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“Armour Plated” Am Interclub, Cambridge 13th Dec
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Bury Fighters Continue to Impress
Bury St Edmunds Phraya Pichai Thai boxing camp finished the year with outstanding novice performances at the “Armour Plated” Amateur Interclub Thai boxing event at the weekend.
Eight of the camps fighters competed on the show, displaying a high skill level against fighters from top professional gyms around the country. Phraya Pichai instructor Don Heatrick said: “I was delighted at the competence our team showed against fighters from some of the best gyms in the country—notably, Dean White's gym in Yorkshire and KO gym in London. All our fighters demonstrated great use of elbow and knee techniques in their bouts. “A couple of our novices were even matched against ranked professional fighters at this event, and showed a great deal of courage and skill despite their inexperience.”
Heatrick explained that an “Interclub” event has no winners or losers, he said: “It's still a full contact fight, but extra safety equipment is worn and the purpose is to safely build a novice fighter's confidence and provide the necessary ring experience before embarking on the amateur or professional circuits.”
Fighters, Ross Le Maire, Doug Twaite, Dan McLardy, Matthew Butcher, Matt Smith, Phil Harrod, James Walker and Gavin Sobkowiak all showed a great deal of talent, and will be venturing onto the amateur circuit in New Year.
Fighters (standing): Matt Smith, Dan McLardy, James Walker, Ross Le Maire, Phil Harrod, Doug Twaite, Matthew Butcher and Gavin Sobkowiak.
Corner team (kneeling): Jack Griffin, Trever Walker, Don Heatrick, Richie Gent and Richard Danyluk.
Please contact Don on 07771 574 276 or visit www.burythaiboxing.com for more information.
>> Click here to read the post on the discussion group
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Kru Bob Spour Seminar/Phraya Pichai Grading
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Capacity attendance and great results
 Renowned Thai boxing author Bob Spour rounded off November by conducting a Muay Thai seminar and grading for the Bury St Edmunds Phraya Pichai Muay Thai Camp at the County Upper School in Beetons Way.
35 students attended the seminar, which allowed “Kru” (teacher) Bob Spour to pass on the latest teachings from his teacher “Ajarn” (master) Chaichokchana Krutsuwan or Pimu as he is known to his students in Bangkok.
The opportunity also allowed Bob Spour to assess the Thai boxers according to the camps syllabus and award grades. Chief Instructor of Phraya Pichai Muay Thai Camps International Bob Spour said: "The standard at the club is very good. The students all move well, using good footwork and a good stance. The instructors Don (Heatrick) and Richard (Gent) have done a good job."
Bob Spour awarded successful students their certificates and coloured "kruang rang" arm bands according to their grades at the end of the session.
Senior Instructor at the club Don Heatrick said: "Many of the Bury St Edmunds Thai boxers also compete at various levels, and for them, grades are of less significance than their fight records. But those that don't compete still need to measure their proficiency in this Thai martial art, and the grading system provides that."
There are a number of exciting developments planned for the successful Bury St Edmunds camp next year, which has grown considerably in the last four months under instructors Don Heatrick and Richard Gent.. Kru Bob Spour will regularly visit the Bury St Edmunds camp to carry out seminars and gradings in the New Year, both for the adult classes and the new children's Thai boxing classes.
For more information visit www.burythaiboxing.com, email info@burythaiboxing.com or call Don on 07771 574 276 or Richard on 0778 2103804.
>> Click here to read the post on the discussion group
>> Buy Ultimate Muay Thai at Amazon.co.uk
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Cambridge Muay Thai Interclub 15th November 2008
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More Phraya Pichai novices do us proud!
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Fighters: Ross Le Maire, James Walker, Gavin Sobkoviak, Dan McLardy and Doug Twaite
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Five Phraya Pichai Thai boxers had full contact bouts at the latest novice King of the Ring Interclub event in Cambridge at the weekend, cheered on by a noisy contingent of supporters wearing the customary black, red and gold colours of the Bury St Edmunds gym. Once again the Phraya Pichai proved to produce fit, resilient, technical fighters.
Gavin Sobkoviak's first time in the ring was against T- Lithuania, an experienced, tall, rangy fighter from Singto gym. Despite his opponent's height advantage and awkward style, Gavin managed to counter, connect with some heavy shots and cover effectively while under attack. "I found it difficult to get around his push kick" said Gavin after the fight, "I felt like he was killing me!" But Gavin's first fight nerves had distorted his interpretation of his own efforts. It was a very successful debut against a more seasoned opponent.
15-year-old Ross Le Maire once again jumped in at the deep end, matched against Matthew Tieu from GymBox in London, a very experienced adult opponent. Closely watched by his corner team, Ross initially had difficulty with his opponents counter style, but managed to adapt his style and listening to his corner team adopted an in/out method of attack. Instructor Richard Gent said, "Ross has improved again since his last fight. He was much calmer and learned how to deal with his opponent. He moved in, threw his shots and then moved off again before a counter could be landed. By the end of the fight, he had the measure of him."
