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World Muay Thai Magazine
Article 1
“Guiding the Heart of a Fighter”
By Cameron Fraser
Not just anyone can be a world champion in Muaythai. It takes a certain set of skills and qualities – some definable, some not. One thing that certainly can’t be denied is that every champion learned from someone else, and the relationship formed between a trainer and a champion is mutually challenging and equally rewarding.
I had the privilege of speaking with arguably the top three trainers in Canada. Each of these trainers are pioneers of Canadian Muaythai in their own right, and all were once fighters themselves, each holding championship titles throughout their careers.
Kru Alin Halmagean, trainer of the likes of Shane “Shaolin” Campbell, Dave Hale, and Will Romero.
Ajahn Mike Miles, trainer of dozens of champions, including Sandra Bastian, Scott Clark and Contender Asia 2 participant Jesse “Smiles” Miles, among others.
Ajahn Suchart Yodkerepauprai, trainer of superstar Clifton Brown, Jenypher Lanthier, Simon Marcus and many other well-known names in Muaythai.
“Finding a great fighter is like finding a diamond in the rough. Once found, the trainer's skills must command cunning proficiency like that of a masterful jeweller, to take that rough rock and turn it into a gem,” Ajahn Miles says.
“Developing an athlete requires many avenues be taken into consideration; this includes assessing the strong points and weaknesses of that individual to develop a strategy and battle plan for proper training. Once this has been determined, proper guidance and management will be the critical ‘follow through point’.”
Alin Halmagean takes a very open-minded approach.
“I look at all my fighters as possible world champions one day, I give them as much attention and advice that I can to help them achieve their ultimate goal, there is a long way to the top and it comes down to them wanting to take this hard long way.”
Ajahn Suchart effectively contrasts the differences in Thai versus non-Thai champions and the challenges faced by both.
“Another challenge I have found is champions outside Thailand differ from Thai champions because they start their training later in life, their body flexibility is different, it takes time to break old or bad habits. Muaythai is not a natural part of their culture, so it is about relearning a new culture and embracing it fully."
Likewise, Ajahn Miles sees the good and the bad in building champions in a culture where training starts later in life.
“Athletes’ careers are short and an individual can only take so much abuse before it is time to hang up the gloves. So I make sure my athletes have a strong and purposeful amateur career (due to commissions in North America we do not follow a class system in Muaythai but follow the amateur and professional status of an athlete). When they turn professional, they are ready to mix it up with the best.”
Kru Alin Halmagean is no stranger to hard work and determination, having moved to Canada very recently from Romania to start again from the ground up so he could pass the proverbial torch to many new champions.
“I have always had to work very hard for everything that I have ever achieved, so I think that hard training and discipline is the most important thing in our sport. The second most important thing is to teach my fighters to be humble, respect everybody around them, and try to be positive about every aspect of their career. With their wins and losses, they always have to respect themselves, their opponents and everybody else involved in the sport of Muaythai.”
Ajahn Suchart shares the same philosophy of humility and discipline with his champions, and it shows.
“Primarily, discipline to train the body daily and consistently training strong, and having a having strict regimen. I tell my fighters they need three things: good body, good eyes and good brains."
"It’s important for my students to see me train, to know that I am still active. When my grand master Ajahn trained, I saw him training. I train hard every day, and my fighters see my own commitment as a former champion."
Realising what philosophies and practices these trainers use in developing fighters is very insightful and inspirational, and truly gives a glimpse of the first steps they all take on the path towards building a world champion. However, I really wanted to find out the qualities one must possess before the training starts - those qualities that lie in the heart of a fighter.
"Most individuals (not all) who are truly naturally/physically gifted are the ones who take those natural abilities for granted. Since some of these athletes are gifted, many are not hungry enough to work that little extra round, run that extra mile, and do what is required to be a champion,” Ajahn Miles says.
"Heart... being able to take a punch; not crumbling in the face of resistance; desire, striving to excel, proper body mechanics and proper fighting skills; and conditioning, both the willingness and conditioning to go that extra mile, mental certainty that you have done that something extra in preparation for the bout that your opponent did not, gives an athlete the confidence and added edge they need to win and become a champion. Everyone wants to win, but it is usually the better prepared one who does.”
Kru Alin shares the same idea that the true heart of a fighter is obvious in the early stages.
"There is definitely such a thing in our sport, some fighters have a big heart for the fight and that is something you can spot right away, at the very beginning of forming a fighter. These are usually the people that go all the way in Muaythai.”
Ajahn Suchart views the heart of a fighter as one willing to embrace change and challenge.
"Absolutely there is such a thing as ‘a fighter’s heart’ and that comes with the desire and discipline to live properly. To have the heart of a fighter you need to have direction; to have a grasp of the future and a vision of where they are going to be years from now.
Fighters have to be willing to change, to embrace Thai culture and history for fighting. All of this encompasses what I believe is the heart of a fighter.”
Ultimately it seems that “heart” really isn’t so indefinable. The qualities of a fighter with heart can be defined and applied with relative consistency. These qualities are noticeable always, but never more so than after their first bout, especially if the result is a loss. Ajahn Miles finds this especially true.
“If they lose their first bout what kind of an attitude can a coach expect to see? Will they mope and complain or are they back in the gym training harder and soaking up information like a sponge? If you treat a loss and complain like the bout was a loss, in my eyes you did lose.”
“If you take the loss and learn the things you did wrong and what you did right and take it into the gym on the next session, that bout was truly a winning experience. On a test scale of who I have predicted to be champions, I would think I am sitting in the high 80% average.”
Ajahn Suchart and Ajahn Miles are also believers in the test of time, and that time itself is a factor in determining the outcome of a fighter’s career.
“On average, it takes about 6-8 years to establish a reputable world champion. Being a champion is a full time commitment and they need to make it to themselves and to myself, as well. Time tests one's ability to be a champion,” says Ajahn Suchart.
Ajahn Miles delves a little deeper into that concept.
“By the time you get an athlete, who is a champion, you have spent a lot of time working with them. I always remind them that it is really hard work to get to the top and that it is harder to stay in that position. Once an athlete becomes a champion they do not have the time or the luxury to take the position for granted. I think it is very important for the athlete to be confident in their fighting abilities and themselves, but not to be cocky.”
From what I gather, the qualities of a champion can often be seen even before their first bout. The willingness to train hard, work hard, and make sacrifices are all noticeable traits of a fighter, without question. However, the “heart” of a fighter is what makes the difference.
It exists, and it is definable by their determination in the face of adversity and challenge, the dedication they give to their training and lifestyle equally. The heart of a fighter is not something that can be taught, trained, or created, but it is what inspires a fighter to take the punches, to get back up when they’re knocked down, and to get back in the gym despite the aches and bruises. It’s not just the belts on the wall, but the stories behind those belts that truly define what is in the heart of a fighter.
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