CHOK! Magazine 1-2020 by CHOK! Magazine

GOOD INTENT, GOOD DEEDS, GOOD KARMA.

MARTIN KRISTOFFERSEN

GYM REPORT REVOLUTION GYM

5-ROUNDS

MARAT GRIGORIAN

AUSTRALIA SPECIAL LIFE OF A CHAMPION

01|20

MAGNUS ANDERSSON FREE IN MANY OF THE BEST GYMS WORLDWIDE 1

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i h c

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n u p Punch it Gym +66 92 905 85 18 info@punchitgym.com 124/666 Moo 3, Maret 84310 Surathani - Koh Samui, Thailand

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CHOK! EDITORIAL

Friends! Beginning a new beginning is always difficult. Looking ahead to new ground, dreaming of the next level, making plans. The dreaming is the easy part, the doing another story. A simple question we all ask ourselves when we feel it´s time to make a move, to step up a gear or two, is just “how do I start?” Sometimes though, the hardest battle is only against yourself. And battling the fear of failure. Whether in sport, business or just in life in general, one of the hardest things to embrace is change. Then of course, it´s how to overcome that fear and just get started. After eight years, slowly building CHOK! Magazine step by step in Germany, (and in many other neighbouring european countries) I asked myself the following question: Am I really in it to win or just trying not to lose? And decided it´s time. English language. International distribution. New content mix. Online editorial partnerships. Crazy? Maybe. Exciting? For sure! Thank you to each and every one of you who, over the last eight years, has helped me keep this project afloat. Thank you for the support you gave, in whichever way you gave it. And thank you to all those who have committed to supporting CHOK! Magazine in this, our ninth year - as we sail together into unknown waters. Without you all, I would not be writing these words. I wish everyone a healthy, happy and successful 2020 and hope you all enjoy our first truly international issue. If you do, please support us by telling a friend, sharing a post and passing the word. Our second international issue is scheduled for mid July, our third for late October. Another challenging year ahead, let´s do this! Chok dee!

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CHOK! CONTENTS

10 5-ROUNDS MARAT GRIGORIAN

25 5-ROUNDS JEFF SMITH

GYM REPORT KARMA MUAY THAI

LIFE OF A CHAMPION MAGNUS ANDERSSON

FINAL ROUND JOHN WAYNE PARR

GYM REPORT REVOLUTION MUAY THAI CAMP

TCC NEWS TCC GOES EAST 2

24 AWARDS THE AUSTRALIAN MUAY THAI AWARDS

Titelfoto: Helen Tran - Photographer | www.helentran.co Web: chokmagazine.com facebook-square Chok Magazine

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ONE CHAMPIONSHIP STARTS 2020 WITH A BANG! ONE Championship put together another electric martial arts extravaganza at Bangkok’s sprawling Impact Arena on January 10th to begin the year with a bang. Featuring some of the best in local and international martial arts talent, the show was a sell-out success and forged the way for another recordbreaking year for ONE. In the main event, Thailand’s Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon put on a striking clinic, needing just three rounds to stop former World Champion Jonathan “The General” Haggerty of England to retain the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Championship. www.onefc.com

MARVIN DITTRICH WINS “HARDCORE” MUAYTHAI FIGHT IN THAILAND The young german, who has been living and fighting in Thailand now for almost a year, just keeps on winning and is now taking aim at the major stadiums. “Lumpinee, Raja, this year I hope to break into the major circuit.” Chok dee Marvin! facebook-square marvin.dittrich.94

D E N O P T S O P AUSTRALIA SENDS MASSIVE TEAM TO THE 2020 WMO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN PATTAYA, THAILAND With a team of over 55x athletes and a group of some of the best Muaythai coaches in Australia, the team for this years WMO World Championships in Pattaya is impressive to say the least. CHOK! wishes everyone good luck! www.wmomuaythai.org

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DAY OF DESTRUCTION 12 LANDS ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL INTERNATIONAL EVENT IN HAMBURG, GERMANY

PHETCHBUNCHA CELEBRATES 15 YEARS ON SAMUI!

Crowning “The Blade” Gerardo Atti as the new WFCA Cruiserweight Thaiboxing World Champion and “The Afro Shark” Josy Metinkoe Jr. as International German Boxing Champion, promoter Ralf Stege, the Hamburg gym and a growing stable of international fighters all look forward to a very bright future. “With Siamstore Hamburg fighters winning four of their five fights, we are happy to see our concept “Africa Rising” working so well” Ralf told us. Chok dee DoD – destroy! www.siamstore.de

Touted as “the best boxing stadium of southern Thailand”, Phetchbuncha Stadium celebrated it´s 15th successful year recently with a massive show and a big party to go with it. Congratulations to Khun Ahm, his family and everyone on the PBS-team, all the best for many years more! www.phetchbuncha.com

KIATPHONTIP VOTED GYM OF THE YEAR IN THE UK – CONGRATULATIONS! www.kiatphontip.co.uk

CZECH LEGEND JIRKA APLIK APELTAUER SAYS GOODBYE Leaving the ring as he entered – as a warrior. What a career, what a final fight. Hodne stesti Jirka, chok dee kamarad! facebook-square Jirka Apeltauer

NEW WORLD SIAM STADIUM GETTING READY TO ROCK ´N ROLL Located in Bang Kapi (just behind The Mall) and built to hold more than 1.200 people, the new World Siam Stadium is almost ready to open its doors. Promoters interested in cooperating with Bangkoks new state of the art stadium, please contact Pitu Sans or one of the team. More news after the grand opening in upcoming issues. facebook-square World Siam Stadium

