by Don Heatrick
@donheatrick
You can find out more about Tony’s research on the Newman University website here
And of course, you can check out the Pra Chao Suua Muay Thai gym here too.
Join the most informed Muay Thai performance community out there!
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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-science-of-building-champions/id1493554765
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5OEb22M1K9G4e3eDp8IcQD?si=7WAY7G-hSsqj-5rrFHpaJA
Each episode revolves around my Four Big Questions…
- What’s Your Story?
- What’s Your Why?
- What Makes A Champion?
- Challenges And Lessons Learned?
Digging into the answers to these questions helps uncover and share both the commonalities, and the differences in the journey to become a champion. And can help inspire and fast-track your journey too.
Timestamped Links To Key Points of Interest
- Late 80’s – Era of mixing full contact martial arts & door work
- Putting on a show – providing an opportunity to compete
- Training with Tony Moore at his Sitsiam Gym, and links to Thailand
- Gaining experience at Ajarn Tong’s makeshift gym, south of Bangkok and forming a Thailand pilgrimage
- The influence of Ajarn Pimu at Pinsinchai gym – “Have a reason for everything…”
- Ajarn Pimu influencing, and influenced by Europe
- Finding a balance within Thai society – Ajarn Pimu
- Valuing tradition where it’s proven to be useful, but being openminded to new evidence
- Becoming an academic by chance – dealing with college trouble makers, and being good at art!
- Researching Muay Thai for a Masters Degree and a PhD
- Comparing the techniques of elite Thai and (historical) UK Muay Thai fighters
- Muay Thai judging consistency influences how coaches train fighters to win
- Initial findings using biomechanical analysis to predict power in rear limb kicks, punches, and elbows
- Relaxing delivers the most impact – don’t drive with the hand brake on
- Communicating as a coach to help a fighter feel a technique for themselves
- The sports science base is growing in Thailand, but iterative evolution of Muay Thai technique is biomechanically sound
- Tentative observations regarding fighter’s feet during kicking
- Crucially, physical and technical aspects holistically interact with a fighter’s psychology
- Initial thoughts on kicking leg drive into the floor, being balanced, and connection to the floor
- Considering the sharper, quick strike and the bigger, slower strike – velocity vs momentum
- Physiologically and psychologically capable – technical playing in sparring, not just hard sparring
- The importance of making mistakes in learning
- Pimu coaching experienced fighters out of “staleness” – reconnecting with the basics
- The small things become the bigs things – the power of revisiting and refreshing your practice
- Constantly training, exploring, playing… Don’t train only for a fight
- Muay Thai isn’t forced, rather a matured, effective full contact solution, with humility
- Muay Thai – Eastern ways exported to the West
- An individual sport, but with a support team
- Psychologically, know what you can and can’t change
- Mental toughness – why do some people have it and others don’t?
- Inspiration creates motivation, and builds champions
- Champions are all very different
- Labelling as “naturally talented” does an injustice to the amount of work done
- The importance of those around you… A community and relationships that fits you
- Understanding different personalities better
- The importance of knowing yourself
- Understanding the variation in your personality depending on situation and circumstance
- We’re story telling animals – emulating those around you
- “Winning is everything” isn’t the best approach, not even for winning!
- Focus on performance, being the best you can – the developmental journey
- We all have difference faces that we show in different situations
- Regretting not connecting deeply enough with Liam Robinson to help influence a change
- Ask the question… Don’t worry about seeming silly
- Being tough is important, but being technical and skilful is equally important
- Learning lessons (even the hard way) can shape your path (in a good way)
- Other’s stories of overcoming struggles are powerful, motivating you to overcome your struggles too
- Students teaching you as much as you’re ever taught them
- Learning from other discipline’s, such as dance!