Doug Twaite was matched against Tom Berrington from Eagles TT in Bedford—an opponent who has already been fighting successfully as an amateur. This was a big step up for Doug on his first full contact fight, who cautiously remained a little too far out of range to make some of his work count. A problem that was remedied for instances when Doug landed good solid blows and covered effectively from returned attacks. This was easily Doug's best performance yet, demonstrating how quickly he's progressing as a fighter.
15-yr-old James Walker was matched against a very experienced adult, David Tieu from GymBox in London, for his first ever time in the ring. This was going to be a very tall order, but James was game and his corner team kept a close eye on the action in the ring. Despite an arrogant opponent (who really should be beyond novice interclub competition), James kept his cool, and landed some strong shots moved well and soaked up some punishment in return. James' impressive performance showed maturity way beyond his training experience.
At the tail end of the event, Big Dan McLardy took his first ever fight against the heavier Daren Mathews from St Neots Muay Thai. It was clear from the opening bell that Dan was far too powerful for his opponent, and referee Ryan Rudkin had to ask Dan continually to reduce his power throughout the bout. But Dan proved that he was also technical for big guy and moved very well around the ring landing all manner of techniques, including jumping punches. After the fight Dan said, “I enjoyed it, and I'm hoping for some stiffer competition in December to be well and truly challenged by. I was hoping to take some heavy shots to see what it would be like, but with all due respect to the other guy it didn't really happen.”
Instructor Don Heatrick said, "You never know what you are going to get at an interclub; anything from a very seasoned fighter to an untidy scrapper! We are proving that all Phraya Pichai fighters are well prepared and technically capable, even with little or no fight experience. "Getting hard interclub match ups like we do, only serves to make our fighters even better. By the time they're fighting as amateurs they are very strong contenders."
The corner team—Don Heatrick, Richie Gent, Trevor Walker and Jack Griffin—worked well during a hectic schedule to properly prepare all the fighters for their bouts and attend to them afterwards. Supporter Matt Smith commented after the show "I was really impressed with the whole day and especially the way Don, Rich, Jack and Trev supported and got all the fighters ready and focused. Well done! Its definitely motivated me to have a go in the near future.”
Well done to everyone for making this another successful outing for the camp.
The next opportunity to compete is on December 12th in Cambridge, at an amateur rules interclub allowing full Thai rules (elbows and knees to the head) in full protective equipment. Phraya Pichai fighters are already requesting to compete, so it should be another busy day for us.
For more information visit www.burythaiboxing.com, email info@burythaiboxing.com or call Don on 07771 574 276 or Richard on 0778 2103804.
>> Click here to read or post on the discussion group.
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Punch Like a GIRL?
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IFMA England Eliminations, Amateur Muay Thai
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Fighters: Deborah Heatrick, Richard Gent and
Matthew Butcher
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Three of Bury St Edmunds Phraya Pichai Thai boxing fighters competed at the IFMA England Eliminations in Cambridge on October 18th, supported by a large group of friends and family.
Matthew Butcher from Mildenhall unfortunately lost his second amateur Muay Thai bout, against Josef Verera from the consistently strong KO gym in London. Matthew, having won his previous fight was eager to preserve an unbeaten amateur record, but found Verera to be too strong on the day and lost the decision. It was a good learning fight for Matthew, who struggled to get focused for this bout against a more experienced fighter, but will now be working harder than ever back at the gym to recover his form.
Bury St Edmunds’ Deborah Heatrick won her much anticipated debut on the amateur circuit against Vikki Lewis from Lumpini gym in Crawley with an impressive first round TKO. During the introductions at the weigh in, both girls began friendly comparing sports vests and Deborah proudly showed off her red painted finger and toes nails, explaining, “Because I’m in the red corner!” Lumpini coach Sean Toomey, laughing replied, “Only girls hey?”
Both fighters were novices under amateur full Thai rules, and despite their respectful and friendly nature, were eager to show what ladies were be capable of. From the opening bell it was obvious that both girls had come to fight, with a strong exchange of blows. Deborah is renowned for her powerful punches at the gym and quickly found her target with a right cross, leaving Lewis bleeding profusely from her nose. Seeing the weakness, Deborah followed with more accurate punches, and an uppercut that broke her opponents nose. Medical staff inspected the injury and stopped the fight after the first round and Deborah was awarded a first round TKO.
Richard Gent from Haverhill defeated Sunday of London’s KO gym after a sterling final round effort. Both fighters were evenly matched throughout the bout, but natural counterfighter Richard Gent managed to dig deep in the final round and go on the attack. Sunday was unable to respond and the judges decision went to Gent. This was a heart-felt victory for Gent, who narrowly lost on a split decision at the last IFMA event in Cambridge, and now seems to have found winning form.
>> Click here to read or post on the discussion group.