KOMBAT GROUP PATTAYA GROWING FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH Kombat Group Thailand is a multi-martial arts training resort located just outside Pattaya - Thailand (150 km from Bangkok), on the right side of the beautiful Siam Gulf. The resort is built on 3,000 square meters, where students can focus on learning new skills or growing their expertise in Muay Thai, Western Boxing, MMA, BJJ, Kickboxing, Krav Maga and Self Defence. Kombat Group Pattaya also run a highly sought after Weight Loss Program. The martial arts-based resort is open to anyone, regardless of sex, age, body composition or fitness level. Solo travellers are welcome, as are couples, friends, families or groups. With 40 rooms – and a great pool! All infos here: www.kombatgroup.com

UAE LEADING THE WAY 5TH -13TH JUNE 2020 The United Arab Emirates has become a major Muaythai hub in the Middle East, now even more so with Abu Dhabi being awarded the hosting rights for the 2020 IFMA World Championships this June exciting times! Save the date! www.ifmamuaythai.org

SIAM CUP OCEANIA TO HOST PUNCH IT NEWCOMER CHALLENGE 4-MAN IN JULY Confirmed! For four young Muaythai talents, the chance of a lifetime. A 4-man tournament at 63,5kg, on July 18th, the winner goes home with two weeks free training camp at Punch it gym on Koh Samui, Thailand – incl. accommodation and a paid fight at Phetchbuncha Stadium. Now that’s good news! Siam Cup President Jamie Tozeland has all the details! www.siamcup.com.au 7

CHOK! FN360

WBC MUAYTHAI WORLD SOLDIER IN BANGKOK ON MARCH 15TH Youssef Boughanem v Sograw Petchyindee Sittichai Sitsongpeenong v Luis Cajaiba Satanfaa Rachanon v Yodwicha Por Boonsit Kulabdam SJ PiekUthai v Chamuaktong PK Saenchai … and more! If you are in South East Asia in March, you really don’t want to miss this one. www.wbcmuaythai.com

SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL And the upcountry gym in Canungra, Queensland, packs a punch. Actually, quite a few. “We only have a handful of members, but most of them fight!” Kudos to David Torrens, the gyms owner and sponsor. If you are ever in Queensland, you should go there. (And they BBQ like champions too!) facebook-square Canungra Muay Thai

SUPERSTAR SANGMANEE SIGNS TO SATHIAN MUAYTHAI, BANGKOK Sathian Somkhao, once long-time trainer and mentor for Buakaw, has landed another superstar on his roster – Sangmanee. Sathian Muaythai gym is a great gym, well equipped, run by Sathian himself and a small team of very experienced trainers. They are open for regular training too, just drop by. facebook-square Sathian Muay Thai

MATT LUCAS LAUNCHES “ON FIGHTING IN THAILAND” This clear guide goes over scoring, matchmaking, picking a gym, fight styles, gambling, Muay Thai culture and much more. “On Fighting In Thailand” is a definitive look at the sport from an experienced former fighter, current Muay Thai journalist and commentator. Available February 1st 2020. Print and E-book via Amazon.com. Also look out for more from and on Matt Lucas in upcoming issues of CHOK! Magazine! www.matt-lucas.com

FIRE AT HISTORIC SITAN GYM IN NYC The famous Sitan Gym in Astoria, New York has been destroyed in a fire. Within hours of the disaster, former student and multiple World Champion Rami Ibrahim created a GoFundMe page to “Rebuild Sitan Gym” – which has since raised more than US $ 46,000. If you also wish to help, the link is below. Chok dee Aziz and all at Sitan Gym! www.gofundme.com/f/rebuild-sitan-gym

IN THE CAGE WITH ASIAN PERSUASION MMA Read all the news in full at www.apmma.net ONE: A New Tomorrow went down in Bangkok on January 10th. You can check out the full highlights and post fight interviews, including Stamp Fairtex & Rodtang Jitmuangnon

LAMAI WMC CAMP HOSTS MUAY BORAN CLASSES Ancient thai warrior training with Kru Saifon at the famous Lamai WMC Muaythai Camp. Experience the history, culture, mindset and the Muay Boran lifestyle. Try something new, all infos here: www.MuayBoranBootcamp.com

ONE Championship has announced that they will launch ONE Hero Series Muay Thai in Thailand in 2020! Demetrious Johnson will challenge Adriano Moraes for the ONE flyweight world title at ONE: Reign Of Dynasties. In an exclusive interview with Asian Persuasion MMA, Saygid ‘Dagi’ Arslanaliev told us he wants an immediate rematch with Christian Lee. Stamp Fairtex will defend her ONE kickboxing world title against Janet Todd in the ONE: King Of The Jungle main event. In the co-main event, Sam-A Gaiyanghadao and Rocky Ogden will compete for the inaugural ONE straw weight Muay Thai world title. Tyson Fury has gives his thoughts on Conor McGregor rematching Floyd Mayweather and gives an update on his MMA plans. Conor McGregor made his return to the Octagon at UFC 246, stopping ‚Cowboy‘ Cerrone after only 40 seconds. Check out how the combat sport world reacted. While Alex Volkanovski plans to stay at featherweight and defend his title, the new 145lbs UFC champion admits he’s interested in challenging Khabib Nurmagomedov. www.apmma.net

CHOK! 5-ROUNDS

MARAT GRIGORIAN Hi Marat, thanks for taking a minute to answer 5 quick questions!

