About Us - Our Story

After six months of rigorous twice-daily training, Derry was primed for his first bout. His prior experience as a regular contender in the tourist bar beer center show fights, coupled with years of participating in Tae Kwon Do tournaments, had prepared him for the prospect of facing formidable opponents.

He initially began his competitive journey at the temple fairs, known as "Muay Wat," which were semi-serious events held annually at Buddhist temples. If you ever find yourself in Thailand, we highly recommend attending one of these vibrant events. The level of competition varied; often, it featured local boys from the village who had trained for a few months leading up to the event. They would return to their regular jobs or school after the fair. Additionally, seasoned Thai Nak Muay fighters sometimes used temple fairs to stay sharp or recover from layoffs. These events could pit you against either a former top fighter or the neighborhood mechanic. They were immensely enjoyable, with the crowd and even the judges frequently inebriated. While they were not to be taken overly seriously, a fight was still a fight, and they adhered to full Thai rules, consisting of five rounds, each lasting three minutes. He accumulated around 30 such Muay Wat fights, although they were typically not recorded or officially included in a fighter's record.

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Derry had honed his skills and was finally prepared for stadium fights. Over the course of the next six years, he engaged in 40 stadium fights, managing to secure victory in exactly half of them, with no draws. During the late 1990s, there were not as many championships and show promotions available for competition, but he managed to secure a remarkable opportunity—a World Title shot.

While attending the World Muay Thai Council's inaugural Professional Thai Boxing Instructors course at Rangsit Stadium in Bangkok, he stood out and was chosen to participate in a 4-man tournament for the 72 kg World title, held over two nights. Regrettably, he lost the first bout but, as a result, earned a ranking of 4th in the world rankings. He was subsequently selected to compete at Channel 7 Stadium in The King's Cup, a remarkable honor given that to this day, Channel 7 maintains a steadfast policy of not featuring foreign fighters on their shows. Following several more impressive performances in Bangkok, Derry eventually returned to the UK to earn some money.

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Upon his return, Derry checked into The Flamingo Guest House, now owned and managed by one of the original Dutch acquaintances, Marcel. Marcel had some important news to share. "Have you visited the camp yet?" he inquired.

"Not yet," I replied.

"Well, there are two things you should know," he began, remember that this was a time before the rapid international spread of news over the internet.

"Kru Kom has passed away, and Toom is now known as Nong Toom," he continued. (Both of these events are depicted in the acclaimed Thai film "The Beautiful Boxer").

These revelations carried significant weight for Derry. Prior to catching the bus up north, he had spent a night in Bangkok, a time when planes were primarily used by the wealthy, and had seen newspaper reports about Nong Toom, the ladyboy Thai boxer who had drawn the largest crowd in Lumpinee Stadium's history, mainly due to strong support from Bangkok's sizable gay community. He had not connected the dots that Nong Toom was, in fact, the lanky and awkward schoolboy known as "Toom" from the gym, whom he had often escorted to school after their morning training sessions. It was indeed intriguing news.

The most impactful and shocking news, however, was the passing of Kru Kom. Derry was overwhelmed with grief. Kru Kom had taken him in and treated him just as he did the Thai fighters in his gym. He was only 34 years old and had a new born baby. His death occurred roughly a week before Derry's return to Chiang Mai. He was laid to rest the following day, following Muslim tradition. His demise was not quite as depicted in "The Beautiful Boxer" movie, where he is seen lingering in the hospital. In reality, he succumbed rapidly without much warning. After feeling unwell following a training session, he was rushed to the hospital and died from liver failure later that evening. It is suspected that he had sustained significant liver damage during his fighting career, but the locals believed it was a curse brought upon him for allowing females, foreigner's and ladyboys into the sacred boxing ring.

Fortunately, times have changed, thanks in no small part to the innovative thinking of Andy Thompson and Kru Kom.

Upon returning to Lanna/Kietbusaba and receiving the two pieces of news, Derry discovered that the camp had turned into a media frenzy. Nong Toom had become one of the most famous figures in Thailand, and the media were camped at the gates, hoping to catch a glimpse. With Kru Kom gone, the training atmosphere had shifted, prompting him to decide to switch camps. While this was not an option available to Kru Kom's other Thai students, Derry, as a foreigner, was able to make the change.

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For the subsequent three years, he dedicated himself to training at Singprasert Gym under the guidance of Kru Yoi. Initially situated at the old Chiang Mai Athletic Stadium, the gym had undergone a few relocations and name changes (with fights occasionally being conducted under the Wat Kate name), but it consisted of essentially the same group of people. During his time at Singprasert, he faced off against several formidable opponents, many of them larger in size, and he noted that the training standard there was higher than what he had experienced at Lanna Gym.

To be fair, Andy had significantly expanded his knowledge and was gaining recognition in the local Muay Thai scene. However, Derry considered him a peer rather than a superior and was content with the extensive expertise he found in Kru Yoi, who, despite his age, had devoted five decades to the sport.

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Part 3 - Fah Muang Neua - Chiang Mai Olympia 2000 - 2007

He continued to explore various gyms in Chiang Mai, where the gyms had become more receptive to foreign students and fighters. They had realized that coaching foreigners was often a more lucrative endeavor than training Thais.

With Thai fighters, they would heavily invest in nurturing a child's skills and development, covering their food, hospital bills, and school fees. In contrast, when it came to foreigners, they would simply join the gym, pay for training, and split the fight earnings. This shift in perspective occurred quite rapidly, and by the year 2000, Thailand was attracting a significant number of foreign gym tourists who came to train.

During this period, Derry connected with his second major influential coach, Kru Nai. Pongpan Supersorn was a double Northern Champion who had experienced a controversial loss in a Rajadamnern title fight, indicating his high-quality skills. Although his father had also been a coach, he had transitioned to driving a bus. Derry thoroughly enjoyed training under Kru Nai and expanded his repertoire with a host of new techniques. While Kru Kom had primarily focused on kick and block techniques, Derry recognized some gaps in his skill set, particularly in hands and clinching. Kru Nai filled these gaps, and he began to connect the dots.

Together, they established a gym in the Sankhampaeng area of Chiang Mai, naming it "Fah Muang Neua," which translates to "Northern Sky Gym."

Fah Muang Neua Gym existed for approximately four years, during which Derry embarked on a steep learning curve. He began contemplating the idea of teaching Muay Thai and made efforts to learn the Thai language, enabling him to comprehend Kru Nai's more intricate instructions. Being in an environment with around 10 active fighters and witnessing Kru Nai's coaching methods as he prepared them for fights provided invaluable experience. They would travel to various shows across Northern Thailand, often cramming the entire team into the back of a pickup truck, returning late at night or in the early hours of the morning.

Kru Nai had a strong Isaan (North Eastern) style, and it was during this period that Derry truly began to grasp the nuances of the clinch game. Additionally, this was the early 2000s, and the golden era of Muay Thai had drawn to a close, primarily due to the ascent of clinch-oriented fighters who, while not the most exciting to watch, were favoured by gamblers who appreciated their ability to grind out clinch-based victories in the elite stadiums.

As a more well-rounded Muay Thai fighter, he continued to compete at around 75 kg during his tenure at Fah Muang Neua, participating in both stadium shows and temple/local fairs.

He made his way back to the Western world, initially spending a year in South Africa and then returning to Nottingham, where he aimed to share the wealth of knowledge he had acquired during his roughly 14 years in Thailand with his hometown.

To be continued......

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