Muay Thai Kickboxing

TAMA Students have won State Championships in Full Contact Kickboxing / Muay Thai Kickboxing.

• Steve McCuty
• Mike Quach
• Christian Taleque
• Corneal "Neal" Rowe
• Ann Martin
• Ed Quach
• Robert Dejene

Fighters and non-fighters wanted, no experience required. Come and learn from Manuel Taningco who has been teaching authentic Muay Thai, and kickboxing for over 20 years. He has instructed professional and non-professional fighters. Taningco is the most accomplished Muay Thai coach in the Tri-State area. We also have a competition team for those who wish to compete amateur and professional. Taningco is a certified muay thai instructor under Kru Vut Kamnark of the United World Muay Thai Association. He has trained under Master Gasper, who also fought in Thailand (his first Muay Thai instructor), Guru Dan Inosanto, and Kru Vut, Kru Sakasem, Kru Pongyin are all from Thailand. So join the dynamic class taught by the one and only Master Taningco. 

MUAY THAI'S FIGHT FOR RESPECT

Long before Muay Thai was the most popular fighting sport in the world, it was proving it's worth in life and death struggles.

News story by Terry Wilson

The art of Thai Boxing is a self defense technique that is as old as Thailand itself. Thai boxing is a branch of knowledge, which has been in existence for as long as there have been Thais.

When Burma attempted to conquer Thailand by force they were eventually defeated when the Burmese army was driven back at the hands of Thai fighters using Thai boxing, spears and elephants. For more than 2,000 years Thai boxing has played a significant role in the survival of Thailand.

Like other fighting arts Muay Thai was born out of conflict. In 300 BE, the Thai Mung were invaded and sent fleeing for their lives to the south of Thailand. The vanquished villages developed a form of self defense using their feet, knees, elbows and fist as a way to overcome the enemy. This evolved into the art we now know as Muay Thai.

 As decades turned to centuries Thai boxing became one of the world's most deadly styles of fighting. Nowhere was this proven truer than in the Burmese city of Rangoon when the king of Burma decided to pit his top fighter against a captured Thai boxer.

In 1767 Burma had all but conquered Thailand. To celebrate, Lord Mangra, King of the Burmese, organized a seventeen day celebration to commemorate his good fortune. He rounded up a group of Thai prisoners, among who was Nai Khanom Tom, a famous fighter from the ancient Thai capitol of Ayutha. Known as the best fighter in the land, the king thought that his demise at the hands of the Burmese boxer would humiliate the Thai captives while establishing Burmese superiority.

Prior to the fight, the Thai fighter began dancing around his opponent. This was traditional wai kru dance that Thai fighters perform to pay respect to their teachers. The spectacle confused the Burmese fighter and when the signal to begin was given Nai Khanom Tom rushed forward and swiftly overwhelmed his opponent. In a matter of seconds the fight was over. the best the Burmese had to offer lay unconscious at the feet of the Muay Thai fighter. The bout was, however, not ruled a victory for the Thai fighter. A referee ruled the knockout illegal because the Burmese fighter had been distracted by the wai knru dance.

Nai Khanom Tom was ordered to fight nine additional Burmese boxers. He agreed to fight them to uphold the honor of Thai boxing. One by one they fell to a flurry of elbow strikes, knee thrust, kicks and punches. His last opponent was a boxing teacher from Ya Kai City. He was so badly mangled by Nai Khanom Tom's kicks that no one dared challenge the Thai fighter again.

Our classes meets three times a week. one and a half hour long. The beginners are taught half hour long for the first 5 lessons. Slowly, teaching the fundamentals of MUAY THAI KICKBOXING. Then gradually work themselves into the group classes. Very exciting class and high impact, using not only the hands but the elbows, knees and feet for both offense and defensive movements. The students does need the proper equipments for this class. The equipments can be purchase at TAMA.

Visit our spacious facility. The first school to ever bring MUAY THAI KICKBOXING PROGRAM SINCE 1980.

Our complete boxing and kickboxing gym will enhance one's training. With boxing ring experience it gives a student a realistic training in "being in the ring" feeling. Our assistant coach for both adults and children classes are caring individuals and experienced fighters themselves who actually competed and won. Master Taningco has brought muay thai kickboxing training to a higher level as well as TAMA'S OWN  FIGHTING TEAM.

We are proud to be the only school certified by United World Muay Thai Association in Montgomery County area.

Copyright (C) 2006 TAMA Family Martial Arts. All rights reserved.