 What was your toughest fight?

Hello. Against Johan Lidon. It was a very good fight, it was for the “It’s Showtime” World Championship belt -73 kg. It was my first big opponent. I thought I win the fight. But it was in France the fight. So I lost it by points.

 Which belt means the most to you?

K-1 Max belt. It was really a dream that comes true. When I get that belt then my focus changed to The Kunlun World Max Championship tournament. After winning the Kunlun Championship belt against Superbon, I was absolutely focused for the Glory Lightweight Championship belt. After beating Sittichai, I get finally Glory Champion too.

 Who is your favourite fighter?

Giorgio Petrosyan and Gago Drago.

 Why did you choose to train at Revolution, Phuket?

I had many friend who said to come and train there. So I was very excited to train there. And it’s really a nice, good gym for to get preparing for a fight.

 Marat, what makes a Champion?

The hard work. Believe in yourself. Keep going. It’s never easy to get to the top. You must to be disciplined and train 2 or 3 times daily. It’s a lonely, hard road to get to the top. Work on yourself every day. Thanks for your time Marat, and best of luck for the next fight!

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AUSTRALIA SPECIAL

CHOK! GYM REPORT

KARMA MUAY THAI QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA “You know Bernard” Martin explains to me quietly. “When I started out here, fresh from the UK, I had been working as a chef. I didn´t have much, just dreams, a little vision but no clear plan. I was sure that if I stayed on it though, good things would happen.” Martin Kristoffersen, owner and head coach of Karma Muaythai, has since turned his “little vision” into a dream come true in Brisbane.

„MUAY THAI IS MY RELIGION!“ “I started to train Muaythai after I got a job in security. I needed to get stronger, fitter, as nobody would employ me as a chef because my European paperwork didn´t fit. Muaythai training led me to fighting, fighting led me to coaching and coaching led me to starting a gym. First we trained together as a small group in the park, I fought some, then I set up our first real gym in an old empty church. And what a great gym it was too! Today, looking back, it´s all paid off.“

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CHOK! GYM REPORT

Martin “KARMA” Kristoffersen was born in Nykobing, Sjaelland in Denmark, moved to the UK in 2000 and became a chef after jobbing in several pubs in Henly on Thames. After winning a chef tournament, he went on to become head-chef for a large group of pubs in London, later meeting his wife from New Zealand and moving to Australia in 2003. The first few years were tough, working long hours in a security job in Brisbane. “All the Muaythai training was great, but inside, I really wanted to fight! I won my first fight, then my second and began to like it. All in all, I had 19 fights, finishing up back in 2012. We were training together in Lighthouse Park in Wynnum, just myself, a few guys, pads, a couple of medicine balls, that was about it. But we trained hard. After a while, we moved on to a PCYC and more people started to show up. We only took $3,00 a head for training, everyone loved it!” “And the name” I asked him. “I saw some graffiti in a car park on an industrial estate in Brisbane, the word KARMA just hit me in the face and I thought that would be a great name for our gym. And that was that.” In 2015 Martin found an old church in Wynnum, empty since the last minister moved out. He rented it, left the PCYC and they moved in. “Muaythai is my religion, so that was perfect!” By 2017, Karma Muaythai had over 50 members and was on a roll. In 2018 the gym moved to its current location, a derelict house that Martin and his growing Muaythai family quickly renovated. Living above the gym for the first year, it grew fast and attracted more students. “We were also training outside, so people could see us. I think that helped too.” By 2019, Karma boasted more than 100 members, 5 Australian and 18 Queensland State Champions. A few weeks ago, Karma Muaythai finished and opened their own gym “stadium” – an event area as part of the gym complex for training, sparring and to host small gym events. “My dream was always to build a happy place, where everyone is welcome. For many years now, this has been my life. And I feel I still have a lot to do. At our gym, people can become what they want to become, we just try to help as much as we can.” Good intent, good deeds, good karma. www.karmamuaythai.com.au

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CHOK! IN THE RING

RAVINDERWORLD SIDHU MUAY THAI ORGA “Spending so much time in Thailand, I have made many good friends and contacts, which is one of the things I truly love about our sport.” Ravinder Sidhu, commonly known as Rav, has done pretty much everything in the world of Muay Thai. He is an accomplished fighter - having most of his fights in the capital of Muay Thai, Bangkok - a successful trainer, a gym owner, has promoted a Muay Thai event called “No Escape” back in 2006, done commentary work back in 1999 for J&A Promotions, extensive editorial work for “International Kickboxer” magazine for over 10 years and is currently Australian President for the World Muay Thai Organisation. (WMO) “Rav”, who has been involved in Muay Thai for over 28x years, has trained in Thailand, Australia, Singapore and Malaysia. He also fought at the old, historic Lumpinee Stadium on Rama 4 just before it got demolished - “truly a dream come true as I had always wanted to fight there since getting into Muay Thai as a teenager.” Ravinder has also fought at the famous Rajadamnern Stadium in Bangkok a few times, most recently with a big win. Currently talks with the WMO are ongoing to promote a Muay Thai fight event at the new World Siam Stadium in Bang Kapi. Regular trips to Bangkok during the year, meetings for the WMO as well as fighting in the homeland of Muay Thai keep him busy too. “Getting older now, so of course I am trying to get as many fights in Bangkok as I can before I retire, which is coming up pretty soon. As a father of two beautiful young kids, life gets very busy and I feel it´s time to hang up my gloves soon. Injuries take longer to heal too, as you get older!” He laughs. Ravinder Sidhu recently opened a full-time training facility in St Marys, Adelaide, having spent many years hiring out halls to run his club Young Lions Muay Thai in Adelaide. “Having my own facility has been a plan for many years, so I am so happy that worked out.” Over the years he has also trained many fighters that have gone on to become World, Intercontinental, Australian or State Champions. WMO Australia has really picked up speed over the last couple of years, sending large teams - both junior and senior - to the World Championships in Bangkok. Out of all the 48x countries that took part in the 2019 championships, Australia had the biggest 18