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Bury’s First Pro-Am Thai Boxers
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Local Thai Boxers Don Heatrick and Jack Griffin became Bury St Edmund’s first Pro-Am Thai boxers at Master Kevin Lloyds Siam Camp Show in Oldham near Leeds.
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Jack Griffin delivers a knee
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Both fighters were matched against opponents from Golden Team in Leeds, renowned for good quality, tough boxers.
Heatrick and Griffin, both successful international amateur Thai boxers, decided to take the next step and fight under Pro-Am rules – that is full Thai rules (allowing elbows and knees to the head) while wearing only gloves, mouth guard, groin guard and elasticated elbow pads for protection.
Heavyweight Jack Griffin demonstrated great durability and determination against Golden Team’s Lee Stewart, shaking off dangerous heavy punches that had Griffin bloodied and picking himself up from the canvas in the first round - to the roaring of approval of the large contingent of local Leeds supporters. The remainder of the fight saw Griffin going all out, landing heavy punches and knees that repeatedly sent Stewart to the canvas. The bout was simply a war. Both boxers repeatedly climbed back to their feet following blows that should have finished the fight. Although extremely close, unfortunately the final decision went in favour of the Leeds boxer Lee Stewart. Both boxers displayed a huge amount of heart, and were enthusiastically applauded by the crowd as they left the ring.
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Don lands a round kick
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Light Heavyweight Don Heatrick returned to the ring after a year out, following a knee injury, to take on Pro Muay Thai and Cage fighter Wayne Murray from Golden Team. From the opening bell, the larger Murray seemed intent on winning by way of a knock out punch, but Heatrick moved well and punished his opponent with strong kicks as he advanced. In the clinch, Murray had no answer for Heatrick’s knees and resorted to illegally tripping and hip-throwing the Bury boxer to escape. Heatrick kept his cool, and showed a good mix of Muay Thai technique, successfully landing punches, kicks, elbows and knees. In one exchange, after missing with a round kick and seeming dangerously exposed against the ropes, Heatrick instinctively launched a side kick with the same leg as Murray rushed in to take advantage, cheered on by his noisy Leeds entourage. The kick struck Murray square in the jaw knocking his gum shield out, leaving the Leeds fans stunned and quiet as Heatrick followed up. As the fight continued, Murray faded while Heatrick maintained pressure, not losing a round. The final decision was a formality, and the referee raised Heatrick's arm as the winner.
Bury Thai Boxing Coach Richard Gent said, "Following these performances, I'm now trying to get both Don and Jack matched on the undercard of the London based Capital Punishment Show in November.
"Our new gym's training format is proving very successful. Our existing fighters are better prepared for competition, and our new students are progressing at an alarming rate. "In fact, some of our novice students are expressing a wish to compete after just 3-months of training!"
Anyone wishing to train in traditional Muay Thai should contact either Don Heatrick on 07771 574 276,
Richard Gent on 07782 103 804, email info@burythaiboxing.com or visit the club website: www.burythaiboxing.com.
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Cambridge Muay Thai Interclub 6th September 2008
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Bury St Edmunds Muay Thai reputation earns tough matchups
Six Bury Thai boxers entered the ring at the latest novice King of the Ring Interclub event in Cambridge at the weekend, to build up experience before competing on the amateur Muay Thai circuit. The match making for the novice Thai boxers proved once again to be very challenging, as the Bury Phraya Pichai Muay Thai camp has quickly established a good reputation, producing fighters of a high standard despite a lack of ring experience.
15-year-old Ross Le Maire from Lawshall was the first of the Bury Phraya Pichai fighters to enter the ring, competing against 17-year-old Alimamy Fullah from the hosts Singto Gym at full contact. From the bell Ross aggressively attacked Alimamy with combinations of punches and head kicks, while defending any return attacks very effectively. Ross—who showed a great improvement in defensive skills in just his second Muay Thai fight—maintained relentless pressure throughout the three rounds, proving to be too strong for his opponent.
Lorraine Moran from Bury St Edmunds took on Emma Pye, an experienced fighter from Dublin Thai Boxing in Ireland, in a full contact bout. This was a difficult match up for Lorraine in her second Muay Thai fight, and Emma proved to be a tall, evasive opponent who fought well while backing away. This was a great learning fight for Lorraine, who aggressively gave chase around the ring but found her opponent’s elusive style awkward to deal with. Lorraine said, “She was fast, but couldn’t hurt me— I enjoyed that!” Lorraine once again proved that her attractive, delicate appearance is deceptive; she’s a very tough and durable fighter.
15-year-old Paige Clifford from Norton also fought Emma Pye from Dublin Thai Boxing in a full contact bout. As junior fighter, Paige is making the difficult transition to senior competition and gamely took on an obviously seasoned fighter in 24-year-old Emma. Although Paige landed some solid blows, she found her opponent’s movement hard to pin down and was frustrated by her speed. This was a “test of heart” and Paige kept battling, proving that she has what it takes to be a good Thai boxer. She is still very young and her skills are developing rapidly—bouts like this will quickly progress her to the adult amateur ranks.
