Leo Amendoim

Here's a Brazilian Muay Thai fighter who's name can be seen all over the place but it's very unlikely you've really seen him fight. In fact, I knew very little about him other than some of the fighters he fought, until I found his website.



Name: Leonardo "Amendoim" Monteiro
Record: 35 fights / 23 wins / 13 Ko
Born: 28/09/1980
Height: 174cm
Weight: 60-63kg
Home: São Paulo, SP - Brazil
Residing Bangkok, Thailand

Titles:

-WMC Muay Thai Against Drugs Champion 2008
-Chaweng Stadium Belt Holder 2008 Koh Samui, Thailand
-Best Chiang Mai foreigner fighter 2007
-Sao Paulo State Champion 2005


Leo vs Zig Zach in Malaysia

He has a really nice website here: http://www.leoamendoim.com/

and a blog with some of his career stories here: http://leoamendoim.blogspot.com/

Videos can be found here:

http://www.dailymotion.com/lmonteiros

Fighter Profile: Dieslnoi Chor Thanasukarn

Dieselnoi on the far left, with Kaopong on the far right

I'm about to get old school on all ya...here is a legend in the sport

Born: December 26, 1961, Tambon Huakoon, Thailand
Other names: The Sky Piercing Knee Kicker
Height: 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight: 62 kg (140 lb; 9.8 st)
Years active: 1968–1985
Record: 54 fights, 50 wins -4 losses- 1 KO



As you can see, Dieselnoi was a particular tall Thai fighter at 140 lbs (especially for a Thai). His nickname, The Sky Piercing Knee Kicker, should not surprise you. Being so tall, Deiselnoi worked a lot of the plumb clinch and some incredibly devastating knees.

He was lightweight champ (after beating Kaopong, pictured above, who I believe is one of the 4 men to have ever beaten Dieselnoi) at Lumpini for some few years straight, and had to stop competing after having no one left to challenge him.



Other highlights of his career include beating Samart Payakaroon (who is arguably the best pound for pound Muay Thai fighter in history). To be fair, no one was left to fight Dieselnoi, so Samart gave up a sizeable height and weight advantage to give him a fight. He lacked fights for a couple years after and then, in matchup similar to the one with Samart, was pitted against Sakad Petchyindee (another incredible legend) who he also beat.

Towards the end of his career, he fought Peter Cunningham, a karate champion, at the Olympic Stadium, Los Angeles, USA. Needless to say he kneed the crap out of Peter, who showed tremendous heart against this unstoppable man.

By the way, I'm a short dude. I know how much harder it is to fight guys with massive height advantages over you...but Dieselnoi made history with his career.

Check out some of his videos:

On pads: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8dIsPTWyic

vs Shogo Shimazu: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pARhS01zlWw

vs unknown Kickboxer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAxcPE_0eXw

vs Nongkhai Sor Prapartsorn: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWdmN_zakk8

DEMO with Samart Payakaroon (not the fight): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQZBDKDx8bY

A List of Farang to Watch

I post a lot of Thais fighting, but what about Farang? What's a Farang? It means foreigner, which applies to pretty much any non-Thai fighter.

I could list some very famous ones like Ramon Dekkers and John Wayne Parr, but you've not doubt seen a million clips of them.

I'm going to list some of the Farang that aren't always as talked about (some of which I covered here already). Youtube them or search them up. They are all great fighters for what they have accomplished, and worth studying.

THIS IS BY NO MEANS AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST! *in no particular order*:

Soren NTG/Eminent Air Mongkongton

an Australian who appeared in the Contender Asia, Soren has trained extensively in Thailand and has competed in the most competitive stadiums. He has a beautiful Thai style and is very technical

Cosmo Alexandre

a Brazilian fighter who also trains extensively in Thailand. He has had a bad rap for being a slow starter, and also got flack for his loss against Yodsanklai. Do not be fooled...he is a world class fighter with devastating counter knees and elbows.

Antuan "Shark boy" Sianboxing

this French fighter has actually been raised in Thailand...so many actually consider him Thai. He's pretty young (I don't think he's over 18), and he has some excellent timing and anticipation. He's scheduled to fight one of Thailand's best early next year, Khem Sor Pleonjit

Nathan "Carnage" Corbett

this Aussie actually gets a lot of attention. I'm listing him though because he does use Muay Thai's most dangerous weapon very well: the elbows. If you want to see some of the devastating potential you have in your elbows, watch some Carnage fights if you want a break from watching the Thais.

Rayen Simson

this fighter is a living legend. He's fought some of the best of his time: Sakmongkol, Yoddecha, etc. It would be worth it to search up his fights with those men, as they are some great wars.

Andrei "Bullet" Kulebin

probably the best fighter in Belarus, Andrei is a veteran of over 100 amateur fights, and his experience shows when he gets in the ring. He has some excellent timing and technique.

Clifton Brown

Canada's own Clifton Brown may not get all the attention he deserves. He has a very traditional style, strong kicks and excellent timing. You'll find in addition to his victories, he has some very harsh battles with Carnage and Kaoklai on youtube. He is without a doubt a seasoned competitor and a very good watch.

