My Muay Thai Journey

I got into sports at an early age. I wasn’t the biggest or the strongest boy in my class and was sometimes picked on. To overcome my insecurities, I took up various sports, to get both stronger and happier, while continuing to study. I played football, tennis, did weights, marathon and mountain running. I tried martial arts as well, karate and kickboxing. In 2006, I qualified as a gym instructor and circuit trainer.

My Muay Thai journey started after I watched the movie “Kickboxer” with Jean-Claude Van Damme, my favourite actor. I fell in love with Muay Thai and Thailand. I found a Muay Thai club in Spain and started training.

I trained a lot and qualified as a Muay Thai fitness trainer in London in 2011, but I felt it was not enough. I was hungry to learn more, so I visited Thailand twice for several months at a time, in 2012 and 2017. This was authentic professional training, training hard for over 100 hours a month. I watched many professionals in the ring. The atmosphere was electric, and I met some great fighters. I trained alongside Thai champions, with some amazing coaches, in different gyms in Bangkok and Phuket (Cham Chai gym, Eminent Air Gym, Tiger Gym).

On my first visit in 2012, I passed from the beginner level to the advanced level in less than two weeks. I put my heart into training, and earned the respect of my peers. I particularly appreciate the lessons taught by my coach Prayat - he has a huge passion for Muay Thai, he is now training Thai champions. He inspired me to teach Muay Thai his way.

I enjoyed my time in Thailand immensely. Not only did I learn the skills of Muay Thai, but I immersed myself in its culture, the beliefs, the state of mind, the values, the respect that are integral to Muay Thai.

One of the most important lessons I learned in Thailand is what it means to be a good Muay Thai fighter. A good fighter is one who is “jai dee” (pure heart), a good person, who observes the traditional Muay Thai values. Muay Thai is about respect – respect for your opponent, your teammates, your coach, for the sport itself, and people in general, on and off the ring. It is about being polite and modest, and aspiring to better yourself. This is the knowledge I want to pass on to my students. The toughest Muay Thai fighters I met in Thailand were the most humble.

I started training Muay Thai in 2013. Since then, I have trained a variety of people of different ages, from primary school kids to pensioners, with various health issues, those who want to fight professionally, get fit or recover from injuries and get stronger.

My personal experiences in fighting, training, and my own injuries have taught me to understand how the human body works. I also learnt how important good technique is in avoiding injuries, and always instruct my students in the correct way to improve their technique and have the safest experience. In Muay Thai, technique is everything.

I noticed that my performance has improved in football, running, hiking, and cycling. Muay Thai provides the core strength, agility, balance that are invaluable in any sport. I still enjoy a variety of sports, and last year I completed a marathon run through the Snowden mountains.

I have a passion for teaching Muay Thai, for passing on my knowledge, especially to kids as they are our future. I believe that Muay Thai is great for the body and the mind, it is a sport that can benefit anyone. For me, it is more than just a sport. Muay Thai is my life.