Suitcases, Donuts, Dropping Hands, And More...
Dokmaipaa Comes Out On Top
(In this photo: Fairtex BGV1 Muay Thai Boxing Glove)
Southpaw athlete, Dokmaipaa, made a stunning debut at ONE Lumpinee. The top ranked fighter battled WBC Muay Thai World Champion, Barbara Aguiar.
The fight was fast. Three rounds of three minutes each. In the first Dokmaipaa landed the smack, bang, and drop. It was a jab, a cross, and Barbara sank to the ground. The Brazilian took an eight count and her nose broke. Blood streamed out but the resilient South American kept fighting.
“At first I wanted to fight Marie Heinz,” Dokmaipaa said. Instead, Aguiar was her debut opponent and it was a tough fight.
“If it was five rounds I would have lost all my energy.”
Dokmaipaa used her boxing and body kicks to keep the fight her way. Aguiar clinched onto Dokmaipaa in the third. She landed high scoring knees, the same tactic she used to win the WBC Muay Thai belt against Joanne La.
“Barbara has a very strong lock,” Dokmaipaa said. “I tried to turn her but I couldn’t.”
Aguiar wasn’t able to turn the fight around after the first round knock down.
The Fairtex fighter came out with the unanimous win.
Chokun's Back
(In this photo: Fairtex SP5 Competition Muay Thai Shin Guard, Fairtex FMV15 Focus Punch Mitts, Fairtex LKP1 Leg Kick Pad, A.K.A. The Thai Suitcase)
Everyone’s favorite younger brother is back in the gym. Chokun, Stamp’s younger brother returned to the training center. Like his older sister and his father, he’s fighting again.
Chokun fought at Fairtex fight three months ago. He took on an accomplished athlete from Vietnam. He dropped a points decision and is looking to get back to his winning ways.
When Chokun trains at Fairtex he follows his older sister, Stamp around. The sixteen year old is looking to step out of his sister’s shadow and show what he’s made of. He fights in early April.
Body Shots By Shir
(In this photo: Fairtex BGV14 Pink/White Muay Thai Boxing Glove, Fairtex FGV18 Super Sparring Grappling Gloves)
Israeli boxer Shir Cohen got hands. Cohen is an accomplished kickboxer. She won the World Games medal for her kickboxing skills. Cohen took home the prize from Birmingham Alabama in the summer of 2022.
She’s switched over to Muay Thai and fought once at Lumpinee. Changing from kickboxing to Muay Thai is not easy though. There is blocking, elbows, and the clinch.
There are advantages though. Cohen’s boxing is on point. She practices her body shots with German fighter Aaron Born. Every day she digs her uppercuts into the German.
Cohen will try to utilize her hard hands for the Thaiwasadu tournament on March 4th at Lumpinee.
The Suitcase
(In this photo: Fairtex SP5 Competition Muay Thai Shin Guard, Fairtex LKP1 Leg Kick Pad, A.K.A. The Thai Suitcase, Fairtex FMV13 Maximized Focus Mitts, Fairtex Muay Thai Curved Pads)
Trainers at Fairtex use many products. There are belly pads, kick pads, boxing mitts, and of course the infamous suitcase. The training equipment, made in Thailand at the Fairtex Bangplee factory, is primarily used for leg kicks.
Coaches will hold the suitcase to their leg and the boxers will kick it! Both the inside and outside legs are used on the leg kick pad. Often the trainer will use their free hand as a boxing mitt so the fighters can set up their leg kicks.
But the suitcase isn’t just made for leg kicks. It can travel!
Often the suitcase is used to hold for teeps and body kicks as well. Being able to transition between attacks is vital for accomplished fighters. The suitcase is stiff. So it doesn’t bend as well as kick pads. But, it is still very good for switching levels. The stability of the suitcase is also good for feeling resistance when the push kick lands against a well conditioned ab.
In this photo, you can see Nongam push kicking the suitcase held by Kru Wut.
Hold The Glove
(In this photo: Fairtex LKP1 Leg Kick Pad, A.K.A. The Thai Suitcase, Fairtex BGV14 White Muay Thai Boxing Glove)
Even champion fighters must do the basics. Stamp Fairtex holds the glove to her head. This is to practice keeping her guard up, especially when she kicks. Keeping the glove fixed to her head trains the muscles and the mind to keep the hand up.
Drills like these are used often by trainers. Similar exercises include keeping a tennis ball underneath the chin. If the ball is dropped, the athlete is punished. The goal of keeping the tennis ball under the chin while doing pad work, shadowboxing, or bag work is obvious. Keep the chin tucked. Keeping the chin down helps prevent hard shots that have KO power.
So stamp keeps her hands up because she doesn’t want that KO punch to land.
The Donut
(In this photo: Fairtex LKP2 Donut Round Punch and Kicking Pad, Fairtex BGV14 Black Muay Thai Boxing Glove, Fairtex BPV1 Belly Pad)
Another piece of equipment is the boxing donut. The round pad has two handles on the side. The center caves in slightly, like a donut. Trainers use this device to increase the power of punches. With the easy to hold handles, the coaches can hold at all different angles. Uppercuts, hooks, body punches, crosses, and jabs are held for with ease.
Ultimately the boxing donut builds a stronger fighter.
Fairtex Sponsoring Champions
(In this photo: Fairtex BGV14 White Muay Thai Boxing Glove, Fairtex KPLC5 Muay Thai Lightweight Thai Pads, Fairtex BPV1 Belly Pad)
Fairtex has a long history of supporting the best in the sport. From Apidet Sit Hurin to Jongsanan to Yodsanklai to Stamp all the greats have come to Fairtex.
Recently the company expanded its sponsorship and support. Nong O Gaiyanghaadao, Petchtangong Petchfergus, and Superbon Singhamawynn are now under the Fairtex umbrella. All the ONE Champion champs have shown their resilience and abilities. Nong O defended his belt countless times. Petchtanong earned his after a hard debut ko loss. He came back and won his next few bouts to secure the belt. Superbon got the strap after a monumental head kick KO against Giorgio Petrosyan.
Sponsored fighters get free gear, payment, and the prestige of being with Fairtex.
The future of combat is bright and Fairtex will continue to support that future.
Author: Matt Lucas