Valdet Gashi

this German fighter is young and has some great skill. One of his fights was with Thai legend Nung Ubon. Search it up. Valdet will probably become a bigger name in the near future.

Chris "Petchdam" Forster

I honestly don't know much about Petchdam. I have seen some of his highlights, and he looks pretty technical. If anyone can send me a link to some of his full fights, I'd be glad to post them up.
*edit*: Petchdam has some WMC titles, a WMPF title, and has fought in both Rajadamnern and Lumpini.

Buakao Training and Interview Video

Watch:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZfxBizTEME

This is some uncommon video footage of Buakao's training. It's in Thai, so most of you probably won't understand what they are saying, but the uploader added some small translations (at 4:25-ish) during the footage to give you an idea of Buakao's schedule.

If you look closely, you may spot Clifton Brown!

Fight Video: Bruce "Preacher" Macfie vs Tum Madsua

Watch: http://www.megavideo.com/?v=2PCBWLYF

Another good one from the Evolution 8 man tournament.

Tum may not be the "best" Thai style take down artist, but he's definitely got skills in that department. Anyways, I thought this was an interesting watch

Sasiprapa Camp in Bangkok Video

Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ko2iKGvPeY



A high def video of the Sasiprapa Camp in Thailand for fightstuff tours

There's actually loads of videos of other camps in Thailand...I'll have to start posting some so you newer guys can take a peek at what it's like there.

This video was nice and short, as well as really nice quality so I decided I'd post it

Fight Video: Sakad Petchyindee vs Ronnie Green

An incomplete video of a fight between two well known fighters.

Watch:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCPtwiUSPc4&feature=sub

I did a post on the legendary Sakad here: http://yorkumuaythai.blogspot.com/2009/07/sakad-and-sagat.html

Ronnie Green is one of the most well known names in British Muay Thai. He was the first from his home country to fight in Thailand.

Fight Video: Tum Madsua vs Cosmo Alexandre

This is from the Super 8 Evolution card in Australia. This fight was the final in an 8 man tournament, and these were probably the two fighters who use the most timing (in my opinion anyway).

Watch: http://www.megavideo.com/?v=KUTUJJUT

Cosmo is a Brazilian Muay Thai phenom and trains/fights regularly in Thailand

Tum trains out of WMC in Koh Samui and was one of the trainers on the Contender Asia 1

Slamm VI Approaches

For those of you who don't know, Slamm! is a Dutch promotion that always holds quality Muay Thai fights. For a few years now they've been flying in top Thai super star fighters to face off against some of Holland's best.

Be sure to keep an eye out for this event; it is likely to be an amazing one for Muay Thai

Here are some promotional posters; Click each one to enlarge:







The dude behind the Slamm design is freaking awesome.

Saturday Schedule 09

This term, and probably for the rest of the foreseeable future, Saturday classes start at 12:30,

NOT 2

The calendar at Tait that says it's at 2 is wrong!

Protect yourself at ALL TIMES

Video: http://www.break.com/index/fighter-knocked-out-with-epic-face.html

This video is from Nic

In this Japanese Muay Thai fight, you will see something that will either shock you or make you laugh. I could not decide how I felt after, to be honest. Protect yourself at all times!

It's only 50 seconds...check it out

"Illusions"

An interesting video about foreigners in Thailand. However, it speaks to a broader condition of the Western Martial Artist.

Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L6iEIG0-8g&feature=channel_page


Remember, learning Muaythai in the west is both accelerated and decelerated. It isn't possible for 90 percent of martial arts enthusiasts in the West to train like a Thai fighter (2x a day, 6 days a week, and fighting as early as under 10 years old).

Everyone has to focus much harder on fundamentals and proper technique, in order to make up for the years that thai kids spend perfecting the kind of balance and coordination they perform with. You do, however, have the advantage of learning certain tricks and having certain training resources available to you before you ever have to fight, if at all (which most Thai fighters pretty much do not).

So, you may not be that guy in Thailand getting schooled, but remember: every step you take here has to be gradual, and your best friend in training is consistency.

Buakao Evolution Highlight

Don't think I posted it, but I'm sure some of you have seen it. It is the most riDONCulous Buakao highlight I've ever seen (meaning it's pretty epic). For everyone new to our class and to Thai fighters, Buakao Por Pramuk is probably the most well known Thai fighter.

Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Jnl2x_PgDk&feature=channel_page

Fight Video: Attachai vs Suzuki

Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FAgpEgaxz8&feature=sub



Attachai Fairtex (formerly por Samranchai) is an amazing light weight fighter. He has easily some of the best timing skills among today's fighters. He looked a little sloppier in this fight than usual, in my opinion, but I think that's because he got cocky and knew he'd have an easy win.

He kind of looked like he gassed a little; no way to really tell...Suzuki deserves mad respect for giving Attachai a strong 5 round fight though.


Attachai in the hood

Ontario at the Team Canada Trials

Congratulations to our friends from Siam no1, Southside and Krudar for their successes and participation in the Team Canada Trials for the IFMA world tournament! Ontario will have some great representation in this tournament.

