"We are here because we want to be here, this is our life, not our job." -Frances Watthanaya The following is an interview with MBSB contributor and Wor. Watthana gym owner, Frances Watthanya. It's the one year anniversary of Wor. Watthana and what a year it has been. You've had so much going on. Let's start first with a brief overview from one year ago until now.....go! With the success of our gofundme campaign we were able build a fully functioning gym for the kids. We have a stadium standard ring for training, an area for weights and skipping, pull-up bars, and have hung 4 bags. Thanks to our monthly sponsors, we are able to … [Read more...]
Muay Thai History – Words of Wisdom from Wun Watthanaya
"Do you want your kids to be fighters?" “Oh yes, of course.” I had to interject. We had three international students visiting the gym; they were studying Muay Thai as a way to alleviate poverty and currently were based out of Khon Kaen University. Along with interviewing the fighters, they wanted to talk to my father-in-law about his thoughts too. He wants his kids to be Muay Thai fighters? I’ve been married to his son for nearly ten years and have only heard the opposite from him. “Wait, Dad…what about Boom? You wouldn’t let him leave home to fight and you used to always tell me to … [Read more...]
Sit Phanom + Wor Watthana’s First Muay Thai Fight As A Gym
“Mali, where are you?” “I’m at work.” As I am every day, Monday to Friday 8am to 4pm. “Do you have any fighters yet?” “Yes! They are really new the gym just opened last…” “Yeah, I know, I know. Come see me at the temple. Write their names on a list with their weights. I’ll meet you at the fight ring.” Names? Our gym had only been open for two weeks, we didn’t even have a training mat, let alone fight names! I quickly wrote down a few localized names with some weights attached and jumped on a bike to head over to the temple. The temple tradesman who had made the call had already left, … [Read more...]
Starting From Nothing, Training On The Ground And Building A Muay Thai Gym
A Muay Thai gym in rural Thailand can change a child's life. This is particularly true in Thailand's North East region of Isaan which is home to some of the country's poorest families. In such communities, Muay Thai offers an option for the children who have few. A Muay Thai gym in a small, rural community can make the difference between a child securing a future and a child choosing gang membership and/or substance abuse. Almost a month ago, we released that MBSB contributor Frances Watthanaya, in conjunction with her husband Boom, and longtime family friend and Muay Thai trainer Dam were opening a gym in Boom's hometown in the Muang Yang of Nakhon … [Read more...]