We’re going to be starting a new segment with Kevin aka Huggy Bear called “In the Ring”. He’ll be answering your questions around, training, technique, ass kicking and name taking. I’m hoping to make this a weekly post, so keep the questions coming.
The posts are only as interesting as your questions… so fire away.
Many Thanks,
Nopstar
The Answers:
- Who was your toughest fight (abroad and local)?
Abroad would have to be Michael Dicks. I fought him on the king’s birthday in 07’. He actually outweighed me by about 15 pounds and I broke my hand in the 2nd round, which definitely didn’t help. I’d really love to get a rematch with him. Locally would be Romie Adanza. I dropped down to 127 for this fight, which almost killed me. He was my first 5 rounder, he was undefeated at the time, and I had been watching him fight since before I even started so it was a little nerve wracking.
- How do u feel when you hear people’s negative comments about the skill level of American MT fighters compared to Asian or European fighters?
Well unfortunately most of the time they are accurate. That being said I think there are a handful of great fighters here that can definitely hang on the world class level and every year the level of American Thai Boxer’s is getting better and better. So on one hand I agree with them but at the same time there are those that are paving the way and it’s only going to get better. Plus proving people wrong is one of the best things in the world!
- Which is your favorite technique?
I’ve always loved elbow’s, especially the reverse/spinning elbow. If there was a fight where all you could do was elbow I would be the first to sign up. Most times I get a little elbow crazy and Mark(my corner man)is always yelling at me, “No elbow wars” hahaha, but to me it’s one of the best and funnest parts about muay thai.
- How oblivious would u say American fighters are in the art of “clinching”?
It’s almost none existent here, which is sad but people just need to be taught properly and it can improve. It’s one of those things that is hard to teach and even harder to learn. If you don’t have someone good to clinch with then it’s almost impossible to get better at. Clinching is a whole style of fighting in itself. It would be like teaching a boxer, jiu jitsu. You have to spend just as much time, if not more, on it as you do everything else. Every day in Thailand they are spending around an hour, sometimes twice a day, working on their clinch. The only way to get better is to practice and to practice with someone that knows what they are doing. Most American’s don’t teach it because as long as you’re only fighting in American it won’t cause you too many problems.
- Why do u think MT hasn’t caught on in the East Coast as much as it has in the West Coast?
That’s a good question. For some reason it seems to me that there are a lot more Thai trainers on the West coast whereas the East coast seems to have a lot more American trainers that have either been to Thailand or trained under thai instructors. Maybe that’s not the case but I think that could be one reason.
- Who is your favorite Muay Thai Fighter (Other than yourself)?
I’m actually my least favorite muay thai fighter because I am my worst critic and all I can ever see is the things I should do better, ha. But Wangjannoi(I’ve sen his name spelled about 5 different ways) is my favorite. He fought back in the 90’s.
- What is your best advice to enhance “timing”?
Slow down! Technical sparring will not only improve your technique and accuracy but also your timing. You will start to be able to ‘feel’ attacks coming and you will have much better flow in your techniques.
- How do u deal with Meatheads or gym warriors at the gym?
When you have guys like that unfortunately the only real way to teach them is to put them in their place. Obviously the best advice would be to try and get through to them by talking but we all know that is almost impossible. You need to have an experienced fighter/trainer do this so that way they don’t really get injured. Toddy used to have either me or even one of the girls do this (like Christine), since we’re smaller, because it would really kill their ego’s and quickly open their eyes. Now this is not to give them an ass whooping or injure them but to show them that proper technique will beat some big brawler any day regardless of size.
- What does a typical day looks like for you?