AUSTRALIAN PRESIDENT

team of 56x athletes - with a contingent of over 122x people including all the coaches, parents and officials. “Jamie Tozeland, the WMO Queensland President and Junior Team coordinator, has done a lot for us here in Australia. The 2020 Championships will take place in the beachside city of Pattaya, Thailand, with an even bigger team expected from Australia.” Over the years, Ravinder Sidhu, a 3x World Champion, has been given numerous awards by different sanctioning bodies, including awards from the prestigious WMC and WKA based on his success in fighting as well as promoting the art of Muay Thai. Most recently he has been awarded a Muay Thai Contribution Award from the Thai Sports Council as well as a Muay Thai Recognition Award from Grand Master Chinawut Sirisompan, the President of the World Muay Thai Organisation. (WMO) Rav also competed in the last WMO World Championships, which he won in March 2019 at the Thai Martial Arts Festival in Bangkok. www.younglionsthaiboxing.com

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AUSTRALIA SPECIAL

CHOK! FINAL ROUND

”THE GUNSLINGER” JOHN WAYNE PARR Hi Wayne, what an amazing way to bow out mate - with a big fight and a big win! After all these years, all the tough battles, how does it feel to be officially “retired” now? Ha ha to tell you the truth it’s very boring. I’m so used to laying in bed, going over game plans in my mind of how I’m going to fight my next opponent. All of a sudden, I have a void where I don’t have to worry anymore. I miss having the anxiety of “what’s next”. After your “final fight” you also announced you need hip surgery, also one of the reasons your illustrious fight career must unfortunately now come to end. What´s the problem with the hips, can you explain a little? Approximately 2 years ago I started having a little bit of a hip issue while kicking and checking and just thought it might have been a pinched nerve. After a few months it progressively got worse and worse. I’ve had a few MRI’s and the prognosis is I have serve osteoarthritis. After 30 years of running, training and fighting, I no longer have any cartilage in the socket and also have what’s known as bone marrow edema, where the bone marrow is swelling inside the bone. The pain is so bad, it has taken away the enjoyment of training and fighting and with the agony so bad, I have no other option but to retire. You have won so many big international titles over the last twenty years, fighting on most if not all of the biggest promotions in the world. Many great memories for sure, what do you think was your greatest moment? I’ve been so lucky to have so many great memories, fighting all over the world. But my favourite memories are definitely my Thailand fights because if you´re famous in Thailand, the rest of the world is paying attention. My two best memories in Thailand were winning my world title on the Kings Birthday event in front of 100,000 Thais live on Thai tv. And my other was winning the S-1 tournament where I had 3 fights in two hours, winning all 3 fights, winning one million baht, a world title and a trophy from the prime minister of Thailand.

And now working back in the gym creating new champions? I see Rocky Ogden is signed to fight on ONE Championship already. Any other major plans for the future? We are all so excited for our Boonchu fighter Rocky to fight for the One Championship world title against Thai legend Sam-A. I also have Benny Mahoney, he has had 40 Muay Thai fights but has now gone to boxing where he has a record of 9-0. Besides that, I enjoy teaching classes and let people enjoy Muay Thai as a great way of staying fit while learning how to fight. What advice would you give young fighters who look up to you, see your many achievements and want to go for it themselves too? Muay Thai is such an amazing sport that once you get to a certain level to take you on adventures all over the world. Life is about adventures so you have great memories to look back upon once you are older. Plus there is no greater rush than fighting in front of a huge crowd. If you can win by knockout there is no better feeling and you might not be able to sleep because of all the excitement. Thanks for your time Wayne, all the best to you, your family and everyone down at Boonchu gym. Enjoy what´s to come and good luck with the hip surgery. Chok dee mate!

FIGHTER FACTS:

Aka: J’Dubya“ Friends call him: Johnny Greatest achievements: S1 Champion Kings Cup Champion Fighting in Lumpinee & Rajadamnern stadiums Fighting on the K1 Max Grand Prix Reaching the final on “The Contender Asian“ Caged Muay Thai (CMT) Promoter & Champion 10 x World Champion Final fight: Against “The Man Mundine“ Won with on points over 10 rounds www.boonchu.com 23

AUSTRALIA SPECIAL

CHOK! AWARDS

The Australian Muaythai Awards with founder Angie Parr

Does being nominated for an award or winning one also help raise the profile of Muaythai in a broader sense? Or help winners obtain sponsorship or more media coverage? This is exactly why I wanted to promote the awards. We are giving people the recognition that they deserve. They can use it in their resume that they have been a winner like Australia’s Best Fighter for example, when they are applying for sponsorship. At the event it is also great to network. I have had young fighters gain sponsors at these events because it gives the public a chance to get to know the fighters on another level.

