Saturday, January 31, 2009

Group Runs

We have group runs outside before class.


(this photo is not of us or our route...I used google image)

On Tuesday and Thursday, the general meet time is about 5:45 in Tait's lobby and we leave no later than 5:50. Leaving at 6 cuts it a little too close to class, especially with the weather the way it is. We'll wait for summer to leave at 6.

On Tuesday, fighters generally do a separate set of sprints when they have a competition coming up, so non-fighters are still encouraged to do their group run.

Saturdays we usually meet at around 1:15 and leave at 1:20.

Sundays we do our own runs individually. When fighting, fighters are to do longer but slower runs.

From Tait, we run to Steeles, then to Keele. You can turn at either Founders, Chimney Stack or York and follow road back to Tait. Founders is the shortest route and York is the longest (as of now).

Fight Video: Nong-B Kiatyongyuth VS Sakeddao Phetpayathai



Nong-B Kiatyongyuth VS Sakeddao Phetpayathai
130 lbs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imyw1XXRn24&feature=channel_page

The fight starts out slow in the 1st round...but really picks up, and does not end the way you expect.

Monday, January 26, 2009

Fight Videos and Namkabuen Nongkeepayahut vs Ramon Dekkers

So hopefully, for those that read this blog, this page can become an online library for some great fights too.

Starting now, there will be a "Videos" link on the nav bar that will take you to all posts that have videos.--->

For the most part, these will be good old Muay Thai, although now and then we'll toss in K-1.

*if anyone wants to share videos here (mt, ground, yoga, fitness), just contact me (Cam) and we'll post them up.*



Here's the first one: Namkabuen and Ramon Dekkers

Part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufuM4ZtmhSk

Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oV4fd_pxBTo

Both of these guys are legendary fighters...share any thoughts

Friday, January 23, 2009

Student Awards (with our 2007-08 year in review)

This is a little late, but better late than never! At YUMT, we hold an annual Christmas party where we have special guests and raffle give aways for the students. This is usually held at a traditional Thai restaurant.



For raffle give-aways, we have muay thai and mma apparel, liniment, gear and person training sessions.



Most importantly, we recognize outstanding students (which is difficult, because we have a very dedicated group). Here are the award winners for our last 2 years, in case you missed them.

2007:

Most Improved Junior Student: Andrew Hayton

Junior Student of the Year: Lina Österberg

Fighter of the year: Cam Tang Poy

Most Improved Senior Student: Brian Trinh

Senior Student of the Year: Chris Pariselli

2008:

Most Improved Junior Student: Niloofar Rezaei

Junior Student of the Year: Leo Perez

Fighter of the Year: Ellison C.

Most Improved Senior Student: Serge Reznikov

Senior Student of the Year: Vlad Doligoshev

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'Till next time, train hard.

PS. For more photos of these events, check out the photo galleries.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

WE ARE BACK! Come out on Tuesday (January 27th!)



Sawadeekha YUMT Members,

FINALLY!
Due to countless efforts from the Team at YUMT and Natalie Yip, I am pleased to announce that York has decided to allow the Muay Thai classes to start.

We start THIS Tuesday (January 27!!)

I am very happy to announce our return as many of you were dying to train again.
Your enthusiasm, patience and loyalty throughout this matter was appreciated and will not soon be forgotten.

The cost has changed and it\'s in our favour!
Please check with Customer Services for more information.

Now with all that being said.. WE HAVE WORK TO DO!

Mark these dates down on your calendar cause we are back in the game!

Mid February, 2009 - Siam No.1\'s famous Blue Shorts Test with Ajahn Suchart.
February 28th, 2009 - Sparfest at The Kombat Arts Training Academy.
March 1st, 2009 - a tentative date for Sparfest with another gym.

You will need YUMT t-shirts to represent at these events so click here to see pictures of them, and grab some off of me in class! $20 each.

Let\'s start with a nasty, snowy group run before class at 5:30pm in front of Tait.

Another great YUMT event coming soon.. stay tuned!!



PLEASE NOTE: There is a mandatory meeting for all fighters and senior students Sunday at 6pm at Kru\'s house. This will be to discuss fight opportunities, training and upcoming events.

125 George Appleton Way, unit 2021
Keele and the 401 behind the Canadian Tire gas station
People can take the subway to Wilson station and we can pick people up.
416-571-6137

If you cannot make it please stay after class on Tuesday and I will update you on what was discussed.

Khap Khun Kha,

Kru Jenypher.

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Pricing:
They will run for 14 weeks at no extra cost to the students. Students registering for 8 weeks will also have an additional 2 weeks bonus. If once academic classes resume we will add the other MA classes, Students will have an option to buy into the drop in portion at an additional cost.

At the moment we will run Muay Thai, Tue/Thr 6:30-8:30pm , Sat 2-4pm and Sun 12-1:30pm, Studio 4, as per our regular schedule.