This all depends on what weight I’m fighting at, as many of you may or may not know I pretty much fight at whatever weight I can get a fight at. I prefer to fight at 140 so if that is the case here is my usual day: Wake at 6am, 3-5 mile run,2 rounds shadow boxing(1 round with 5 pound dumbbells) 5-10 rounds bag work, a few rounds of technical sparring(if I have someone to train with), exercises(sit ups/push ups/etc) usually done by about 9 or 10(some days I teach at 9am so I have to be done by then), go home eat/rest,2nd session I start around 3 or 4, 15-20 minutes skip rope, 2 rounds shadow box(1 round w/weights), 6-8 rounds of pad work(if I actual have a pad holder), 5 rounds of bag work, 30-45 minutes of clinching or sparring, exercises, go home eat/rest, back at the gym by 6 to teach classes. Now this varies on the day because I also have strength and conditioning coach I work with 3 times a week and also depends on what training partners and trainers I have to work with so this is just a basic idea of my day.
- Any advice on diets?
Donuts and ice cream are my favorite so I guess it just depends what you are trying to accomplish(that’s for asking me too many questions hahaha)
- The best way to cut weight (for you)?
I really despise cutting weight in the sauna. Some people like to keep their weight up as high as possible then cut it down so they are as big/strong as they can be in the fight. I like to keep my weight down by sticking to a good diet throughout my camp as well as a good training regime and a good amount of roadwork.
- Sparring with Headgear or without?
For me it’s gotta be without. There’s been much discussion about this so it all depends on the person, experience level and preference. I find that I take more shots when I have the head gear on, it also causes me to keep my chin up in order for me to see properly. I think head gear is good to avoid cuts from head butts but in muay thai it’s not as prevalent as in boxing.
- If u were given the chance to travel to another country (other than Thailand) to learn and train Muay Thai…which country would u pick?
I would really love to go to Australia. I’ve known Angie and Wayne for a while as well as a bunch of other guys from Australia who have invited me out to train I just haven’t been able to make it there yet.
@SE
hahahahahaha, fantastic question :) Regret no, I’ve had a few that definitely weren’t what I had in mind when I started cutting it but then had to salvage what was left. To me it’s all part of the show and makes it more fun. Let’s face it, fighting is entertainment, what’s the point of doing this if you can’t enjoy it. At times I get sick of coming up with a new hairstyle and that’s when I’ll just hack it all off.
@celtic1967
Well when I first started I quit for a year straight, had my first drink after my 2nd fight which was one year to the day. After that I would have a few drinks but only the day or two after fights. Well this went on for a while and then that one or two days became one or two weeks and just went on from there. So I quit again for all of 09’, drank in New Years going into 2010. That whole cycle started up again so after my birthday in July I quit again, so I haven’t drank in about 4 months. I have to take it one day at a time ya know, once you’re an alcoholic you’re always an alcoholic.
@rymcdermott
You know it’s been a constant struggle for me. At the end of 08’ I was really considering making the switch to MMA. I was having a really hard time finding fights and obviously there is a ton more money and opportunity in MMA so I thought about it. My new year’s resolution was to quit drinking for a year again and I told myself that I would give muay thai one more year and push it as hard as I could and then make a decision. For me I have to do things 100% or not at all. So I didn’t want to be going back and forth between MMA and Muay Thai, if you train in one it’s going to take away from the other. SO if I was going to do it I was going to completely switch you know. Then like January 2nd I got the call to fight Kangen in China for the WBC title and ended up winning 3 different titles in all that year and the rest is history. Right now, being where I’m at in this sport, I would never switch over. I would feel like I was betraying the sport. I want to see it grow as much as possible and with so few people actually sticking with it I just have to suck it up, sacrifice being poor, and take it as far as I can. Money’s over rated as long as you’re doing what you love :)
@RedSky-NakMuay
You’re welcome, but you should really be thanking her. If it wasn’t for her inspiring me to want more out of life and to stop wasting mine I never would have started. Most of the Thai’s I’d like to fight unfortunately aren’t in their primes but I’d still like to get a fight with Bovy, Attachai as well as Anuwat, all three of them are amazing fighters and I would love to test myself against them. And there’s always Saenchai :)
November 23, 2010 at 9:38 am
Sawatdee Khrup!!!!….Kevin, first off it’s a pleasure and an honor to have someone of ur stature making himself available to answer any questions we may have…so lemme be the first one to bombard u…lol.