Whats up Angie! A few years back you came up with this idea, now a big deal in Australia. What a great concept, please tell us a little more about how it all works… the selection, the voting etc. Hi guys. Yes, I came up with the idea of the Australian Muay Thai Awards in 2013. I woke up one day and had dreamt it all. I had to start with the volunteers. Caley Reece put me onto Melina Yung from NRF and I asked Claudine Gaggiano from Melbourne, and we also asked Reinhardt Badato and Lisa Gioiello from Sydney to help organise. We made it a people’s choice award, so people can have their say and get excited to see who makes it into the top 5! Once we get the nominations in, we have a meeting with one person from each state to make sure the top 5 are most deserving and qualify to be a finalist. They have to have had a fight this year and have been busy, for example. And how do you get it all funded? Sounds like a serious budget needed. At the start of the event we had to have fundraisers to even pay for advertising material. Gyms help with sparring days and BBQ’s to help raise awareness and promote the event. We have a small fee added on tickets to cover venue hire, entertainment, photographers, red carpet and back drops and so on, to help cover cost. We are non-profit, so everything goes back into the night to make it special for fighters and they look like movie stars. Now that we have been doing the awards every year, we are lucky to get sponsors on board and that helps a lot.

This years awards were hosted in Melbourne, could you imagine that the idea may also work in other countries? This year the awards were hosted in Melbourne by Mark Castagnini, it was a great success and we had very good numbers in the big city. I definately think it could work in different countries. I would love to work with them and explain the concept and if they would like to use our system, we could arrange it. Nothing to do with the awards, but I will ask anyway! Angie Parr back in the ring one day, or in the cage or on the mat? I hear you train BJJ, hard! I retired 7 years ago. I am fully retired. I love Muay Thai, but it´s very hard to do what I do and train full time. I have 3 kids who keep me busy. I run the gym while JWP travels. And, I don’t have the fire that I used to have 20 years ago - she smiles - I wanted to do a Jiu-Jitsu competition but I tore my knee. I need surgery. Maybe when it is better I can look into it again. Thanks Angie, all the best to you, your family, everyone down at Boonchu and of course, to everyone involved in the Australian Muaythai Awards – what a night! www.amtawards.com.au

CHOK! 5-ROUNDS

JEFF SMITH

THE MUAYTHAI PODCAST SPONSORED CONTENT

Gday Jeff, thanks for taking time to answer.

 So many podcasts, what´s special about yours?

We have been producing The Coach Jeff Podcast since 2007 when podcasting was virtually unheard of. I think amongst the ocean of podcasts, we still stand out as we keep it real and relatable with many different subjects.

 The stats prove you right! Up there in the top 5 already –

wow! The Muay Thai Podcast with Coach Jeff has gained great traction as people love the whole „old guy muay thai“ theme of the show.

 Who is your favourite Muaythai fighter mate? Liam Harrison for his ferocity and power.

 Where do you train in Australia and why?

I train out of my own gym „The Fight Club“ in Brisbane.

 You have trained and spoken with many - what makes a

Champion Jeff? Relentless forward progress… despite any setbacks or losses along the way. Surround yourself with like-minded people and stick to the plan. www.coachjeff.com.au www.oldguy-muaythai.com

AUSTRALIA SPECIAL

CHOK! JUNIOR NEWS

SIAM CUP OCEANIA 2020 LOOKING GOOD

Chok! Magazine is proud to support Jamie Tozeland and all the Siam Cup Junior Muaythai events for 2020 in Australia! And what an exciting year it promises to be. More than a dozen events in planning, many already confirmed. And a couple of new highlights to set off the fireworks. On July the 18th, Siam Cup will host the first ever “Punch it Newcomer Challenge” 4-man tournament for Oceania – the winner heading off to Thailand for two weeks free fightcamp, including accommodation at Punch it gym on Koh Samui and a paid fight vs a thai fighter at the famous Phetchbuncha Samui Stadium. And on December the 5th, the Siam Cup Champions show, another massive highlight in this years already stacked junior calender in Australia. Jamie Tozeland, Siam Cup president, has all the infos. “We have a very big year planned in 2020, with 9x junior shows and the first ever WMO and WKA Australian title to be held in Queensland in October” Jamie told us. “WMO/WMBF Queensland has another 4x senior pro shows to do as well this year, all after the WMO World Championships in Pattaya in March. And to top it all, we will livestreaming many of our events worldwide, with WKA Siam TV. So yes, we´re busy!” www.siamcup.com.au ADVERTISMENT ADVERTISMENT

CHOK! PEOPLE

RICHARD WALSH URBAN MUAY THAI

Hey Richard, great to see you again, busy as always down at the gym. You recently announced stepping back as MTA (Muay Thai Australia) President. Enough Muaythai? Haha never enough Muaythai! The positions runs for 2 years, but I´m taking 12 months off at the end of 2020 to travel around Australia with my family, so now is the right time to step down . You have been a central figure in Australian Muaythai for many years, an important part of the fast development in Oceania in general. What is still to be done to get Muaythai to the next level? We are on the right path for sure, MTA now has annual Australian Championships and is quickly developing State Championships as well. This gives athletes the opportunity to develop quicker and we will see the results in our next generation of pro-fighters over the next few years.