Bury St Edmunds’ Jamie Cooper had a difficult match up for his first Muay Thai fight, resulting from a last minute change of opponent on the day. He found himself in the ring against a 5kg heavier opponent with four fights under his belt. Regardless, Jamie dominated the first two rounds with strong kicks and punches despite receiving a low blow in the first round. In the third round, Jamie was unlucky to get caught with a heavy hook punch that the referee decided would stop the fight. This was an exciting debut for Jamie, who despite both an experience and weight disadvantage looked the stronger fighter.
Phil Harrod from Bury St Edmunds put on a very technical display against Adam Gent from the hosts Singto Gym in a light contact bout. Phil’s progression since his previous (and first) fight was remarkable. His defensive movement was very good, and his kicking attacks were precise and well timed. This performance demonstrated Phil’s growing confidence and that his hard work in the gym is paying off.
Doug Twaite from Bury St Edmunds also showed a great improvement in his second light contact Muay Thai bout against an opponent from Gymbox Thai boxing in London. Doug used a well timed push kick to great effect throughout the fight, disrupting his opponent’s balance as he attempted to attack. Both fighters traded well and Doug’s defense showed considerable improvement, again testament to some hard training.
Trainers Don Heatrick and Richard Gent had a very busy schedule preparing and cornering so many fighters in quick succession, but were rewarded with good performances from their hard working boxers. Richard said, “We are really proud of the fighters.” Don added, “The Bury St Edmunds Phraya Pichai Gym has only been running in its present form for one month, and the improvements the fighters have made has been fantastic.”
For more information regarding Bury St Edmunds Phraya Pichai Muay Thai, contact Don Heatrick on 07771 574276, Richard Gent on 0778 2103804 info@burythaiboxing.com or visit www.burythaiboxing.com
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Ross Le Maire kicks high
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Lorraine Moran lands a cross
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Paige Clifford counter kicks
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Jamie Cooper punishes with kicks
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Phil Harrod working knees
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Doug Twaite push kick
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 Junior Thai Boxers
New Junior training sessions will start on the 7th October for children aged 5 to 14–15 years at County Upper School, IP32 6RF.
Tuesday and Thursday nights at
6:15 to 7:15pm
(14–15 year-olds may join our adult training sessions)
FIRST WEEK FREE
To book a place call
Don Heatrick on 07771 574 276
Richard Gent on 07782 103 804
or email >> info@burythaiboxing.com
>> Download the poster
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Non-training (Social) Trip... to Amsterdam ;-)
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I've booked up flights and accommodation in Amsterdam for an adults weekend. So far four of us are going, anyone else want in???
Details of what I've booked are as follows (book yourself in if you're up for it):
TOTAL approx. £166
FLIGHTS
>> http://www.easyjet.com/en/book/index.asp
Approximately £78
Friday 28th November, fly out from London Stansted at 19.25 arriving in Amsterdam at 21.30
Sunday 30th November, fly out from Amsterdam at 15:45 arriving in London Stansted at 15:50
ACCOMMODATION
>> http://www.hotels.nl/amsterdam/martelaar/
Hotel SeasonStar Amsterdam 3-star includes breakfast
Approximately £88 based on two sharing a twin room
Arrival date: Friday 28/11/2008
Departure date: Sunday 30/11/2008
Extra note:
TRAIN
Train from Airport to Amsterdam
Approx. £6 return
Cheers,
Don
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>> Visit the Phraya Pichai Facebook Group for more info.
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IFMA England Elimnations, Cambridge 26th July 2008
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Richard Gent on the attack
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Bury St Edmunds Muay Thai Camp dominates
at the IFMA England Eliminations
Three of the Bury Phraya Pichai Camp Thai boxers competed in the Cambridge show to win selection for the England Amateur Muay Thai team, and the opportunity to fight in the IFMA World Championships in Thailand in December. All three boxers fought very well against high quality national competition, emerging with two wins and a narrow points loss with a judges split decision.
Matthew Butcher, 17-years-old from Mildenhall, claimed victory in his first ever amateur bout, enduring four gruelling 2-minute rounds of full Thai rules action against Connor Stockwell, a much heavier opponent from St Neots gym.
Although Connor was much heavier, Matthew was far more skilful and employed a full range of Muay Thai skills, successfully landing elbows and knees to his opponents head throughout the fight. Both fighters had to dig deep to maintain the pace, winning applause from the crowd on the sounding of the final bell.
Instructor Richard Gent from Haverhill, narrowly lost his Light Middleweight fight against Charley Peters from Semtex gym in Swanley. Richard commanded the early rounds, employing his counter style to great effect, punishing Charley every time he attacked. However, a slowing of his work rate in the final round may have affected the final outcome. The debate regarding the decision continued among the officials for a considerable time after the fighters left the ring. A split decision was forced after the fight was scored a draw, but had to be awarded to one fighter according to IFMA rules for this England Eliminations event.