- Who was ur toughest fight (abroad and local)?
- How do u feel when you hear ppl’s negative comments about the skill level of American MT fighters compared to Asian or European fighters?
- Which is ur favorite technique
- How oblivious would u say American fighters are in the art of “clinching”?
- Why do u think MT hasn’t caught on in the East Coast as much as it has in the West Coast?
- Who is ur favorite Muay Thai Fighter (Other than urself)?
- What is ur best advice to enhance “timing”?
- How do u deal wit Meatheads or gym warriors at the gym?
- What does a typical day looks like for you?
- Any advice on diets?
- The best way to cut weight (for you)?
- Sparring with Headgear or without?
- If u were given the chance to travel to another country (other than Thailand) to learn and train Muay Thai…which country would u pick?
That’s all for now!!!!!…lol
November 23, 2010 at 10:13 am
hahah 14 weeks worth of questions! nice one Spyda…
November 23, 2010 at 10:46 am
do you ever regret past hair styles?
November 23, 2010 at 3:15 pm
how long have you been sober ?
November 23, 2010 at 5:17 pm
Kevin,
long time fan. very interested to see your answer to the east vs. west coast questions, but i had one to add…
How do you continue to deal with the seeming lack of revelance of american muay thai when MMA continues to explode? In addition, why do you personally stick with a pure form when the financial compensation just isn’t there for Pro US Muay Thai fighters?
I’m happy to have guys like you to look up to tho. I’m a purist myself, and as much as i love MMA, Muay Thai/K1 will always be tops.
Thanks,
- Ryan
November 23, 2010 at 6:40 pm
Thanx, Nopstar!!!…Hope I didn’t go overboard….lol
November 23, 2010 at 6:48 pm
I would also really like to know what a typical training day looks like for you when your getting ready for a fight like now and also in your off time not getting ready for a fight?
November 23, 2010 at 6:50 pm
Damn, I think Spydaman asked everything I wanted…
November 23, 2010 at 7:50 pm
Thanks for all of the questions guys. I will post my responses up tonight but I just wanted to do a quick post so you know I’m reading them. @spydaman, since you were the first post I will answer all of your questions but lets try and keep them to one or two so I can get to everyone’s, course you probably asked every question there is so it pretty much covered it, hahaha. Thanks again guys
November 23, 2010 at 10:51 pm
hey kevin i just wanted to thank your for bringing gina carano in to the muay thai world props to u she is one fine broad but that aside
what thai nak muay wud u love to the fight at the moment?
November 24, 2010 at 12:00 am
@ huggy Bear…… :-(
I feel bad…I think I might have gotten a lil too excited…this has never happened to me before…. (this lines usually work on chicks)…….I’ll keep any further inquiries to 1 or 2 questions from now on!
@ Tong Po….My bad!
November 24, 2010 at 1:57 am
- Who was your toughest fight (abroad and local)?
Abroad would have to be Michael Dicks. I fought him on the king’s birthday in 07’. He actually outweighed me by about 15 pounds and I broke my hand in the 2nd round, which definitely didn’t help. I’d really love to get a rematch with him. Locally would be Romie Adanza. I dropped down to 127 for this fight, which almost killed me. He was my first 5 rounder, he was undefeated at the time, and I had been watching him fight since before I even started so it was a little nerve wracking.
- How do u feel when you hear people’s negative comments about the skill level of American MT fighters compared to Asian or European fighters?
Well unfortunately most of the time they are accurate. That being said I think there are a handful of great fighters here that can definitely hang on the world class level and every year the level of American Thai Boxer’s is getting better and better. So on one hand I agree with them but at the same time there are those that are paving the way and it’s only going to get better. Plus proving people wrong is one of the best things in the world!
- Which is your favorite technique?
I’ve always loved elbow’s, especially the reverse/spinning elbow. If there was a fight where all you could do was elbow I would be the first to sign up. Most times I get a little elbow crazy and Mark(my corner man)is always yelling at me, “No elbow wars” hahaha, but to me it’s one of the best and funnest parts about muay thai.