I believe Nic did not participate due to an injury. We wish Kru J and Nic a safe return home.

FREE Demo Week and Pricing for this Semester

FREE demo week of Muay Thai classes at York starting September 15th!

If you didn't know already, Muay Thai is a great way to: lose weight, tone up, meet new people, and learn some practical striking. It is also a beautiful martial art tradition that can change your life if you open up to it.



Spread the word and bring a friend, your mom, your kid brother...whoever!

The free classes are:
in Tait Mackenzie building

Tuesday Sept 15 in Studio 4
class begins at 6:30pm sharp - 8:30pm

Thursday Sept 17 in Studio 4
class begins at 6:30pm sharp - 8:30pm

Saturday Sept 19 in Studio 4
class begins at 12:30pm sharp - 2:30pm.

Sunday Sept 20 in Studio 2
class begins at 12:00pm sharp - 1:30pm.



The pricing for the York Students for the next semester is as follows:

Starting Sept 14th you have a free 4 class demo week!

Then for 10 weeks it costs $188 for Non York Students $215 I believe.

That's 11 weeks for $188, barely $70 per month!

Chok Dee Ontario!

This weekend, Kru J and Nic are flying out to Calgary for the Team Canada IFMA World amateur trials.



Good luck to everyone competing from Ontario, including our friends from Siam no 1, Southside and Krudar.

Muay Thai Inspirations

Saw this on Southside's website, which is always updated with some cool videos and articles. The video is pretty awesome and showcases some true Muay Thai skills, so I couldn't resist posting it here.

All the fighters in this video are worth watching and looking up...go check it out now!

Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sNcwxUv1HM


one of the greats. find him in the video

Contender Asia 2 trialer link

Earlier this month I posted a trailer clip for the Contender Asia Season 2. It was shortly removed by the user who uploaded it. A working link can now be found here:
http://yorkumuaythai.blogspot.com/2009/09/introducing-contenders-video.html

Jab- low!

Good vid of Anuwat keeping it simple, working timing and power
Mind you, Anuwat is a seasoned champion...so his jab-low has some nasty power and cagey timing behind it. Still, this is proof you don't need a plethora of fancy combinations and techniques to win a fight.

Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRNNEKr4eGE

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOBYRNOd7uo&feature=related

An Excerpt- Beating the Jitters

By Dr. Randy Borum

(Article First appears in Black Belt Magazine, May, 2009)

“How do I get rid of the jitters before a fight (or match)?” – That is probably the single most common question that martial artists ask me. I sense that many are looking for a dose of magic or a quick fix – particularly because they raise the question within 24 hours of their scheduled competition. Sometimes there are stopgap measures that will help you get over a particular psychological hurdle, but with just a little advance planning you can make a big long term difference...

Read more at: http://combatsportpsychology.blogspot.com/2009/05/beating-jitters.html

Clinching Video: Yodsanklai and Kaew Fairtex

We've looked at some important fundamentals of clinching this week, so I thought I'd post a small clinch video for ya.

Yod and Kaew aren't really going nuts or fancy but working solid, technical clinching. Watch it for the basic footwork, side knees etc.

Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a04jSNRfi24

Born for the Fight

This documentary on Muay Thai and the culture in Thailand has been floating around for a loooong time but I never got around to watching it. Very cool watch.



It features some greats in the sport like Kru Yodtong Sennan (legendary teacher in Thailand) and Namkabuan Nongkeepayahut (one of the greatest of his time)

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

2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hpk3AUKRe7M

3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2e67iXHp2VY

4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZE871ids88

5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPa96VA3o9U

An Excerpt- Mental Training for Martial Art: (Black Belt Magazine Dec 07)

By Dr. Randy Borum

"As a martial artist, you want to improve, right? Have you searched desperately for the “secret” to unlock your potential and take you game to the next level? Well….there is no secret…not really. But there are some proven strategies for boosting your performance. And I’m not just talking about training harder or practicing more. If you are looking for a new dimension to your training, you might consider working the mental side of your game..."

Read the Full Article: http://combatsportpsychology.blogspot.com/2008/01/mental-training-for-combat-sports-black.html

An introduction to the mental side of training...

Introducing the Contenders (Video)

*Link WORKS!*

A short clip of the second season of Contenders

Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=si6ztMzwZos

Southside Trailer video

As many of you know, we have Nic getting ready to rep us at the IFMA Team Canada trials (September 12th) for the World Amateur Championships.

Here's a cool video from our friends at Southside's P.C. Mikey Perez: who is also preparing for the tournament

"Thai Impressions" Video

Here's a short series of clips from a Documentary called "Thai Impressions". The whole thing covers different cultural aspects of Thailand. Here, I have posted the Muay Thai related clips.

They spotlight a British fighter as well as some Canadians training at the Siam no.1 camp in Chiang Mai.



Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqei7bmp4zc&feature=channel_page

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlpW78Bfpik&feature=channel_page

Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZosjwA7-lY&feature=channel_page