from FA Group for the week I was in Shanghai, and I can attest to how difficult it is to clinch with them.
It feels SUFFOCATING.
Boxers That Clinch
Roberto Duran had such a cool style of inside fighting, pummeling, hand trapping and counter boxing that deserves some studying if you are to mold yourself into a great boxer:
Learn the Evil Style of Roberto Duran
https://youtu.be/73yNFaIG0Sc?si=8BGhz1KK5eJ66whX
Sidenote: While in Panama City, we unwittingly probably walked by Roberto Duran one night as our hotel was right next to his humble palace in the city. Ask me to tell you the story in person if you really want to know.
Floyd Mayweather is known to be an extremely good clincher, although he mainly uses it for defense and to shut down opponents’ counters:
Floyd Mayweather Defensive Genius (Defense Highlights) HD
https://youtu.be/bQYeSXpC244?si=516znIx5JaH7flt4
Crazy good jab too. He did an exhibition against a UK MMA fighter a few years ago that bears watching just for how easily he fucked the dude up with a LIGHTNING-fast jab.
Floyd Mayweather vs Aaron Chalmers | Full Fight Highlights
https://youtu.be/Z5fP-COM2No?si=L6cga8m0OHglJUYU
On/Off Topic
Current Culture Consumption
Music
Bands with singers that are also drummers.
It’s so impressive to sing and play such a complex instrument, especially when songs have such complex rhythm patterns. Nevermind the intense cardio shape you have to be in to be singing and playing at the same time. I think it’s special to be able to have that mix of mind-body articulation and expression.
Last month, I was able to watch a band that I’ve been listening to the last couple of years perform in LA two back-to-back weekends. Lagrimas is an LA melodic crust band with strong political views and deep LA DIY roots and have been getting better and better every time I’ve seen them perform.
One weekend they performed during the LA TACO Magazine release party and the following weekend at the notorious 1720 warehouse, headlining a contemporary (5th wave now?) screamo show.
Both shows went hard as fuck, with the 1720 show being the better of the two.
Lagrimas – Death to All Oppressors | Audiotree Live
https://youtu.be/8_gb6zOHoZ4?si=aMx6zxo3tWpq8whx
Lagrimas – they get paid for it
https://youtu.be/06bZDDjhXeI?si=QI-s1wDPtFEUCt8V
My favorite song of theirs. I think this is such a well-written song with many dynamic, tempo and style changes.
Another band from a completely different genre (metalcore) with a drummer as a singer (co-singer?) is Underoath.
A great song of theirs from their 2006 album Define the Great Line, recently re-recorded for Audiotree. This song and album especially is nostalgic to me because it was what I listened to endlessly on my MP3 player during my fight camp runs.
Underoath – Writing On The Walls
https://youtu.be/iq2mjYBXAZI?si=DLPgO7uj5x8Q2CHU
Lastly, a hardcore punk song from sound originators Hüsker Dü, sung entirely by their drummer Grant Hart. This song is from 1986 and I believe is a timeless piece of music that is still being replicated by contemporary bands.
Not an entirely complex song, but extremely catchy and well-written. The vocal melodies are the best part IMO.
Hüsker Dü – Don’t Want to Know If You Are Lonely
https://youtu.be/eoKeH7JYE48?si=XhYtWCRwAY-aiP__
Do you have any song suggestions with drummers as singers?
Send them my way!