Y2k Back In Action
The dynamic Y2K is due to return to the ring.
But this time he’s fighting Karate. He’ll go to Dubai to participate in Karate Combat.
The rules include basic ground and pound, a pit, and lots of action.
Sounds like it might turn out to be more action than a Arnold Schwarzenegger movie.
Chokun Fights At JF
Chokun comes from a family of fighters. His father is a former golden era fighter. The period in the late 1990s was a boom for Muay Thai.
Fans from Isaan regularly went to the capital to take in the Mecca of the sport. Purses and purchasing power were at a high. Then the Southeast economy crashed.
But the sport lived on. Chokun’s father started his children in the sport young. He started Stamp at a young age. She went on to become a ONE Championship Muay Thai and MMA champion.
Now it’s Chokun’s turn. The young athlete is at the gym training for his future. He recently fought at JF stadium. The venue caters to Chinese tourists. They arrive by the busload to watch a show and some fights.
And Chokun was one of those fights. He took on a Chinese opponent and won via points.
He’s got a lot to live up to but his family and Fairtex believe in him.
How To Coach
(In this Photot: SP5- Blue, BGV1- Red)
Being in the corner is not easy. Coaching boxers does not come naturally.
Few know that as well as Nick Hemmers. The son of Cor Hemmers has fighting in his blood.
Cor Hemmers is the trainer of the legendary Ramon Dekkers. Now Nick is the trainer for Marat Marat Grigorian.
Grigorian fought Superbon Banchamek several times with wins over the ONE Championship champ.
He’s learned a thing or two in his career in the corner.
“What a coach must be able to do is have a good bond with the athlete,” Hemmers said.
“I’m the trainer, I’m the boss in the gym but outside of the gym we are friends.”
It is difficult to coach and to impose one’s will but Hemmers knows it takes a lot.
“You must never give up,” he said. “A good coach can turn it around by coaching.”
It’s in the split second advice, the call to punch instead of kick. The motivation in the corner can change the game.
And that’s what Nick Hemmers does.
Dutch Drills
(In this Photo: SP5- Blue, BGV1-Black)
Athletes from the Netherlands have perfected the art of drills. Their system made popular by Hemmer’s gym is composed of a series of drills.
And you can see the drills in action in their fights.
Ramon Dekkers exemplified the drills. What he did in the ring is exactly what he did in training.
Common drills were 1-2-3-leg kick and variations of it.
The Dutch drills have seen success in current athletes like Marat Grigorian. He boasts wins over Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong, Superbon Banchamek, Andy Souwer, and more.
The Dutch system of training is very similar to other professional sports. The athletes in the NFL, NBA, and pro soccer clubs all do drills repeatedly.
Maybe the Dutch are onto something.
How To Land The Body Shot
(In this photo: BGV1-White, TV2-Black/Red, BS1911-Pink/Green, FMV15-Gold)
If you go to the body, the head will fall. It’s a well worn adage, and as beat up as a heavy bag in the gym.
But it works.
Nongamm Fairtex knows it. In the small gloves, the body shots completely change the game.
The key to landing a power shot to the body is dropping down. The legs sit into a lunge. The torso turns and the punch rotates the core for an excruciating blow into the liver.
Fighters like Nongamm train these shots and more regularly at Fairtex.
The Filipino boxing coaches on staff make sure her punches are sharp and hard.
Changing From Kickboxing
(In this photo: KPLC6- Gold, BS1923 Racer White, BPV2- Blue)
Fighting kickboxing and fighting Muay Thai is different. The elbows and the clinch completely change the game.
Kickboxing is usually seen as a game of volume. Muay Thai is viewed as pure damage.
For athletes like Aaron Born the transition takes time. Especially with some of the weapons like the elbows.
When he fought Ian Greer at Lumpinee Born was forced to learn the concussive power of elbows. But since then he’s picked up a thing or two.
The German athlete honed his clinch skills and practiced his elbow skills.
His next bout will display how many lessons he’s learned.
Working Uppercuts
(In this Photo: HW2-Red)
Anita Karim is building skills. The Pakistan MMA fighter is the first woman to turn pro.
And being professional comes from working on the basics over and over and over.
So she’s perfecting her uppercuts.
Author: Matt Lucas
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