Heavyweight European Muay Thai Gold medallist Jack Griffin from Norton, made the decision easy for the judges by dominating his opponent, Tariq Shafiq from Shin Kick Gym in Woking, with a full compliment of Muay Thai techniques ranging from long range head kicks to close range clinching, elbows and knees.
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Standing: Fighters - Matthew Butcher,
Jack Griffin and Richard Gent.
Kneeling: Cornermen - Don Heatrick
and Richard Danyluk
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There was strong support for the Bury St Edmunds Muay Thai fighters at the event, with many of the camps other fighters and students making the short trip to Cambridge. Instructor Don Heatrick said, "It felt like a home crowd, there was a wall of black, red and gold—the camp colours—and the noise was amazing!
"The entire fight team, including the corner team, is getting very experienced now. I'm excited to see what the club is going to achieve with our new training regime."
The IFMA officials will review fights held both in Cambridge and Manchester before selecting boxers to either represent England in the different weight categories or fight again to claim a place.
For more information regarding Bury St Edmunds Phraya Pichai Muay Thai, contact Don Heatrick on 07771 574276, Richard Gent on 0778 2103804 info@burythaiboxing.com or visit www.burythaiboxing.com
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>> Visit the Facebook Group for more photos and join in!
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Redditch Muay Thai Interclub -29th June 2008
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Girls Gone Wild?!!!??
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Matthew, Paige, Deborah, Ross and Lorraine
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Our Thai boxing squad girls outnumbered our boys for the first time at the Redditch June Interclub event. For the girls, Deborah Heatrick and Lorraine Moran both notched up their second full contact bouts while 15-year-old Paige Clifford had her first ring fight experience. For the boys, 15-yr-old Ross LeMaire also had his first fight, and Matthew Butcher turned from spectator to fighter when he stepped in to aid matchmaking on the day.
Paige Clifford vs. Rachel Price-Whittle 3 x 1.5 min rounds
Paige was matched against Redditch pro fighter Rachel - in a controlled contact bout with no head contact - and surprised everyone with her aggressive style. This was Paige's first time in the ring, and she wasted no time throwing some purposeful attacks. Rachel responded with her trademark low kicks and appeared to be enjoying an unexpected challenge from her novice junior opponent. Paige responded well to instructions from her corner, and despite receiving repeated kicks to the leg, she gamely came forward, eager to land her strikes. At the conclusion of the second round it was necessary to ask Rachel to lighten up her low kicks to prevent too much damage to Paige's legs (she's a novice junior after all)! This was an impressive debut for Paige, who looks to be another promising prospect for the Bury St Edmunds Camp.
Ross LeMaire vs. Yousif Ibrahm 3 x 2 min rounds
To aid matchmaking, Ross volunteered (with the approval of his parents) for an upgrade to a full contact bout despite being 15-years-old. This opportunity clearly delighted Ross, who now felt he could relax and just go for it. It was a good match-up against a much lighter but more experienced opponent. When the bell rang, Ross immediately attacked with solid blows, leaving his opponent to realise that although this was Ross' first time in the ring, he was ready. He showed good movement around the ring and put together some good combinations throughout the fight, but also got caught with punches to the head. His lack of experienced with head contact showed some weakness in his guard while attacking, although his lighter opponent was unable to hurt him. It was a great learning fight for Ross, and another fantastic debut in the ring against a much more experienced opponent.
Deborah Heatrick vs. Rachel Price-Whittle 3 x 2 min rounds
Because fighters had pulled out at the event, Deborah was also matched against Redditch pro fighter Rachel Price-Whittle. Deborah had concerns that her second full contact interclub bout should be against such an experienced and (9kg) heavier opponent. Rachel agreed to match like-for-like contact, but Deborah wanted to go for it and was therefore wary of the response from a seasoned fighter. This was evident when Deborah began the first round, she threw some hard shots but kept her distance. Rachel automatically responded with her favourite low kicks and Deborah remained at range. Unfortunately, at this cautious range Deborah couldn't land her techniques cleanly and the adept Rachel moved in and struck well. In the clinch Deborah noticeably surprised Rachel, showing considerable strength and skill. Rachel obviously didn't want to remain in the clinch with Deborah and opted to break away as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, in the second round Deborah completely fracture one of her smaller toes while kicking. Although she finished the fight without anyone knowing (even the corner team!), it obviously hampered her performance!!!! It was a difficult fight for Deborah and she has learnt from it, but is understandably annoyed and frustrated to stop training while her toe heals - after an X-ray, apparently 10-weeks off for a complete fracture!