Fee:
Jan 27-April 5 (10 weeks)
Student/Member $170, Non-Member $190

Jan 27- May 3rd (14 weeks)
Student/Member $255, Non-Member $275

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

YMT Fight Team Roster

Friday, January 9, 2009

Winter Semester '09 Classes Delayed

So in case you've been on vacation up until now, you've probably heard that the free Demo Week and all of our classes have been postponed. This is believed to be due to the ongoing CUPE strike. We haven't received word on when we'll be back, though we are looking to get back soon. Updates will come as soon as we get them.

Keep in shape. There are a lot of options (indoor sports, running, dance, yoga, wrestling etc). If you're reading this, please share comments and suggestions


T shirts

*T shirts and Tanks just arrived! Stay tuned for pics!*



We have t-shirts and tanks (finally)! They are great for training in or just to represent us around town and events. They come in White, Red and Black variants.
Tanks come in Men and Womens sizes/fits

Old crappy pics of mine:
Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us

QuickPost

Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us

QuickPost

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Online Gallery added

Having figured this blog thing out, I've uploaded more of our pictures which can be accessed by clicking "Online Gallery" on the Navigation bar to your upper right ----->

It will take you away from this page to the Picasa website, where all the other pictures that have been uploaded are (Training, events, parties, etc....I'm still working on getting the Blue Shorts grading photos up though)

Hopefully that bar will make it easier to browse posts if this blog get fully functional and running.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

A 2007 YUMT Gallery

Here are some picture's from YUMT's 2007 : the earlier days

To keep the page clean, you can view the galleries here:

Training 2007
Group Outings 2007


Other photo galleries will be posted similarly for convenient viewing

Welcome to York Muay Thai

The one and only York Muay Thai blog is NOW intergrated into www.yorkmuaythai.com !
You can now visit the website and see all the blog updates there!

The YMT blog is your one stop for not only YMT news, but links and updates on Muay Thai fights/events world wide. 

153-155 Limestone Crescent, North York Ontario
M3J 2R1

Why train? What if I'm out of shape? Click: http://www.yorkmuaythai.com/faqs.html
About YMT:

Whether you are trying to get fit and lose weight, get into the ring or simply learn about Muay Thai and Thai culture. YMT is a great place to start this never ending journey.

This blog is here to keep you up to date with not only YMT news, but Muay Thai news all around the world. Check back for videos and articles every week related to this awesome martial art and sport. 



Love, Respect and Believe.

Click to enlarge schedule


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History of Muay Thai

Courtesy of the WMC site

"The history of Muay Thai is the history of the Thai people - both though are difficult to discover.
When the Burmese army sacked and razed Ayuddhaya to the ground, the archives of Thai history were lost. With them, much of the early history of Muay Thai also went.

The little we do know, comes from the writings of the Burmese, Cambodian, early European visitors and some of the chronicles of the Lanna Kingdom - Chiangmai.

What all sources agree on, is that Muay Thai began as a close combat battlefield fighting skill. More deadly than the weapons it replaced.

As to where Muay Thai came from, its evolution, the sources aren't clear and often contradict each other. But there are two main theories.

One says that the art developed as the Thai people moved down from China; honed in the struggle for land. The other theory says that the Thai people were already here and that Muay Thai developed to defend the land and people from constant invasion threats.


The second, while controversial, has considerable academic backing and archaeological evidence. The first is, however, possible as the area opened up to the early pioneers.What is known is that Muay Thai was an essential part of Thai culture right from its dawn. And in Thailand, it's the sport of kings.

In olden days, national issues were decided by Muay Thai contests.

The first great upsurge of interest in Muay Thai as a sport, as well as a battlefield skill, was under King Naresuan in 1584, a time known as the Ayuddhaya period. During this period, every soldier trained in Muay Thai and could use it, as the King himself did. Slowly Muay Thai moved away from its root in the 'Chupasart' and new fighting techniques were evolving.

The change in the art was to continue under another fighting King - Prachao Sua - the Tiger King. He loved Muay Thai so much that he often fought incognito in village contests, beating the local champions. During the reign of the Tiger King the nation was at peace. The King, to keep the army busy, ordered it to train in Muay Thai. The interest in the sport was already high but now it took off yet again.

Thai Boxing became the favourite sport and pastime of the people, the army and the King. Historical sources show that people from all walks of life flocked to training camps. Rich, poor, young and old all wanted some of the action. Every village staged its prize fights and had its champions. Every bout became a betting contest as well as a contest of local pride. The betting tradition has remained with the sport and today large sums are wagered on the outcome of fights.

Thai boxing has always been popular but like most sports, there have been times when it was more in fashion. In the reign of King Rama V, many Muay Thai matches were Royal Command fights. These boxers were rewarded with military titles from the King. Today the titles, like Muen Muay Mee Chue from Chaiya or Muen Muay Man Mudh from Lopburi are virtually untranslatable. They mean something comparable to Major of Boxing. At the time they were much prized and respected titles.

The Rama V period was another golden age for Muay Thai. Boxing camps were set up, talent scouts - at Royal Command - recruited potential boxers from up country. Match makers began to make the great matches which were fought for big prizes and honour. This thrilled the people then as much as the main bouts do today at the Bangkok boxing stadiums.