- How oblivious would u say American fighters are in the art of “clinching”?
It’s almost none existent here, which is sad but people just need to be taught properly and it can improve. It’s one of those things that is hard to teach and even harder to learn. If you don’t have someone good to clinch with then it’s almost impossible to get better at. Clinching is a whole style of fighting in itself. It would be like teaching a boxer, jiu jitsu. You have to spend just as much time, if not more, on it as you do everything else. Every day in Thailand they are spending around an hour, sometimes twice a day, working on their clinch. The only way to get better is to practice and to practice with someone that knows what they are doing. Most American’s don’t teach it because as long as you’re only fighting in American it won’t cause you too many problems.
- Why do u think MT hasn’t caught on in the East Coast as much as it has in the West Coast?
That’s a good question. For some reason it seems to me that there are a lot more Thai trainers on the West coast whereas the East coast seems to have a lot more American trainers that have either been to Thailand or trained under thai instructors. Maybe that’s not the case but I think that could be one reason.
- Who is your favorite Muay Thai Fighter (Other than yourself)?
I’m actually my least favorite muay thai fighter because I am my worst critic and all I can ever see is the things I should do better, ha. But Wangjannoi(I’ve sen his name spelled about 5 different ways) is my favorite. He fought back in the 90’s.
- What is your best advice to enhance “timing”?
Slow down! Technical sparring will not only improve your technique and accuracy but also your timing. You will start to be able to ‘feel’ attacks coming and you will have much better flow in your techniques.
- How do u deal with Meatheads or gym warriors at the gym?
When you have guys like that unfortunately the only real way to teach them is to put them in their place. Obviously the best advice would be to try and get through to them by talking but we all know that is almost impossible. You need to have an experienced fighter/trainer do this so that way they don’t really get injured. Toddy used to have either me or even one of the girls do this (like Christine), since we’re smaller, because it would really kill their ego’s and quickly open their eyes. Now this is not to give them an ass whooping or injure them but to show them that proper technique will beat some big brawler any day regardless of size.
- What does a typical day looks like for you?
This all depends on what weight I’m fighting at, as many of you may or may not know I pretty much fight at whatever weight I can get a fight at. I prefer to fight at 140 so if that is the case here is my usual day: Wake at 6am, 3-5 mile run,2 rounds shadow boxing(1 round with 5 pound dumbbells) 5-10 rounds bag work, a few rounds of technical sparring(if I have someone to train with), exercises(sit ups/push ups/etc) usually done by about 9 or 10(some days I teach at 9am so I have to be done by then), go home eat/rest,2nd session I start around 3 or 4, 15-20 minutes skip rope, 2 rounds shadow box(1 round w/weights), 6-8 rounds of pad work(if I actual have a pad holder), 5 rounds of bag work, 30-45 minutes of clinching or sparring, exercises, go home eat/rest, back at the gym by 6 to teach classes. Now this varies on the day because I also have strength and conditioning coach I work with 3 times a week and also depends on what training partners and trainers I have to work with so this is just a basic idea of my day.
- Any advice on diets?
Donuts and ice cream are my favorite so I guess it just depends what you are trying to accomplish(that’s for asking me too many questions hahaha)
- The best way to cut weight (for you)?
I really despise cutting weight in the sauna. Some people like to keep their weight up as high as possible then cut it down so they are as big/strong as they can be in the fight. I like to keep my weight down by sticking to a good diet throughout my camp as well as a good training regime and a good amount of roadwork.
- Sparring with Headgear or without?
For me it’s gotta be without. There’s been much discussion about this so it all depends on the person, experience level and preference. I find that I take more shots when I have the head gear on, it also causes me to keep my chin up in order for me to see properly. I think head gear is good to avoid cuts from head butts but in muay thai it’s not as prevalent as in boxing.
- If u were given the chance to travel to another country (other than Thailand) to learn and train Muay Thai…which country would u pick?