Lorraine Moran vs. Rachel Crosby 3 x 2 min rounds
Matchmaking dictated that Lorraine had to fight K1 rules in this, her second time in the ring - which in this case allowed no clinch at all. From the start Lorraine pursued her opponent around the ring, delivering blows when the opportunity presented itself. Crosby was a confident striker, happy to both punch and kick, but found herself backing up to Lorraine's aggressive style; who also displayed considerable improvement to her guard following her first fight. Despite losing a contact lens during the fight and getting sucker punched while apologising for an inadvertent clinch, Lorraine had a good commanding fight. She mixed up her combinations well, accurately punching to the head and landed her trademark body shots on several occasions. Lorraine already shows terrific promise and is developing well with each fight.
Matthew Butcher vs. Niall Dorkan 3 x 2 min rounds
"I brought my shorts, just in case" were Matthew's words before the event began. A few fighters dropping out at the last minute allowed Matthew to put those shorts to use when he was matched against *, a local Redditch fighter. The first round saw Matthew moving and attacking well while countering his opponent's attacks with solid responses. The second round saw Matthew's work rate begin to drop, and some of Dorkan's blows finding their target. In the corner, Matthew admitted that all of a sudden he felt very tired. This wasn't surprising considering the last minute match up and hard training sessions he'd been putting himself through for two consecutive days before - not the best preparation! However, this made the fight more of a challenge and provided a learning opportunity for Matthew who now had to fight tired. He still fought well but felt lack luster in the ring, and is now more determined than ever to put in a good performance at the IFMA England Team eliminations at the end of July in Cambridge.
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Feed back from both opponents and event organisers praised the novice Bury St Edmunds Thai boxers, who surprised the established fighters with their skill and durability despite their lack of ring experience.
Once again the Thai boxing squad was well supported, regardless of the extra travelling for this event. The fighters were certainly encouraged by the friends and family that came to cheer them on - it almost appeared to be a home crowd!
Those that could stay later saw the day out by watching Pro Muay Thai fights at the K-Star Show at the Tower Ballroom in Birmingham. It was a long day, but very worthwhile. Coaches, Don and Richie, would like to congratulate the fighters on their performances, and thank everyone who came along to join in. All of the team wish Deborah a speedy recovery, and look forward to her returning to training and dishing out some beatings!
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>> Fight Forum post, see more photos and join in!
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Singto Muay Thai Interclub -31st May 2008
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Phraya Pichai Building a Reputation
The Phraya Pichai fight team earned respect after solid performances at the May King of the Ring Interclub Show in Cambridge. Four Bury fighters were matched at the event for novice Thai boxers, with each scheduled for the final four consecutive fights of the show.
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Matthew, Lorraine, Darian and Richard
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Darian’s Fight
The team's latest recruit, Darian Lira, proved himself in a full contact bout against Singto gym's Adrian Attwood, despite having just returned to training after a 3-month break. Darian began the fight confidently attacking his opponent and demonstrating good Muay Thai technique throughout the fight, although his lack of fitness prevented him keeping pressure on his opponent consistently. Although tired, in the final round Darian successfully landed three consecutive jumping punches, winning approval from the spectators.
US serviceman Darian previously trained in Greece while stationed there, and found things awkward in the ring, saying: "You guys fight differently here, I find it difficult—it's a different style."
Having reduced his weight by 5 kg in the two weeks before the fight, Darian is committed to making himself more competitive for future fights, saying, "I'm going to drop some more weight. I was lighter than I thought today on the scales, but I know I can get down into the middleweight category."
Fighting in a competitive weight category and with a return to fitness, Darian is sure to have a lot of success.
Richard’s Fight
Phraya Pichai super heavyweight Richard Danyluk embarked on a full contact rematch against Singto's Dalius. The two had met previously in February, and Dalius was out for revenge. Richard found he was unable to get the focus he'd had for their first encounter and struggled to make his way in the fight, while Dalius had prepared extensively for the rematch and was keen to prove himself.
Following the fight, Richard was disappointed but reflective: "I just wasn't up for it today. I got in the ring and felt flat. "Mind you, I proved my chin. He hit me with everything he had and I'm still standing!"
Richard's mother died recently and understandably found this affected his preparation, "I've personally had a bad time leading up to this fight. I thought I was ok, but today I didn't feel good. "I'll be back—I'll make you proud!"
Matthew’s Fight
17-year-old Matthew Butcher eagerly took on Scott Gray from Lumpini Kent in his third full contact fight. Using all that he'd learned from two previous (very tough) fights, Matthew motivated himself perfectly and it was obvious in the pre-fight warm up that we were going to see the best from him yet.
Once in the ring, Matthew delivered. He assertively moved around his opponent delivering a variety of solid blows, while evading any return attacks. Each round saw Matthew's confidence grow, and on instruction from the corner began landing head kicks in the final round. Although self critical by nature, Matthew was happy with his performance and had demonstrated that he's ready to move onto amateur level.
Show organiser Ryan Rudkin approached Phraya Pichai coaches Don Heatrick and Richard Gent following the fight, requesting that Matthew be put forward to fight in the IFMA Amateur Muay Thai—England Team Eliminations in July. Also in demand was Deborah Heatrick, who has found it difficult to get matched at the Interclub novice events. She'll now hopefully be matched at the IFMA Eliminations despite her lack of ring experience.
