I have always been rather unhappy how some of my fellow Muay Thai enthusiasts will go out of their way to belittle those who have come before. By this I mean criticising the individuals who laid the roads for the sports of Full Contact Karate, which eventually evolved into Kickboxing (allowing kicks to the legs), and then into modified and full Muay Thai rules bouts in North America. I believe the pioneers of these sports should be respected for the roads they trail blazed on a very rocky terrain. Without these individuals we would not be where we are today. Frankly, most of the people criticizing have never contributed significantly to the eveolution of these sports and I frankly feel these people talk out of jealousy. Do not get me wrong, I am 100% pro Muay Thai, but I think we can build the sport by being positive and learning from those who pioneered the road for us. In particular the following two gentlemen, Bill Wallace and Benny Urquidez will go down in history for their careers and for what they have achieved in the Martial Arts. Can the same be said for the critics?
The following letter was in response to a writer who took on the pen name of "Mr. Nasty". I learned a lot about who Mr. Nasty was and what the point was he was trying to get across. Even after all these years, I am anything but impressed by this writer who still has achieved nothing for Muay Thai.
I think it is time for all Muay Thai enthusiasts to work together to get some momentum, rather than squabbling internally and continuing to shoot ourselves in the foot once the ball starts rolling. Good luck to us all and good luck to the promotion of Muay Thai.

Dear Nico:

I was pleased to receive the first issue of your magazine (Muay Thai U.S. Kickboxing News International), although after reading it, I felt there were some area's where I could add some positive criticism. I have been Kickboxing for 16 years, having started with the W.K.A. In 1979, I received my first exposure to Muay Thai and started learning it. I love the art. Most importantly, I have confidence in my Muay Thai. My impression is the magazine is used to tell everyone how effective the art is, at everyone else's expense. I do not believe the magazine should put down other people and other arts. Personally, I look forward to the positive growth of the art and what it will achieve in the future. The art will expand and grow through hard work, dedication, and a positive atmosphere.

Before anyone writes in, we the practitioners are the one's who will create the positive atmosphere. You do not do it by complaining how everyone is doing you or the art wrong. Go out and build the art in the public's eye, be a part of the solution, not a part of the problem. Many of the letters and some of the articles in the magazine makes it appear that some of the people who train Muay Thai are so high strung and self conscious, that when someone expresses and opinion, not consistent with theirs, they react like school children.

Secondly, does everyone believe everything they read? I know many people (including myself) who have been interviewed and what you tell the interviewer and what comes out are two different things. Does everyone believe that someone's opinion is the gospel truth?

You do not build a following for a "newly" arrived art by belittling other people's accomplishments or by criticizing other Martial Arts (even if they do it to you). It is also easier years after the fact, to put down people who came before you. I felt your magazine was geared to putting down two pioneers of Full Contact Karate (rules) and Kickboxing (rules) in North America. These men are Bill Wallace and Benny Urquidez. Firstly, I will state I have known Bill Wallace for thirteen years now. He has always been a gentleman, and a man of integrity. Bill respects Muay Thai but does not feel in his OPINION, Muay Thai is as esthetic or visually pleasing to watch as for example, Tae Kwon-Do. His OPINION is that people like their high kicks and jump kicks (just like in the movies). Bill does not say he would not use leg kicks in a real fight or that they are not effective, he just feels they do not sell well to the American public. I have heard people say Wallace would have been killed by a Thai fighter. That is like saying Muhammed Ali (1960's, 1970's) would have killed Jack Johnson (1920's). This is pure speculation. When Bill fought, Muay Thai did not have a foot hold in the U.S.A. and Ali was not born when Johnson fought. Give credit to Wallace and his accomplishments, instead of acting like jealous adolescents. The race cars of today are faster than the race cars of yesteryear, but the championship car of yesteryear was still the fastest for the time!

I have known Benny Urquidez for over fifteen years. Benny has never said anything bad about anyone. The fact that he is in the limelight, sometimes the media puts things in his mouth, that he has never said. Benny has his own opinion, just like Narongnoi has about their match. Just because Benny felt he won the fight just as I am sure Narongnoi felt, who is right? Benny did not write the article about his fight with Narongnoi, so why make derogatory remarks about Benny? Also, because some person does not take the time to look at the fight pictures to accurately describe what is happening, is that Benny's fault? I too, did not see any photo's of Benny getting kicked in the groin. In fact what action was happening in some of the photo's was improperly explained. Maybe the publisher hastily pasted up the story with his choice of pictures and the magazine used the wrong ones. Give credit to Benny and his accomplishments. He was the first big fighter to support and bring leg kicks into fighting. He built on what Wallace started and added more variety.

Now Muay Thai is the next logical step in fighting from where Benny took all of us earlier fighters. Does that mean we should put down or insult Benny? Benny did not fight using elbows and knees. Putting him down because of not allowing those weapons is like putting Muay Thai down because it does not allow over the hip and/or shoulder throws or hitting the opponent when he is on the ground (like Shootwrestling).

People, let's build Muay Thai on what it has accomplished and what it WILL accomplish in the future. You will not get any rival magazines to give you support or take you serious when you are making derogatory remarks about two of the best known fighters in North America, or when you are complaining that no one gives you or Muay Thai any support. You get a following and support by going out and doing rather than by sitting there and whining about the problem.

We all know how effective Muay Thai is. Let's build on this and make Muay Thai the most popular way of fighting in North America.

All the Best,
Yours in Muay Thai and Friendship,
Mike Miles
National Kickboxing & Muay Thai
Calgary, Alberta, Canada