I would really love to go to Australia. I’ve known Angie and Wayne for a while as well as a bunch of other guys from Australia who have invited me out to train I just haven’t been able to make it there yet.
@SE
hahahahahaha, fantastic question :) Regret no, I’ve had a few that definitely weren’t what I had in mind when I started cutting it but then had to salvage what was left. To me it’s all part of the show and makes it more fun. Let’s face it, fighting is entertainment, what’s the point of doing this if you can’t enjoy it. At times I get sick of coming up with a new hairstyle and that’s when I’ll just hack it all off.
@celtic1967
Well when I first started I quit for a year straight, had my first drink after my 2nd fight which was one year to the day. After that I would have a few drinks but only the day or two after fights. Well this went on for a while and then that one or two days became one or two weeks and just went on from there. So I quit again for all of 09’, drank in New Years going into 2010. That whole cycle started up again so after my birthday in July I quit again, so I haven’t drank in about 4 months. I have to take it one day at a time ya know, once you’re an alcoholic you’re always an alcoholic.
@rymcdermott
You know it’s been a constant struggle for me. At the end of 08’ I was really considering making the switch to MMA. I was having a really hard time finding fights and obviously there is a ton more money and opportunity in MMA so I thought about it. My new year’s resolution was to quit drinking for a year again and I told myself that I would give muay thai one more year and push it as hard as I could and then make a decision. For me I have to do things 100% or not at all. So I didn’t want to be going back and forth between MMA and Muay Thai, if you train in one it’s going to take away from the other. SO if I was going to do it I was going to completely switch you know. Then like January 2nd I got the call to fight Kangen in China for the WBC title and ended up winning 3 different titles in all that year and the rest is history. Right now, being where I’m at in this sport, I would never switch over. I would feel like I was betraying the sport. I want to see it grow as much as possible and with so few people actually sticking with it I just have to suck it up, sacrifice being poor, and take it as far as I can. Money’s over rated as long as you’re doing what you love :)
@RedSky-NakMuay
You’re welcome, but you should really be thanking her. If it wasn’t for her inspiring me to want more out of life and to stop wasting mine I never would have started. Most of the Thai’s I’d like to fight unfortunately aren’t in their primes but I’d still like to get a fight with Bovy, Attachai as well as Anuwat, all three of them are amazing fighters and I would love to test myself against them. And there’s always Saenchai :)
November 24, 2010 at 5:44 am
What do you think people need to do to translate their Thai boxing into MMA? What areas do you think you would need to alter or change about your game so that it will translate well into defending takedowns and dealing with MMA fighters wild swinging styles? I know you have experience in MMA and that you train and train with alot of MMA fighters so you would be a great person to ask, and who do you think are good people to watch that are currently fighting MMA that have been able to translate their Thai boxing into the sport effectivly?
P.S. thank you so much for taking your time to open this page to the MMT community and help better us better our games an knowledge of the sport.
November 24, 2010 at 6:43 am
Mr Ross…..Thank u so much for taking the time to answer ALL of the questions that were asked to you. Greatly appreciate it!!!!
November 24, 2010 at 7:40 am
great answer about the hair. haha
i think about this too mopey000. i have pipe dreams of becoming the one that tells the mma world muay thai can dominate. but its totally a fantasy.
i dont think anyone that is a thai can adapt well to mma as a someone who trained in the states of somewhere else. they are stuck in their way imo and from what i seen. but at the same time i see so many great MT techniques that coudl be used in the mma ‘ring’. like a superior thai clincher shouldnt be scared of much while clinched up in an mma fight. like he could dump him at will and land knees and elbows. not enough fighters use the plum either……SO MANY FUCKING TIMES i see mma fighters in the position to get the plum but they dont. its fucking ridiculous. once you have the neck the technique really isnt even hard to learn. you easily find out you can man handle bigger people with this position.
also, this might be a stretch but i think someone with great reflexes/speed could utilize a knee to stop take downs and shoots. its a long shot but if you land one i dont think the other guy will try and shoot again. but these are all merely my observations having never fought in an mma style.
also, this isnt meant to say that a thai fighter going into mma shouldnt learn any ground etchniques but should be able to dominate using mainly MT techniques.
adding to mopey000′s question what are your thoughts kevin?
