pic and background...

[THT]

A while ago someone had an idea to get everyone to post their pic and a martial arts bio. Unfortunately it turned into a flame fest and a big bunch of crap. So after hardball's post in the mma forum, I thought I'd try to get it going again...

I've been doing M.T. since June '04. I went about four times a week till November when I moved to Lansing and hadn't been at all till this past April. With work, 1hr 20 min drive each way etc. I only make it once or maybe like three times/ week if lucky. My level of ability is that of someone who sparrs (sp?) about twice a month. Good cardio, limited flexablilty (I work on it a lot, but I just touched toes for first time ever 4 years ago...). I will be in my first show (most likely just public sparring with someone from gym) in Detroit area Dec. 28.
This is me

[Hardball]

Kia,

Man you got class!!

Bowing Out

[LoneHusky]

is that a nipple piercing I see?

[Khun Kao]

This pic was taken after my last fight at "Mayhem on Mulberry Street 3" in NYC

Sorry, my bio is kinda lengthy... I've trimmed out as much as I could, though

I 1st learned about MuayThai a little bit before the movie "Kickboxer" came out. What was that? Late 80's, very early 90's?

I started training in 1992 under Ajarn Kumron Vaitayanonta (Master K) in Fairfax, VA. I had my first fight for SuriyaSak MuayThai (Master K's team) in January of 1993. I fought throughout 1993 & 1994, winning the ISMTA Super Middleweight MuayThai Title (ISMTA is now defunct).

In 1994, I was also named the VA State Director of the USMTA (post I held until 1997). In 1995, I was certified by the AMTJRA as an amateur judge. Im 1996, I was introduced to (by Master K) and started training under Ajarn Bumrung Prawatsrichai (Master Danny), a former Thai champ who also lived in the Northern VA area. I continued to train under both coaches and help Master K teach his classes until 1998, when K certified me to teach on my own. I first started teaching a private class in McLean, VA, but was soon hired to teach at Lloyd Irvin's Academy in Upper Marlboro, MD. I taught for Lloyd from late 1998 - 2000.

(During the year 2000, I took a hiatus from the sport for school and work.)

When I returned to coaching in the summer of 2001, I took my coach, Master K's student base as he was moving from the area. The classes originally were held at Owens Academy in Lorton, VA, but the school lost its lease and the student base was moved to Herndon, VA to One Spirit Martial Arts in March of 2002, where I combined my SitSuriyaSak MuayThai program with another coach, Kru Eric Kolesar of Narkradam MuayThai. In early 2003, Master Danny joined up with us as well with his DjonghAngh MuayThai program. He took over "Head Coach" responsibilities which freed me up to start training again.

Once I got back into MuayThai shape, I started fighting again in 2004. I fought throughout the entire year, adding two more MuayThai titles to my resume: the KOTR Light Heavyweight title and the USKBA East Coast Cruiserweight title. At the end of 2004, injuries, work schedule, and family proved too much and I had to "retire" again and have returned to coaching with Master Danny.

Another cool Pic:


Me & Renzo Gracie hamming for the camera at the "Karate College" seminar, where we are both instructors each summer....

[THT]

is that a nipple piercing I see?

yeah, those come out for class. better the easy way than the hard way

[THT]

well no wonder...

...so now we all know how it is that Khun Kao seems to always have the perfect answer for any mt question.

[Khun Kao]

Lets just say I've paid my dues... LOL

[aseepish]

American Kenpo 1994-1997
JKD/FMA/Silat 1997-2000
Wing Chun 2001-2002
BJJ (dedicated class): 2004 to the present
Muay Thai: Since May of this year (May - July in Chiang Mai, Thailand)

I some MT work when I was studying JKD, but when I went to Thailand this summer it was like starting from scratch.

I don't have any victory photos yet, but this was taken the day after my first hard sparring session.

I have a photo of me with Murilo Bustamante somewhere, but I was attending a seminar, not teaching one with him.

EDIT: The photo is way too large. I'll find a way to reduce it and post it again.

[Garland]

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=10230415&imageID=273760453&Mytoken=FBA9ABCF-1150-F017-3979B81CBF2ED9D423728078

I can't figure out how to put it up, but here's a link.

I'm the guy in the middle w/ no shirt.

[Ryukyu Damashi]

[Khun Kao]

Thats a really cool pic, btw

[BoarSpear]

What up...

[BoarSpear]

sorry just couldnt resist ....found that pic on crazyshit today...went hmmm wonder where this could go?....logged on and viola...it was fate

[Garland]

Thats a really cool pic, btw

thanks, man.
It was the cover for the local fight DVD in 2003.
I haven't been training too much since then, they changed the venues, so, because of my age, I can't fight again until I'm 21. It blows.

[Ryukyu Damashi]

My history is not as cool as Khun Kao's but here it goes.

In 1989 I joined Kenny Kuek's Martial Arts which was a mix of Tae Kwon Do, Kung Fu, Chin-na, and Tomoi. I trained there from 1989 until 1993.

I joined the US Navy in 1993 and was stationed in Okinawa. I started boxing at World Ring Boxing Gym in Kitamae. I walked into the gym thinking I was a bad ass only to get my ass kicked by Yukiharu Shinyashiki. Broke my nose the first night and taught me how to throw a proper jab--cross the next.

After months of throwing basic one--two at the mirror, Andy Hug came in to work with the head trainer, Akinobu Hiranaka.
(He was about to win the 1996 K-1 World Grand Prix)

Once I realized I was allowed to kick the bags the trainers started paying attention to me a little more. They showed me how to roll my hip over and how to teep. Erine Cataluna taught me the Filipino style of boxing. I fought 3 "smokers" and won
I trained at the World Ring Gym Okinawa for 4 years, (late 1994-1998)

I got out of the Navy in 1998 and moved to Niagara Fall's, NY. I joined Ray Casal's kickboxing Gym. Ray was a PKA champ back in the day and was a padman for Ray Mancini in the 80's. I trained with Ray Casal from 1998 till 2000. Ray Casal is the best padman I have ever worked with.

I relocated to Rochester, NY in 2000 and could not find a worth while kickboxing gym in the area so I decided to try BJJ. I trained under Alexandre "Grandao" Danta's for 2.5 years

In 2003 I moved to the Washington DC area and started training with Brook's Miller (Khun Kao) and Master Danny. In 2004 I was accepted as an assistant instructor under Brooks Miller (Khun Kao) and Master Danny