In our latest home show, four Fight for Peace muay thai athletes Tommy, Enrique, Kailam and Alexander put their skills to the test as they stepped into the ring with opponents who travelled to our North Woolwich Academy from clubs from all over the city.
It was an afternoon of epic amateur bouts, bringing together fighters, coaches, teammates, fellow members and the wider community to celebrate some immense young talent.
These shows are a perfect way for athletes to experience what it takes to be martial artists, completing six intense weeks of training camp in the lead up, ensuring consistency across training, and staying focused in times of adversity – all of which are invaluable qualities which can be easily transferred into young people’s lives outside of the gym.
Fight for Peace muay thai coach, Tomas shared some of his thoughts on the show, and why it’s key to provide this space for our young athletes to thrive.
As a former member of Fight for Peace, and now fighting on prestigious shows like Combat Fight Series, Tomas knows what it takes first hand to climb the ranks and push through challenges to improve and grow as an athlete.
“These home shows really put Fight for Peace on the map. Whenever they come over to watch the shows they see the young people and the community coming together to support the fighters. They see what kind of energy they bring and what kind of love they share. You know, everyone wants to be a part of it.”
Having opponents from other clubs transcends the experience of sparring with teammates, and it takes heart for these young champions to step out of their comfort zones and showcase what they’ve learned in front of a live audience. The work that goes into athletes becoming fight ready is not an easy process and takes a lot of commitment.
“After working with the fighters during training camp and during the prep on the day of the show it makes me really proud as a coach to see what kind of sacrifices each of the fighters had to make to get here. In all of the training sessions, everyone had to show up,” explained Coach Tomas.
“We don’t put the fighters through to compete unless they deserve it through proving to us [the coaches] they are ready to compete, and that takes a lot. The whole journey up until their fight really shows what kind of results you get from what you put in,” he continued.
It’s fair to say that these shows give athletes a real taste of what could be in reach for the future if they should choose to pursue a professional career in martial arts, and that our coaches are focused on providing the best training and support for those who want to climb higher in the sport.
“Next, we get back to training because for everyone it doesn’t matter how perfect of a performance you deliver there’s always a next step, the next mountain we are looking to go up to. Back to training next, and some of the fighters are going off on holidays and we have another fight show coming up on August 17th, organised by Team Tieu and is being held at the Black Prince Trust.”
“We’re looking at who is ready for a bout, who remains training throughout the summer and those who are looking to further their fighting careers. We aim to add more fights to their experience pretty soon, which is a good way to end the summer season and bring on the autumn!”
Big congratulations to all of the athletes who competed at the show, and huge thanks to our coaches, staff, volunteers and members who all pulled together to help it run seamlessly. Until next time!