The matches then were not fought in a ring as we know it today - for Muay Thai that is a recent innovation. Any available space of the right size was used, a courtyard, a village clearing.

It wasn't till the reign of King Rama VI that the standard ring surrounded by ropes came into use, as did time keeping by the clock. Before this period, time keeping was done by floating a pierced coconut shell on a boat of water. When the coconut piece sank, a drum signalled the end of the round.

Muay Thai has always been a sport for the people as well as a military fighting skill. In all its golden ages, the people have trained and practiced the sport whether they were King or commoner. It was a part of the school curriculum right up to the 1920's when it was withdrawn because it was felt that the injury rate was too high. The people however, continued to study it in gyms and clubs just as they do today.

For centuries the army fostered Muay Thai. Soldiers have trained and used the techniques for as long as there has been an army in Thailand. For the military it has always been the close combat fighting skill, the martial art of the battlefield. When a Thai soldier fights hand to hand he uses Muay Thai. But then so does every Thai person, male or female. Watching it, learning it, copying it is a part of Thai childhood. It always has been.

The people have always followed the sport and have been instrumental in moving it from the battlefield to the ring. They have been as much a part of making it a sport as have the Kings. One of the prime movers in transforming the sport was the Tiger King, who not only influenced fighting styles but also the equipment.

During the reign of the Tiger King, the hands and forearms began being bound with strips of horse hair. This was to serve a dual purpose - protect the fighter and inflict more damage on the opponent. Later, these were replaced by hemp ropes or starched strips of cotton. For particular challenge matches and with the fighters agreement, ground glass was mixed with glue and spread on the strips.

The changes that the sport has undergone have been changes to equipment used rather than radical change. For example, Thai fighters have always worn groin guards. A kick or knee to the groin was a perfectly legal move up until the 1930's. In the early days, the protection was made from tree bark or sea shells held in place with a piece of cloth tied between the legs and around the waist.

The groin guard later became a triangular shaped pillow, red or blue, tied around the waist with a through strap between the legs.

The pillow went, after a boxer on a trip to Malaysia saw a groin box. He came back with the idea, which is close to the original idea of the sea shell and since then, Muay Thai fighters have used them.

The 1930's saw the most radical change in the sport. It was then that it was codified and today's rules and regulations were introduced. Rope bindings of the arms and hands were abandoned and gloves took their place.

This innovation was also in response to the growing success of Thai Boxers in international boxing.

Along with the introduction of gloves, came weight classes based on the international boxing divisions. These and other innovations - such as the introduction of five rounds - substantially altered the fighting techniques that the boxers used causing some of them to disappear.

Before the introduction of weight classes, a fighter could and did fight all comers regardless of size and weight differences. However, the introduction of the weight classes meant that the fighters were more evenly matched and instead of there being one champion, there became one for each weight class.

Most Muay Thai fighters belong to the lighter weight classes. Seventy percent of all fighters belong to the fly and bantam weight divisions. There are welterweight and middleweight fights but they are not seen that often and the heavier categories seldom fight.

The establishment of stadiums, instead of makeshift rings and courtyards, began during the reign of Rama VII before the Second World War. During the war, they gradually disappeared but mushroomed again soon afterwards - Muay Thai had not lost any of its appeal. The boxers from up-country once again headed toward fame and fortune in Bangkok.

The glory could be found at stadiums like Rajdamnern and Lumpinee. Later, they fought in full colour fury on television. Thailand's Channel 7 started broadcasting the fights in colour over 20 years ago. Today all four Thai television stations broadcast free to millions of Muay Thai fans throughout Thailand - four nights a week.

The battle art has evolved into a popular sport. Ruled, codified and now with five three minute rounds, each with a two minute recovery period between rounds.

Those old timers around today who fought before the second world war, lament the changes bought about by the standardisation of the sport. The three minute round and weight classes has, they say, changed the sport as they remembered it.

"We had to fight all comers," one recalls. "Had to know all the tricks of the trade. We used strikes and techniques these fighters haven't even been taught. We didn't have these breaks and instead fought 'till one of us dropped."

They are also right. Muay Thai has changed across the years. Changed and evolved from a battlefield close quarters killing ground technique based on a fighting tradition passed on from generation to generation up to the present time.

But despite the changes of history, Muay Thai has lost none of its exotic appeal and even mystique. Muay Thai is still the fighting art to beat. The fighting art that defeats all challenges from Kung Fu, Karate, Taekwando and the latest kickboxing fashions. They have all come to Thailand, not just once but many times and from many places to test themselves.

Muay Thai has lost none of its appeal in Thailand. The television fight broadcasts rate among the Kingdom's most popular programmes.

In the provinces, villages cluster around any available TV to watch. In the city, people disappear from the streets while Thailand is watching Muay Thai.

Thai Boxing is also becoming increasingly popular outside of Thailand. It has its enthusiasts and practitioners in the Americas, Australia, Japan, Europe, as well as in many other countries around the world.

The illustrious history of Muay Thai will continue as it receives greater recognition and gains in international popularity."