November 24, 2010 at 7:58 am
Hello Mr. Ross
I have a few questions
1. Do you eat Mentos in the US or only in Thailand?
2. is Dunkin Donuts better in Thailand?
3 Who is sexier, Popedaddy or Hyena?
see you next week, homie.
November 24, 2010 at 8:12 am
also kevin, dont answer this if you dont to but do you[or did you]do any drugs recreationally? OR you can probably answer this for sure..do you see other fighters that use[could be anything] and fight? not talking baout hormones or supps. or even use some recreational drugs to improve their game? sounds ridiculous but ive always wondered because after the fights there is always partying going on.and people are stll human beings with past lives. i thank Muay Thai for being the main reason i quit smoking. and also surprisingly made me quite less violent and more humble. but i havent quit weed or the occasional weekend of partying when i was training actively. i know this is stupid but ive seen people pull it off. i guess im wondering if there are a lot more of these fighters than people think or not.
November 24, 2010 at 8:13 am
also how is training in vegas, the land of temptation?
November 24, 2010 at 4:47 pm
Ya SE i agree with what ur saying. I have had a hand full of mma fights and have been doing it longer than i have Thai boxing. I didn’t start doing real traditional Muay Thai till about a year and half ago and fell in love with it. I am just still in constant search for that one mma fighter that is going to bring Muay Thai in full force to the game of mma who also has a ground game to back it up, but ya thanks for the input on my question. Much appreciated! an would also like to here your input to Mr. Ross
November 24, 2010 at 6:59 pm
When do you think you will live in Australia (or Thailand) to train and fight? Do you plan to do this soon? I think you may get much better competition abroad.
November 24, 2010 at 9:10 pm
@mopey000
what people need to realize is that they are completley two different sports. Just because someone is a good Thai Boxer doesn’t mean that they will have a good striking game in MMA. It’s just different, you have to worry and focus on different things, have a different stance, be more cautious on certain techniques. The people that have been able to translate their stand up the best to MMA have been the guys with good ground games. The reason for this is they can throw their techniques with more conviction because they know if they get taken down that they can handle themselves. The same goes for an MMA guy switching to muay thai/boxing, just because you are a good “MMA stand up guy” doesn’t mean you can even hang with a top level Thai Boxer/boxer. Same goes for the clinch, yes there are certain techniques that transfer well to MMA but you have to realize in MT you don’t have someone shooting for your legs while your trying to clinch them.
@Bryan
hahaha, man I just can’t get on board with the Mento’s unless I’m in Thailand, I blame you! I would have to say that Dunkin is better in Thailand, as is other American places because it just reminds you of home while you’re eating. Poppedayddy is way sexier, of course I’m an ass and legs man so that might explain it, hahahaha.
@SE
any sport whether it’s boxing/mma/muay thai/fencing/baseball, has people that will use recreational as well as performance inhancing drugs, that’s just part of life. Training in Vegas is great as long as you stay away from ‘Vegas’.
@Tong Po
It all depends on my fight schedule. As of right now I’m set till feb 12th so it wouldn’t be until after that, it all just depends on what comes up and when I can make it out.
November 25, 2010 at 1:08 am
What weight do you walk at?
Do you still train at Toddy’s?
What do you think are your weak points in your game?
Which MMA guys do you think have the best/most impressive Muay Thai?
November 25, 2010 at 1:08 am
good luck by the way!
November 25, 2010 at 7:09 am
@SabaiSabai
I usually walk around 155 unless I’m really killing the donuts, but I’ve never been over 160. I left Toddy’s last November, his school is actually gone, he went back to Thailand a few months back I think. I think sometimes I think I need to settle back and fight smarter as opposed to going 100% from bell to bell, but that’s just how I roll. I really enjoy Jose Aldo, Duane Ludwig and Thiago Alves stand up, just name a few.