The most important thing we can do in Muaythai in Australia is work together. There are far too many “easy options” at the moment, rather than digging deeper and getting better, lots of athletes take the “title fights” against opponents who are basically picked from the crowd. Promoters advertise “title opportunity for fighter this weekend” instead of aligning themselves with sanctions that actually have a ranking system based on performance results. What makes a Champion Richard? Persistence. www.muaythaiaustralia.com.au

CHOK! LIFE OF A CHAMPION

MAGNUS

ANDERSSON SWEDEN Hey Magnus, long time no see! How are things going ? Fantastic, thanks Bernard! I‘m enjoying training at the moment, still learning and trying to improve my performance. And still busy beating people up around the world or settling in to beach life on Phuket? Last year we were in Las Vegas with Lion Fight, in Gottenburg in Sweden as well as at a huge outdoor event with Top King World Series - with more than 10,000 people - in Thailand. I love to travel and meet new people and luckily I have a job that involves some travelling as well as fighting. I am very settled here on Phuket and island life suits me. I am not from a big city so I feel comfortable with my training and life on Phuket. You have won many big international titles over the last two or three years, fighting on some of the biggest promotions in the world. Your greatest moments in a few sentences? Every time I am about to go and compete is a great moment for me. I love to fight with the “Viking Spirit” and, win or lose, I love every single minute. My top-3 moments are maybe:

The Thai Superstar Duongsompong knocked me down with a head kick, he was a two times Lumpinee Stadium Champion. After, he was jumping around the ring in victory, but I made the 8-count and came back to knock him out in the dying seconds of the fight with a flurry of punches and elbows.

Winning the MX Muay Xtreme World Champion belt in Bangkok was a dream come true. It was a tough tournament and previously I had heavy losses to the Thai superstars Yodvisha and Dedjrit. So it was emotional to get on a roll and then become Champion.

After years in Thailand, training at Revolution and fighting regularly against fighters at the top of the rankings in Thailand, I was able to fight in front of a home crowd in Sweden. It meant a lot to to me to be recognised for my sacrifices and achievements and to fight in front of all my 28

family and friends. It was against Petsanguan, a world-class Thai and very tough fighter. I got knocked down but got up and managed to get back into the fight and knocked him out in the finish. It was a fantastic and emotional moment. My father with his long viking beard, my first ever Muay Thai coach and of course Tim from Revolution shared the ring with me when I received the Lion Fight World Champions belt. What does your regular â&#x20AC;&#x153;gymâ&#x20AC;? day look like? Our daily schedule varies but we train twice a day, every day. We run as a team together at 6.30am, sometimes over the hill and back, (10km) sometimes sprints, then kick pads with Sayannoi my trainer and sometimes some boxing rounds with the boxing coach, bag work, clinching etc. I try to eat a healthy breakfast at about 10am and then surf or relax. I surfed in the cold in Sweden so when there are waves here I love to be in the sea. I usually eat lunch and then have an afternoon nap to let my body recover. 3.30pm training starts again, 30 minutes of boxing before Muay Thai. My afternoon training finishes at 6pm and after a shower we usually go to eat locally or sometimes visit the ice baths or the sauna. I read at night sometimes too,

CHOK! PLATZHALTER LIFE OF A CHAMPION but try to be asleep by 10pm latest so I am ready to perform again the next day.

my feet on the ground and helped me mature in and outside the gym.

If you have a fight coming up, what´s your training plan like then? I´m moving up in weight now, to fight Thai superstar Sudsakorn for the 72kg Lion Fight World Champion belt. It‘s a tough fight, Sudsakorn is highly skilled and has a lot of experience. He will be a little bigger than me, so I have changed my diet and am doing an extra session each week in our strength and conditioning gym with coach Wallis. The fight will be in Dublin, so I‘m excited to travel to a new place and hopefully I can make a little history and hold Lion Fight belts in two weight divisions.

Magnus, do you also like MMA? Any plans… I like MMA. I train a little BJJ with our Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Coach Lucas Cannon. This year though, I will fight at Rajadamnern Stadium on Petchyindee Promotions, on Lion Fight and hopefully at the MTGP in Australia.

How did a young lad from Sweden go from national amateur Muaythai to living and fighting the dream? And why did you choose Revolution as your home gym? I represented Sweden at IFMA and I think it provides a good base for fighters that want to go on and become professional. I knew that to reach top level as a professional fighter, Thailand is the place to be based. I tried another camp and had some fights but decided to move to a bigger camp where I could get better training and more opportunities. I met Tim Fisher at Super Muay Thai in Bangkok and was staying in the same hotel as him and his fighters. After the fights, when I mentioned that I was looking for a new gym, Tim invited me to his gym to trial and the rest is history. I can say it was a great move for me. The team at Revolution is like my family. Sayannoi is a fantastic teacher and Tim is a great coach and like a second father to me. He has kept

And what in your opinion makes a Champion? From the moment I wake up I am focused on what I need to do that day to take steps towards winning my next fight. I‘m always trying to improve myself, my strength, skills, tactics and performance. Thanks, to close please answer our “5 Rounds” questions: Favourite fighter? Rodtang Favourite food? Pizza Favourite band/music? Hip hop When I am old I want to: Be remembered Happiness is: Winning and spending time with my family Thank you Magnus, all the best, good luck in 2020 and chok dee my friend!

FIGHTER FACTS: Fightname: Nationality: Weight:

Magnus Andersson Swedish 70 kg

Fight Record: 52x fights Titel: Gym: Contact:

MX Muay Extreme World Champion 70 kg Lion Fight World Champion 70 kg Rumble of the Kings Champion 70 kg Swedish Champion IFMA European Silver Medalist Revolution Muay Thai Phuket, Thailand revolutionphuket@gmail.com

CHOK! GYM REPORT

REVOLUTION MUAY THAI CAMP PHUKET THAILAND

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family and friends. Everyone will agree that plenty of hard work, determination and sacrifice are necessary to achieve your goals. A great team around you builds self-belief. I believe in my fighters and staffs dreams and help them believe that anything is possible. From that point it‘s just a matter of time before you reach your goals if you refuse to give up and keep believing.

