Muay Thai is a combat sport, and elements of it can be seen in popular mixed martial arts competitions on television. But at KOH Muay Thai, 6450 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., students get an appreciation for the sport that’s very different from televised battles.
“You don’t see people disrespect their opponents,” said head trainer Ben Marrs, who is also co-owner of KOH Muay Thai. “There’s no trash-talking. If you knock your opponent out, you go see if he’s OK. You bow to him. If you have a good fight with someone, win or lose, you always show respect.”
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
Marrs teaches Muay Thai the way he learned it: With the principles and customs that come straight from Thailand. His first trainer was from Thailand, and Marrs himself spent a great deal of time there, competing and learning the discipline from the place where it originated.
While KOH Muay Thai has a ring where competitions can take place, most of their students don’t actually fight there. They have to earn the ability to spar, and most of them are there for fitness and the self-defense benefits. And those benefits can be pretty significant according to Marrs.
“You can leave here in one class and take something away from it that will help you for the rest of your life. One class,” he said.
Most students, of course, take more than one class. They become regulars.
That includes his business partner’s son. Co-owner Melisa Philange put her son, Owen Male, into a Muay Thai program after she felt he wasn’t progressing in a different martial art.
Even though her son is just 6 years old, Philange is happy with what he’s gained from it.
“It’s fantastic. I love it. He does so well. He has a nice sense of respect for himself.”
Learning Muay Thai, and the traditions that go with it, is good for young people, and can also help with problems associated with bullying, Philange said.
KOH Muay Thai is something people of all ages can learn and practice.
One of the teens involved is Raef Toler. He didn’t originally see himself as someone who would become heavily involved in martial arts. But now that he’s found Muay Thai, he’s hooked.
“I was anxious at first, but when I got in here I was like, you know what? This is something I really love to do,” Toler said.
The Land O’ Lakes High School junior now comes by at least twice a week after school, both for self-defense purposes and for an intense workout. After just a few weeks, he’s excited about his progress and is interested in fighting on an amateur basis.
Whether someone wants to start competing or simply wants to get in better shape, another philosophy they honor is the concept of togetherness.
“It becomes like a family,” Marrs said. For him, that often includes cooking for a class that meets on Saturdays, preparing authentic Thai cuisine that he studied while overseas.
But Marrs’ main passion is teaching, and after achieving the lofty rank of Kru Yai (assistant master) earlier this month, he’s in even better position to see his students transition into healthier, happier people.
“That’s the best part. I watch people who join, they come in, and I watch their body change in four weeks, six weeks, eight weeks. And they feel so good about themselves,” he said.
And for Philange, she’s happy to bring authentic Muay Thai to an area that has martial arts academies, but nothing as dedicated to the philosophy and spirituality of this particular discipline.
“There’s nothing like it,” said Philange, who also lives in Land O’ Lakes. “It brings culture to our community.”
KOH Muay Thai has a current promotion where students can take their first class for free. For more information, call (941) 713-1257.
Published April 29, 2015