November 25, 2010 at 10:54 am
aldo is fucking amazing
November 25, 2010 at 1:01 pm
What advice would you give to someone who is about to have there first fight?
November 25, 2010 at 3:57 pm
dunkin donuts until i die. (can you tell im from MA?)
November 25, 2010 at 8:12 pm
@Nutcracker
I know it’s a cliche but just go out their, leave everything in the ring and have fun. The only way we can find out where we are truly at is to test ourselves in the ring. People often ask me, “Do you think I’m ready to fight?” Obviously you can get a pretty good idea just by seeing someone train but you never really know how they are going to handle an actual fight until they get in there. No matter what happens you will come out of it a better fighter and be able to take what you learn into the next one. Just leave it all in the ring and you will have no regrets. Chok Dee!
November 26, 2010 at 1:42 pm
I’m born and raised in California, So this next part might sound a bit bad but hey its how it is. I have always seen up and coming muay thai fighters in America and i just laughed and thought “psh lets see how far he goes”. Or if there is an American fighter fighting someone of another country, I often see myself already cheering for the foreigner. A few years ago I would have seen this upcoming kings cup fight and thought to myself “Hell yeah I get to watch malaipet kill some white guy”.
Now with that said, I think kevin Ross has done a damn lot for this sport in America. When I first saw you fighting I really expected you to be some cocky asshole or some tool. But instead you seem to have created a better, more respectable image of fighters here. I see that there is a lot of pressure on your shoulders, not even for how you perform in the ring, but for everything you have to do outside of the ring for the sport in America. I respect that you go out of your way to do it. Its pretty obvious you earned your spot as number one here, and its good to see it going to someone who isnt taking it for granted. Good luck on the 5th, usa!!
November 26, 2010 at 2:38 pm
Ryan-
Well put!
November 26, 2010 at 9:08 pm
Thanks Ryan, that really means a lot to me brotha! More than anything, regardless of wins and losses, I want to be someone that inspires people and helps the sport that I love grow as much as possible, especially here in America. I’m going to take it as far as I can, just taking it one day at ta time and seeing where I end up. Thanks for the support
November 27, 2010 at 5:46 am
-Assuming you teach classes, how do you deal w/ students that are just uncoordinated and aren’t really picking up technique?
-Who are some other American Nakmuays you think you’d pair up well with in the ring?
November 28, 2010 at 7:10 am
Yea I teach, you just gotta have super patients with people, which I don’t have a ton of. Some people will just never really pick stuff up, especially those that are just there to be in a fight gym (which seems to be the case more often than not), so you pretty much just hafta say ‘yea you’re doing good, keep it up’ and just make them feel good ya know.. And I think I’d pair up just fine with any other American nak muay out there, course I usually pay more attention top foreign fighters when looking for possible fights cause there are just so few Americans out there for me to fight.
November 28, 2010 at 12:34 pm
I keep reading different things, where are you training/ teaching?
November 29, 2010 at 2:59 am
throwdown training center in Vegas
November 29, 2010 at 4:32 pm
kev. do you consider yourself an underdog for this sunday’s fight against malaipet?
November 29, 2010 at 4:32 pm
why or why not??
November 29, 2010 at 5:11 pm
I actually never really think about that kind of thing. SInce day one I’ve been fighting people that on paper I was technically the underdog. No matter how much more experience someone has than you, no matter what the odds stacked up against you are, it’s still a fight. They’re still just a person, they can bleed, get hurt, knocked out, It’s not even always about who’s better, it’s about who’s better on that day.But yea, on paper I’m deffinitely the underdog, by far. As I’ve said before, the only people I want to fight are the ones that on paper I shouldn’t even be in the ring with
November 29, 2010 at 10:41 pm
Kevin, do you do any other supplementary activities that might help your thai boxing game (ie: pilates, yoga, mountain climbing)?