Lorraine’s Fight
First time fighter Lorraine Moran was matched in a light contact bout against Lucy Thorn from Singto Gym in the final fight of the show. Lorraine's father and brother had travelled from her native Ireland to witness her debut in the ring, and she was keen to impress.
The fight began with heavy exchanges resulting in referee Ryan Rudkin asking the girls to "lighten up". But, when the fight resumed it was obvious that both girls were happier with full contact. So, with the agreement of the fighters and both corner teams, the fight resumed at full contact level.
Lorraine performed exceptionally well against a more experienced opponent, proving that she not only can deliver full contact blows, but that she can certainly take them! Lucy undoubtedly wasn't holding back and seemed intent on knocking Lorraine out. But, Lorraine would not yield and enthralled the crowd with her dogged determination and retaliation. They certainly breed them tough in Ireland—immerging from the ring with a black eye, Lorraine beamed, "That was excellent!"
With team performances like this, the Bury St Edmunds Phraya Pichai Muay Thai Camp has built a good reputation in the Thai boxing community; proving that the gym can produce quality novices as well as International amateur fighters like Don Heatrick and Jack Griffin.
The cornering and fighter preparation team— Richard Gent, Don Heatrick, Deborah Heatrick, Jack Griffin and Fernando Alvarado—performed a very professional job, giving the fighters the best opportunity to do well. The day was very successful for the camp, and a lot of fun! The whole team would also like to thank all of the Bury spectators who came along to support them.
Commiserations to Doug Twaite and Phil Harrod, who both were unable to compete this time due to last minute injuries. Next time fellas!
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>> Fight Forum post, see more photos and join in!
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Singto Muay Thai Interclub -29th March 2008
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Second timers: Phraya Pichai Thai boxers get into the ring
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Matthew Butcher, Deborah Heatrick and Doug Twaite
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It was another busy day at the Singto Interclub, this time with nearly 90 fighters.
Fight 1
Deborah Heatrick fought two different girls consecutively at controlled contact, after not getting matched for a full contact fight. This wasn’t what Deborah wanted, but she took the opportunity to fight a ‘tag team’ over six 2-minute rounds. Both opponents were from from Kwai Muay Thai in St Ives, fighting their first interclub bouts. The first girl, Becky Adams, weighed 4 kg heavier than Deborah and started out quickly delivering solid blows. Deborah responded with the same force, but with accuracy and timing, sending Becky’s head snapping backward. The referee, Ryan, quickly warned both girls to keep the contact lighter. Deborah took the opportunity to work on her movement and deftly struck out at Becky with control. Every so often the contact level would escalate as Becky’s nerves controlled her, and the referee would slow things down again. The three rounds concluded and Deborah waited in the blue corner for her next opponent to enter the ring.
Fight 2
The second fight against Louise Quincy saw Deborah at a 7 kg disadvantage. To our surprise, Louise started very aggressively, but Deborah maneuvered and returned only moderate power. The heavy attacks continued from Louise and referee Ryan signaled for Deborah to use the same contact level. Deborah immediately countered with accurate kicks and punches, sending Louise’s head flying backward as she advanced. Ryan quickly stepped in warning Louise that if she continued to go heavy so would Deborah. The fight continued much like the first with the referee having to calm down the fight to protect Kwai fighter. However, the fight looked good, with Louise showing courage and Deborah displaying good control.
Fight 3
Matthew Butcher had also proven difficult to match up at full contact, and opted to compete against adults rather than having to fight controlled contact. As a result he was matched against the experienced Alistair Gould from the notorious Keddles Gym. This was going to be tough!
Alistair began strongly with very fast punches which Matthew handled well, returning accurate punches of his own. Matthew moved well against the tall opponent, countering with kicks and punches, but received a solid body blow that he had to learn to deal with the hard way. Despite the experience difference (in both number of fights and age), Matthew held his own very well against a quality opponent in only his second interclub fight. It was obvious that Matthew had improved immensely since his previous (first) fight, and is definitely one to watch. Matched against those of his own experience level, Matthew will be real handful, and the lessons he’s learning now are building an exciting prospect for the Phraya Pichai gym. Good work Matthew!
Fight 4
Doug Twaite was matched for a controlled contact bout against a fighter from St Neots Muay Thai (sorry unsure of the name). The contact level quickly increased with Doug’s opponent even throwing jumping punches! It was much more than Doug was expecting but he handled it extremely well, and learnt a great deal in the three rounds that ensued. It was a massive step up from his previous interclub bout, and his opponent spent the third round with a bloody nose as a testament to the contact level. Well done Doug.
Thank you to Jack Griffin and Richard Danyluk for helping corner the fighters. It was also great to see so many people turning out to support our fighters, it means a lot to them, thank you.
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>> Fight Forum post, see more photos and join in!
