There was a time when nobody talked about American Muay Thai or even American Kickboxing. If references to American kickboxing were made, they would refer to the old days of Benny Urquidez, Bill Wallace, Chuck Norris and others – Kickboxing or Sport Karate without kicking below the waist.
When national teams traveled to IFMA World Championships around the world, no one was ever afraid of American fighters – people weren’t even talking about the United States.
But, as Bob Dylan would say: “…. times are changing…”
People like Eric Haycraft of Louisville, Kentucky have been successfully running their own gym, Real Fighters Gym, for over thirty years. He was a longtime good friend of legendary Ramon “The Diamond” Dekkers who died on February 27, 2013. Dekkers is recognized worldwide, including in Thailand, as the greatest non-Thai Muay Thai fighter of all time. . This friendship influenced the training philosophy at Real Fighters Gym. A training philosophy invented by the infamous Cornelius Hemmers, who coached Dekkers throughout his career, and coached Alistair Overeem, Gökhan Saki and many other world champions.
Thanks to their long friendship, Haycraft has instilled the Dutch way of training in his camp, with regular visits to Holland and offering in-house seminars with the likes of Ramon Dekkers.
Pioneers like Haycraft are one of the reasons kickfighting disciplines are growing in the United States.
Michael Chase Corley is the president of the non-profit organization, the United States Muaythai Federation. The USA Muaythai Federation recently launched the Muaythai Development League, where the emphasis is on correct scoring, correct judging and, of course, allowing youngsters to fight regularly in a safe environment.
To quote Corley’s own website:
After coaching the national team in 2016, he saw an opportunity to raise awareness of the sport of Muay Thai and ran for office to help gain provisional recognition by the Olympic committee. He is now President of the United States Muaythai Federation (USMF). He is currently Vice President of the Confederacion Panamericana de Muaythai and sits on the Board of Directors of the International Federation of MuayThai Associates (IFMA).
Very few other countries, if any, have a development league that builds the foundations of the sport of Muay Thai. This is a crucial development for the sport, and it will be interesting to see where the sport will be in a decade from now in the United States.
At the recent World Games, the American team triumphed, to say the least. The World Games are an international multi-sport event comprising sports and sports disciplines that are not contested at the Olympic Games.
The American team battled for an impressive third place behind mighty Ukraine, who won ahead of Thailand, who had to settle for silver.
An impressive achievement for the “young” Muay Thai nation: Two gold medals, three silver and four bronze.
Todd is the ONE Championship Atomweight Kickboxing and Interim Muay Thai World Champion
Professionally, the United States also makes a huge mark. Thanks to the likes of Bryan Popejoy, trainer and owner of Boxing Works Gym and head trainer of the USMF Muay Thai team, Kickboxing and Muay Thai fans worldwide can enjoy a beautiful and devastating stand-up strike from the champion of the world Janet Todd and Jackie Buntan, who both fight for ONE Championship – the highest international level of Muay Thai and Kickboxing.
Boxing Works opened in 1993. With nearly 30 years of experience, we have become Southern California’s premier boxing, Muay Thai and kickboxing facility. Two years after opening, we had our first boxing world champion, junior welterweight champion Sammy Fuentes. Boxing Works was originally built as a primarily western boxing academy. However, a very open attitude towards training has led to the evolution of the establishment.
– Boxing works
Bryan Popejoy has been at the forefront of American Muay Thai since the 80s, literally involved from Illinois in the East, through Arizona, to California in the West. A focused approach and never-give-up attitude on Mr. Popejoy’s part, combined with an openness to training, has led his gym to become a hotbed of world champions – in boxing, kickboxing and Muay Thai.
FIGHT SPORTS will bring our readers an exclusive interview with World Champion Janet Todd in the near future, as well as an in-depth profile of Bryan Popejoy and his successful work.
Another driving force in American Muay Thai is Dr. Stephen Strotmeyer. Dr. Strotmeyer runs his own gym, Pittsburgh Muay Thai, and is a board member of the United States Muaythai Federation. Dr. Strotmeyer has published over 25 articles on “injury research and control” and epidemiology. He was the go-to-guy during the COVID-19 pandemic, when gyms needed guidance on safety tips and coronavirus precautions.
Obviously there are more driving forces in Kickboxing and Muay Thai in the United States, but we have tried to shed some light on some key people and will continue to monitor the progress of American Muay Thai and keep our readers updated. running.