Hi Tim, good to see you´re keeping busy! So much going on I hear… Yes, it‘s exciting times. Revolution Muay Thai has now opened a strength and conditioning gym with Coach Wallis at Surin Beach. Training for athletic performance as well as body transformation and body balancing through resistance training. The Revolution fighters are busy, with Salim Ibragimov fighting for a WBC World Title in February and Magnus Andersson fighting Sudsakorn for the Lion Fight World Title at 72kg. Felipe Lobo, Lemac and Valeri Abramenko are all fighting at Rajadamnern Stadium on Petchyindee Promotions and in April Yurik and Lucas compete in the World Grand Prix in Hong Kong.

Revolution Muay Thai has hit all the headlines in the past year or so, with many of your fighters picking up major accolades around the world. Tell us a little about your coaching team, I know there a few stars in there amongst them! SAGADPET: Is a tough taskmaster that demands 100% every day. He is a former superstar with both Lumpinee and RajadamnernStadiumbelts.Hehasawinningmentalityandcreates champions. SAYANNOI: More technique than you can find on YouTube. Can develop all aspects of your game because he was a complete fighter. Also a Lumpinee Stadium and World Champion.

We are grateful to have some Superstar trainers back in the gym, with the return of Pettawee, Penthai and Pipah. These guys are living legends in Thailand and add strength to our team.

YODVISANU: Master of clinch and knee technique, with K-1 experience at the highest level having trained k1 Max Japanese Champion Masaaki Nori to become champion.

Revolution Promotions will present MTGP in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide this year, with Gavin Fuller presenting two shows in Perth. It‘s exciting times for Australian Muay Thai. MTGP will be viewed on UFC fight pass giving fighters and sponsors global exposure. MTGP is a fast growing global brand with shows all over the world in 2020. It will bring higher level fighters to Australia and also give Australian fighters more opportunities to fight on big shows overseas.

PENTHAI SINGPATONG : Little wizard with more tricks than Merlin, has an exciting punch and leg kick style. Penthai is a jovial character and always brings smiles to the training.

Your journey so far has taken you from a fighter in Australia to a gym owner, successful promoter, a world-class coach and now to the owner of a major gym in Thailand and a champion maker. What´s the secret? I have been very lucky to have trained with some fantastic coaches over the years and had great support from my

PETTAWEE: Passionate teacher and fighter. Advice for outside the ring as well as strategies and technique. Unbeatable at the peak of his powers in Bangkok. Has knockout wins over superstars PAKORN, SAM A and KANOR PK SAENCHAI and scored draws in classic fights with the likes of SAKSAN, THANONCHAI AND SUPERBANK. SAKUNTHONG: Quietly spoken master of knees, popular with the girls and kids because he make everyone feel comfortable and confident.

CHOK! GYM REPORT

SAKMONGKOL: Is the master of sweeps, be prepared to spend a lot of time trying to work out why you are back on your butt again! SAMRANCHAI: Former superstar, master of the dark arts it seems. Highly skilled and highly recommended. Like a Ferrari of Muay Thai trainers, be prepared. PIPAH: Living legend, 58 years old, still holds pads and passionately teaches his tricks. SAENCHAI, LERDSILA, SOMRACK, SKARBOWSKY AND YOUSEFF, some of the greatest, are all former students of Pipah. What have been the biggest obstacles or hurdles along the way Tim, it surely wasn’t a given that the gym would be so successful so quickly… Thailand is a land if smiles but a difficult environment for business. Without my friend Tim Dhamajiva and his guidance and support I would not have even got started. I was lucky to have good advice from local businessman Khun Manus and local leader Khun Rnut too. Aside from that, I started with Pettawee and Yodvisanu and as we grew, we added more great fantastic trainers, with my family staff and together helping each other we all grew together. I gave the trainers wives jobs and we tried to keep all the families together and create a big family environment. You told me “Revolution is for everyone” on my last visit to Phuket, so how is the training structured? One size fits all or select schedules depending on the students? People come to Thailand not just for Muay Thai. Often people want to reset themselves, reassess their lives, break bad habits and get into a healthy routine. They find Muay Thai lifestyle is the solution to many problems. We separate our beginners and intermediates from the professional fighters. We have 10 trainers so it‘s possible to divide people up. Pros need more physical training and beginners and intermediates have different limits and fitness levels and are usually looking to learn and improve and still be able to train the next day. What´s the basic fight training like for serious fighters? Training is twice a day. We have a daily running program, and on different days it´s a different run. Supervised by a coach it´s a mix of distances, sprints, hills and stairs. Fighters spar two or three times per week boxing and Muay Thai. There are two strength and conditioning trainings with a coach two mornings a week, instead of Muay Thai. What would you say has been your most memorable moment to date? The presentation of the Lumpinee Stadium belt to Thongchai at the old Lumpinee Stadium. Standing up there with my best mate Tim it was a great moment for the two of us.

1. 34

Holding down the ropes for Chadd Collins as the “Men at Work” song “Land Down Under” boomed in a packed stadium in Japan. Chadd went on to win a classic fight against the Japanese superstar Fukashi, and I lost my voice yelling instructions to Chadd.