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Singto Muay Thai Interclub -16th Feb 2008
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First time Phraya Pichai Thai boxers get into the ring
 Congratulations to the six fighters daring to step into the ring for their first Muay Thai interclub fight—always a daunting experience. An interclub fight has no winner or loser announced. It’s against fighters from other gyms, in a ring with an audience, in preparation for either amateur or pro rules fights in the future. It takes a great deal of courage to get in their a test yourself, well done.
Up for the challenge were (in fight order):
Deborah Heatrick (full contact)
Matthew Butcher (full contact)
Phil Harrod (controlled contact)
Doug Twaite (controlled contact)
Fernando (controlled contact)
Richard Danyluk (full contact)
Deborah Heatrick fought Maria Chu, an experienced, technical and very strong girl from Dean White’s gym in Leeds. This was a real test for Deborah, who in her first Muay Thai fight found herself taking very hard hits. She responded well, and despite being frustrated during the fight, finished strongly with successful clinch knees.
Matthew Butcher was matched against James Amis from the hosts Singto gym. Again another tough fight. James was what we call a ‘Banger’, intent on knocking out his opponent with heavy punches. Add to this the fact that he was a southpaw (left handed), and Matthew was in for a difficult fight. Matthew certainly had his chin tested with some very strong hooks from James. Although Matthew was the more technical fighter, he found it hard to work out the left handed heavy hitter. The last round saw Matthew finding his rhythm, putting together some nice combinations after giving his opponent too much respect earlier in the fight.
Phil Harrod wasn’t expecting to fight (having not been matched up) but ended up matched for a controlled contact bout (initially) against Marcus Delamare from Singto. Phil’s exuberant start triggered the experienced Marcus into coming back with some heavy hook punches, catching Phil flush. Another testing bout! It’s always interesting to see how fighters react on their first encounter with a potential knock out blow. Phil’s response was determined, despite subscribing to a controlled contact bout, he took the shots without a hint of wanting to quit. Referee Ryan recognised an irreversible ‘switch’ had been flicked with Marcus his fighter, and sensibly opted to change Phil’s opponent. In stepped Steve Mason (I think) from Keddles gym. Although heavier than Phil, Steve kept control and gave Phil a chance to work on his fighting skills in the ring. Phil was challenged in the rest of the fight and successfully completed the three rounds. Good job Phil.
Doug Twaite was eventually matched against a young lad (Alex) of the same weight from Daj Chai gym. The Singto rules stipulate that junior fighters do not have contact to the head, so this was the basis of the bout. Alex still managed to land punches to Doug’s nose despite this, and Doug did well not to respond negatively, and used the bout to gain his first ring experience in front of a crowd. A good technical performance.
Fernando was matched against David Morris from Singto, at the controlled contact level. This turned out to be a very well matched bout, with both of these big guys managing to control the level of contact perfectly. Shots were freely thrown without excessive contact being made. The non-stop trading of punches by both fighters for the final 15-seconds had the crowd applauding!
Finally, big Richie Danyluk fought Dalius from Singto. Although Richie was giving away some weight, he soon had Dalius backing up under his attack, and sent him to the canvas numerous times with kicks. A low kick from Dalius was shin (knee) blocked by Richie, instantly damaging the attacker. Richie managed to maintain good control over his opponent, but the shots were heavy from both fighters, and the crowd again appreciated the determination on show.
This was a great first time out for these fighters, and a real induction of fire in most cases. A big thank you to all that came to support our gym, especially Richie Gent for once again helping with pre-fight preparation and cornering the fights.
The next Singto interclub will be on the 29th March. If you're interested then please let Don know and we’ll get you prepared and see if you’re ready. |
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>> Fight Forum post - see more photos and join in!
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Don publishes new online traditional Muay Thai magazine
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Download Nak Muay magazine for FREE!
The premiere issue of NAK MUAY Magazine has now been published. If you would like to download this FREE traditional Muay Thai magazine
(5 MB), please visit the following link:
>> Click here to visit the download page, it’s FREE!
This issue of Nak Muay Magazine contains:
> Nak Muay Magazine News
> Nak Muay; Jeckll and Hyde
> Muay Thais legendary kicker - Apidej Sit Hirun
> 10 ways to lose weight before a fight...
> Gladiator (Siam Style)
> Iman Barlow, S1 World Champion...aged 14!
> Hands up, who remembers Tong Po?
> Beyond the fog and the distant sound of banjos strumming...
Sincerest thanks to those that have contributed to the first issue of Nak Muay. You can check out the contributors by >> Clicking here.
I hope you enjoy the magazine, and if you have anything that you’d like to contribute or suggestions for future issues, please drop me an email by >> clicking here.
If you would like to be emailed a link to future issues when they are published please send an email to ‘subscriptions’ by >> clicking here.
I hope that this project will be well supported to ensure it can continue. Please don’t forget to spread the word, tell your friends!
Best regards,
Don Heatrick
Editor Nak Muay Magazine
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