- Maturation and the effect on body aesthetic and suitability to your chosen activity
- Talent ID – Identifying talent early
- Muay Thai allows all types to play well, it’s a skill sport, with less restrictions
- Successful people all overcame struggles, it was the imperfect journey that made them
- Communication is the key… Using stories achieves this well
- Uncertainty! Coaching is an art as much as a science
- Being prepared to change your mind – challenging you own confirmation bias
- Bad experiences (fear) can create a bias (self limiting beliefs)
- Strive to challenge your assumptions
- Making learning enjoyable and overcoming bad experiences
- Find what interests you, a supportive environment, and don’t be put off by failure
Further Resources
- Muay Thai Mindset – Who Are You Competing Against?
- Thais Aren’t Powerful, They’re Efficient
- Brain Saving Sparring – Don’t Be Dumb
- How A Novice Can Become An Expert – And Why Some Never Will
- Breaking Limits In Muay Thai
- Muay Thai Engineer: Who I Am, and Why I Think the Way I Think
- The 3 Biggest Mistakes I’ve Made
- Strength & Conditioning for Muay Thai 101 – A Science-Based Approach to Accelerated Athletic Development
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Don Heatrick
Founder of Heatrick Strength and Conditioning
Don Heatrick is a family man from the UK, former mechanical design engineer, European Muay Thai silver medallist, former pro Thai boxer (ranked 4th in UK while aged 40-years), a Muay Thai coach, podcast host, and the go-to expert on Muay Thai performance training with over 25 years of coaching experience.
Don helps ambitious fighters and coaches take their game to the next level by bridging the gap between Strength & Conditioning, Performance Science, and Muay Thai.
Follow Don Heatrick on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/donheatrick/
Don,
Awesome podcast. I am a student of Bob Spour’s so found the podcast as he had shared it. I have been thinking lots about MMA striking and how many more people are coming through from traditional martial arts backgrounds with more side on stances. Are you aware if there is any research on how stance impact power of different techniques? It seems that those who stand side on have devestating rear hand straight punches, which would fit with what Tony was talking about with body rotation. I will have a hunt myself but thought I would see if you had any idea.
Again thanks for podcast.
Cheers,
Tom
Hi Tom, thanks for reaching out. Great to hear you’re one of Bob’s students… I was too!
That’s an interesting observation that side-stances are migrating into MMA. And to share my thoughts on this from a Muay Thai perspective:
Firstly, a stance that allows for greater acceleration time will result in greater striking force. A more side-on stance does allow greater distance/time to accelerate compared to a more traditional square-on Muay Thai stance. It provides a bigger “run-up”.
However, like Tony said in the podcast, it’s important to recognise that throwing a strike is not a one-time all-out effort, and then you’re done (like a javelin throw). It’s critical that we remain adequately balanced before, during, and after the strike… and also crucially, defensively adequate.
The rules of Muay Thai render a more side-on stance less desirable, as it’s both easier to be swept or buckled by low kicks, and allows your opponent to more easily get behind you into a more dominant position (giving greater effect/dominance to your opponent).
If you ever see some footage of pro fighters hitting a fairground-style punch-force machine, you’ll see a single all-out effort, using stances, footwork, and technical execution that they’d never use in a fight against an equally experienced opponent. The constraints of adequate defence (not to mention telegraphing your technique) render this technique ineffective in the ring, even if they know instinctively that they could produce more force with a fairground style punch. ;)
Thanks for your thoughts Don, I agree a lot with what you have said. I agree the ability to be swept is an obvious disadvantage to the side on style but do think there are effective ways to defend against being swept, or having your opponent get to your back (which is also a terrible position for MMA) with a side on stance. I think one way to make this work relies heavily on mobility and more of the in out bouncing style footwork you see from people of these styles. I would imagine, from my knowledge of Muay Thai, this is not prevalent due to a higher importance being placed on stability and being strong in defence and standing your ground, don’t know if that makes sense… It’s always interesting to see how the rules and judging of different sports play into what are prevalent techniques and then see the adjustments that have been made when fighters from these arts transition to MMA which of course requires different considerations again.
Cheers,
Tom