Magnus Andersson in Sweden, when he got up from a knockdown, his face covered in blood, he smiled, stuck out his tongue and screamed a defiant battle cry. The packed event and all the Swedish fans felt the Viking Spirit, and the whole place erupted with wild cheering and chanting. Only a minute later, Petsanguan, the Thai superstar, was knocked out and Magnus crowned Lion Fight World Champion. It was Magnus´ first fight in Sweden after two years living in Thailand fighting the best Thais. The whole nation celebrated their Viking hero and it was a fitting result for a lot of hard work and sacrifices. And to close - what makes a Champion Tim? To become a champion you need to be focused on your goals and bounce back from setbacks and defeats. It‘s important to know how to lose and make the necessary decisions and sacrifices to win. Everyday you need to make the right choices running, training, eating correctly, avoiding distractions. If you never give up then you will reach your goals. Thanks Tim – please answer our “5 Rounds” questions – and all the best mate! Favourite foreign fighter? Liam Harrison Favourite Thai? Petchpanarung Favourite food? Thai Favourite band/music? U2/Hip-Hop When I am old I want to: Be loved Happiness is: Sharing special moments with the ones that you love. Email: revolutionphuket@gmail.com Phone: +66 8727 65024 Web: www.revolutionphuketgym.com facebook-square revolutiongymphuket

CHOK! TCC NEWS

TCC GOES EAST 2 JUNE 13TH RATHENOW, GERMANY!

The date is set, the event open-air, the fightcard exciting, the main event a WBC Muaythai Germany national title fight. Eugen Main from Nürnberg will challenge for the first ever WBC Muaythai Germany Light Heavyweight (79,379kg) belt, his opponent is expected to be announced shortly. International Muaythai Superfights, a Punch it Newcomer Challenge 4-man Muaythai tournament (65kg) and a tough, 9-minute TCC MuayTitans fight with the ever popular “Chong” from Thailand round off another great TCC card. “This is a big one for me,” Eugen told us. “Maybe even my last chance to capture a major title, after so many hard years of fighting, I really want that belt!” Eugen Main looks back on 83x amateur boxing bouts in the German Bundesliga and more than 20x international Muaythai fights - 5x of which were in Thailand. He has also fought in the famous Rajadamnern Stadium in Bangkok – “my greatest sporting memory for sure!” The winner of the Punch it Newcomer Challenge Germany 4-man secures himself two free weeks training at Punch it Muaythai gym on Koh Samui, incl. accommodation in November, and a paid fight versus a Thai opponent in Phetchbuncha Stadium on the 28th. www.the-championsclub.com www.4fight.de

+++ TICKER +++ TCC GOES EAST 2 SATURDAY, JUNE 13TH, RATHENOW, GERMANY. (65KG 4-MAN) (63,5KG 4-MAN)

+++ TICKER +++ PUNCH IT NEWCOMER CHALLENGE CZ SATURDAY, JULY 4TH PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC (70KG 4-MAN)

+++ TICKER +++ PUNCH IT NEWCOMER CHALLENGE OCEANIA SATURDAY, JULY 18TH, BEENLEIGH, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA (63,5KG 4-MAN)

+++ TICKER +++ TCC MUAYTHAI WINTERCAMP THAILAND TWO WEEKS TRAINING CAMP FROM NOV 15TH-28TH PUNCH IT MUAYTHAI CAMP LAMAI, KOH SAMUI, THAILAND

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FIGHT YOUR WAY TO THAILAND! POWERED BY PUNCH IT

fights as a team vs Thailand taking place at the end of November. „2019 was a massive success, with our team all winning by KO against very tough thai opponents in a packed stadium.“ Interested in running a 4-man Punch it Newcomer Challenge tournament in your country as part of one of your events? Please contact Bernard Caplin or Markus Muster – thanks! www.punchitgym.com

Markus Muster, the visionary founder of the International Punch it Newcomer Challenge, explains the new series for young Muaythai fighters. “Fight your way to Thailand is the concept!” About two years ago, Markus came to visit us at the Chok! Magazine editorial office with a clear vision - to give new, young, growing talents the opportunity to fight Muaythai at a higher level, and in Thailand. We discussed it round-table, coming up with numerous ideas on how we could get involved, how best to set up a program together etc. With myself as an international promoter and matchmaker and Markus and his camp on Koh Samui as an international “developer and sponsor.” „The idea we developed is basically very simple: 4x youngsters under the age of 21, active fighters from abroad, compete in a 4-man tournament at a set weight class in their home country. Each of the fighters not having more than 10x pro|semi-pro fights and each to never have fought in Thailand before. The winner of the tournament wins a free stay for 2x weeks in November at the Punch it Gym on Koh Samui, (includes full training & accommodation) also to prepare for a paid fight in the biggest stadium in southern Thailand, Phetchbuncha Samui Stadium.“ These 4-man tournaments are to be held in different countries. In 2020, 4x tournaments will be held - in Germany on June 13th, in the Czech Republic on July 4th, in Queensland, Australia on July 18th and in one more country. The goal is to organise a maximum of 6x international tournaments per year, with the final 37

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02. Mai 2020

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CHOK! Magazine 1-2020

Articles inside

TCC NEWS TCC GOES EAST 2

5-ROUNDS JEFF SMITH

LIFE OF A CHAMPION MAGNUS ANDERSSON

FINAL ROUND JOHN WAYNE PARR

GYM REPORT REVOLUTION MUAY THAI CAMP

AWARDS THE AUSTRALIAN MUAY THAI AWARDS