Are you a FAN, Trainer, Camp/ School Owner involved in Muay Thai Kickboxing??!!
Please COPY or REVISE this letter and send it to the CA State Athletic Commission.
We have Muay Thai Kickboxing GROWING in CA but if we DO NOTHING
the Sport will DIE - Please take 15 minutes to get involved and support the TEAM/
Family of Muay Thai.
Send a small letter life this one below:
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Date: April 8, 2004 Re: Meeting April 26, 2004/ Muay Thai Kickboxing Sport- (MTK)
To: Dean Lohuis - State Athletic Commission Rob Lynch - State Athletic Commission
Department of Consumer Affairs Department of Consumer Affairs
5757 W. Century Blvd., GF-16 1424 Howe Avenue, Suite 33
Los Angeles, CA 90045 Sacramento, CA 95825
From: Daniel & Zina Docto ?
www.thaibox.net 38660 Lexington Street #459, Fremont CA 94536
Dear Mr. Dean Lohuis and Mr. Rob Lynch,
We have been involved with Muay Thai Kickboxing for over (10) years, it is a real positive sport in California. It is growing because many trainers, fighters and promoters from Thailand have taken the time to educate many Californians in the details of their Ancient National Sport of Muay Thai Kickboxing (MTK). We are writing to encourage you both in the following issues:
MTK should be supported because it promotes health, fitness activities, lowers gang & drug activities, it is a constructive outlet for aggression and it promotes a clean lifestyle all of which lowers the financial demands on this great State.
If higher quality of blood tests or physicals are required then the State should accept participant?s personal Doctor?s and not put this financial burden on the promoters. The promoters do not receive a justified payment for their time, effort, stress and planning to run a MTK event.
Levels of participation should be clearly established- Tournament, Amateur & Professional. Tournament events (Smokers) should have the fighters fully geared with headgear, body protectors, 16 oz. gloves and shin/ instep guards. Amateur events are for participants who have had at least (3) Tournament fights with no headgear or body protectors or shin guards with 10 to 14 oz. gloves as agreed upon by the trainers and promoters. Professional events are for participants with at least (6) Amateur fights with 8 to 10 oz. gloves. One issue that has come up is a mandatory of headgear for the Amateur events. At this level headgear does not add any safety and the fans see it as an unnecessary part of the MTK. Headgear actually blocks the site of the fighters so they cannot see kicks to the head, it hinders the ability of clinching/ knee techniques which stops the most damaging punches to the head. MTK is actually safer than Boxing because of the clinching techniques that stop the big powerful head punches. Headgear in Boxing does make the Sport safer but in MTK it does not. MTK events have 50% less punches to the head vs. Boxing.
If more costs (i.e. Insurance, Doctor & Emergency Medical/ Ambulance.) are placed on Promoters the MTK Sport will die. Promoters have already given up because most do not break even let alone make a profit on MTK events. Good communication and team work has to be the key in keeping the MTK Sport alive in CA. On an Amateur level we should look at Kru Vut?s Events as a historical reference. Vut Promotions has done the most consistent Muay Thai Kickboxing events in CA, the fans are just now making this event a regular part of their activities. The participants/ fighters & trainers are fully confident in the safety and excitement of these events. (
www.thaibox.net/id125.htm) Good communication and honest research will clearly show that Vut Promotions has the wisdom to make MTK a fun, safe, positive and exciting activity for the growing participants and fans in California. Please work with proven & established Promoters in order to keep this Sport in CA.
Thank you for taking time to read our concerns and desires, God Bless.
Daniel and Zina Docto ?
www.thaibox.net