November 29, 2010 at 11:42 pm
@Jake, not really, does watching tons of fights count :)
November 30, 2010 at 6:15 am
haha sure. i strongly stand by the idea that immersing yourself in whatever you love will make you better, even in the slightest way.
November 30, 2010 at 3:43 pm
Kevin, great article on Sparring in America. I’m happy to see an American nak muay doing so well. When will you be back out in Thailand? We should meet up the next time you’re here. Hope your training is going well, and good luck on the 5th! Have a good one.
November 30, 2010 at 7:27 pm
Thanks brotha, I’m hoping to be back maybe around march/april but it all depends on what fights come up and if I’ll have time/money to get back out ya know
December 1, 2010 at 12:20 am
At the gym we have a couple just regular Twins heavy bags that just will not settle. Do u have any advice on how to get them to settle and harden or are we just stuck with some crapy bags?
December 1, 2010 at 1:24 am
do you even know what they are filled with?
December 1, 2010 at 1:25 am
fill em with sand :) some bags are just garbage, but what you can do is open them up and re stuff them. Either with torn up old clothes or sand(or a combination of the two) depending on how hard you want them. That’s probably my biggest annoyance at our gym, the bags are like pillows. The problem is they have to look out for the majority of people there, which are just casual, if you have a bunch of hard as bags most people will complain. Part of the problem with not having a ‘fighters only’ gym, tragic!
December 1, 2010 at 2:07 am
monies on ross for the malaipet fight,…
im predicting malaipewt will get outworked and be less active.
it seems like hes lost his thunder but i wouldnt under estimate him. haha
December 1, 2010 at 4:45 am
Yes SE i do know what the bags are filled wilth.
December 1, 2010 at 9:04 am
ok, so now we know you know that. this is good.
now, do you understand simple physics?
December 1, 2010 at 5:29 pm
Im curious to know if you are trying to be a smarts ass? Yes i understand how the bags settle thats why i asked the question why some of the bags settle an some don’t. If it was do to them being crapy made bags or if they just have to be compleatly restuff or added too.
December 1, 2010 at 6:27 pm
I don’t mind a bit of sand, but we used to have this bag with mostly sand- actually, I don’t think there was much, if any, of cloth. Thing w hard as fuck and not really useful for anything other than conditioning for strikes. I do love a hard bag though- the bags in Thailand are usually 10x harder than what many bags are here in the US>
December 1, 2010 at 6:34 pm
Ya there are a few that settled great but 3 of them just wont. I was worried about putting sand in there for that reason. But ya the bags that settle correctly just feel so much better to hit.
December 6, 2010 at 7:53 pm
Congratulations on the big win! I herd that you won every round!
December 7, 2010 at 1:51 am
thanks, I’ll have the vid up soon
December 7, 2010 at 3:13 am
congrats on your victory bro-seph
December 7, 2010 at 3:50 pm
wow, just watched the fight… you could see Malaipet get visably frustrated in the 3rd and it just got worse for him… really impressed by the constant pressure… really nice win Kevin!!! major props!
December 7, 2010 at 7:45 pm
Since a few have already spoiled it, congrats on the win, Kevin. Hope we can see you in Max soon!
December 8, 2010 at 9:04 pm
Congrats on the win, Kevin.
What’s your running regime like when you’re fight training?
December 8, 2010 at 9:05 pm
or regimen.
December 8, 2010 at 10:27 pm
it all depends on what weight i’m fighting, but for the most part stick to about 3 miles a day, just jogging, bout a month out I start doing sprint 3 times a week
December 21, 2010 at 7:16 pm
Sprint 3x a week? That seems like a lot of sprinting! I could not handle that amount of combined with pad work, bag work, sparring, other general strength and conditioning stuff.
Also, this combined with working a full time job.
Do you feel like you get enough rest?
December 22, 2010 at 1:14 am
yea most people couldn’t handle it, but it’s also the reason why I’ve never fought anyone that had better conditioning than me and been able to break people with mine. I never feel like I get enough rest but that’s whether I’m training or not ha.
December 22, 2010 at 2:00 am
Strong mind, my friend!