In an impoverished village filled with the elderly, small children, and those unwilling or unable to work, who are these kids left to look up to?  We tell them you can make money through Muay Thai, there is a future in it; but why should they believe us?

Da first came to our gym last April when we were kicking pads in the dirt.  He had a few fights lined up with no where to train and no where to go.  He was signed to the gym-school in town but his trainer there decided to close for summer holidays. 

This past March we were privileged to welcome Michele, here on the Fulbright Grant, into our gym. Michele came to us for an internship of her choosing during her five-week summer break from teaching in southern Thailand.

This past week at the gym we celebrated Loi Krathong, a Thai festival held in the 12th Lunar Month of the Thai calandar, aimed at both thanking and apologizing to mother water.  It is also believed that when one sets their krathong afloat their sins from this past year can be washed away.

Ann is one of our top prospects, that is until she was taken from our gym.  Earlier this year Ann's father was arrested for selling drugs.  He went jail and just five days later his mother passed away.  Despite these heart wrenching circumstances, Ann's father was not allowed out of prison to attend his mother's funeral and the ceremony proceeded without him.