It
is recognized worldwide that
Finland has one of the best
education systems in the world.
There is a welcome pleasure for
the Thai boxing industry in the
municipality of Kempele, a
municipality south of the Oulu
Airport in Northern Finland. It
has included Muay Thai as a
curriculum at five of the
city's schools, and it's
even more surprising that
parents voted to allow Muay Thai
to be an elective course for
boys and girls aged 8-15 at the
schools.
Muay Thai is prominent in Thailand. The Boxing Sports Act 1999 was
intended to regulate the sport of boxing (both boxing and Thai boxing). It
also promotes and supports the sport of boxing to have a standard as well.
The meaning is that the boxer receives a fair reward from the organizer of a
boxing event. Adulteration of drugs that weaken the body is punishable by
criminal penalties. Everyone in the boxing industry must be registered.
Regarding age, Section 29 states that a boxer to be registered as a boxer
must be at least 15 years of age (only registered boxers are allowed to fight).
The organizers of a boxing event must be authorized by the registrar by
virtue of Ministerial Regulations if it is to organize a certain type of boxing
sport (e.g., fight on bamboo, gender or age special boxing, etc.) Boxers
under 15 years old are allowed to fight but must have the equipment to
protect their safety in the competition. Unfortunately, this gap allows us to
see younger children punching each other for us on television. But it's
illegal anyway because I don't see any safety equipment.
I have been studying Muay Thai regularly for many years.
Let's see how a Thai boxing teacher named Teeraphong Jindaworn from
Thung Song Province Nakhon Si Thammarat, formerly a boxer from
Lumpinee Boxing Stadium and Ratchadamnoen Boxing Stadium in
Bangkok, pushed and laid the foundation of Muay Thai for both adults who
came to study in his gym that had been established for a long time. who
went to live in Finland in February 2013, For the first 5 years he started
working in different places, practicing language and teaching boxing in
other gyms until he was able to save money. He built his own gym called
JMT. Jaowsamut Muay Thai in the municipality of Kempele, in 2018, which
made people interested in Muay Thai. From other cities they came to study
with a large number of both males and females. Some of them were the
parents of the students in the school. Students found that Muay Thai is a
part of Thai art and culture.
Let's see a Muay Thai teacher in school. How is it managed in Kempele,
Finland with Muay Thai in his boxing camp built with love and using safe
methods. When parents come to school they experience the exercise with
good management, choose the right training. It should be good for
exercising children which is the basis for self-defense, and there is exercise
equipment that is interesting and a role model that creates fun throughout
the school hours. It is known that Muay Thai is very toxic in the destruction
of opponents because it has 8 weapons: two fists, two feet, two knees, and
two elbows. They found that a boxing teacher from Thailand draws the
good stuff of the lesson to train students in a systematic and non-violent
manner. Muay Thai is a cultural heritage of Thai people and it is satisfying
to know Muay Thai in the name of culture, and respect for opponents. and
manners to respect each other and to dance, to pay respect to Kru Muay,
and the training required both body language and mind language and will
be useful in establishing the basis of the art of exercise and learning to use
in self-defense.
When a Kempele municipality officials came to practice the sport of Muay
Thai. It was a good opportunity to ask the students' parents to vote for five
municipal schools to teach Muay Thai to their students. It is an elective
course. Today, there is a list of schools. which have set up gyms with
complete Muay Thai equipment and protective equipment for children
schools as follows:
Kirkonkylan koulu
Santamaen koulu
Ketolanperan koulu
Linnakankaan koulu
Ylikylan koulu
In 2013 he went to live in Finland. For the first five years he worked in
different places, learning the language and teaching boxing in other gyms
until he was able to save money. He built his own gym called JMT,
featuring Muay Thai in the municipality of Kempele. People took notice
and interest. They also came from other cities to study, both males and
females. Some of them were parents of the students in the school. Even
Kempele officials came to practice the sport. They all have found that
Muay Thai is a part of Thai arts and culture, a cultural heritage of the Thai
people that has been passed down for a long time. It is both a self-defense
skill, a sport and recreation.
During my interview, the nickname he used on Facebook was Jaowsamut
Poseidon, but he said to me, to honor the old boxing camp, he would like to
use the name in this interview as Jaosamut Muaythai.
Here is the interview.
JY.
Please tell us the story of your life in Thailand.
JM.
I'm from Thung Song. Nakhon Si Thammarat Province When I was a
child, I attended primary school at Ban Champa School until grade six. Due
to the problem of divorced parents my home status was not so good. I had
no money to continue my education in high school. Fortunately, there was a
Muay Thai camp near the house. From the age of eight I went to practice
with friends. and practice boxing to fight as a professional. When I grew up,
I attended the high school level of non-school education. I had the
opportunity to fight as a professional boxer at Both Lumpini Stage and the
Rajadamnern Thai Boxing Stadium.
I have a family with two daughters. I have a job as a Muay Thai trainer in
Koh Samui in Surat Thani Province. and in Phuket.
I got to know Noora Salminen, a tourist from Finland who never learned
Muay Thai before she came to Thailand. She was young and very beautiful.
I called her Nora, which is the name of a Thai southern dance character.
Our relationship started with me wanting to follow her to Finland. and then
my love for her. Noora came to Thailand and extended her trip for eight
months. She said that she had a friend who opened a boxing camp in
Finland. I should be able to work there, teach Muay Thai to those who are
interested. Economic problems in Thailand, were still very difficult. I went
to Finland with her. Nowadays we have three kids: Jasmin Salminen, Lila
Salminen, and Ryan William Salminen.
Kempele, Finland is a city in the north with hazy air and cold all year
round, but it is also a romantic country.
I signed up to teach boxing for free at Nora's friend's boxing gym. In the day
I worked at many jobs, in a bar, as a construction contractor. In the evening
I went to teach boxing. It stayed like this for three to four years, I started
saving money for my own boxing gym in Finland,
When my Muay Thai gym opened, it caught the attention of people living in
Finland. There were both male and female adults coming to exercise and
practice safe Muay Thai, and their numbers increased all the time because
they sensed the good management that I bring along with good teaching.
Muay Thai training course stresses reduction and weight loss for those who
train hard with standard classroom equipment.
When the husband and wife come to study, they miss their children. In our
gym kids can follow their parents. They come to class too on the school
holidays. In 2020, municipal officials in Kempele come to learn Muay Thai
at my gym. The parents gathered and asked the municipality to open a
course for students who are children. I got to teach school students in five
schools in Kempele,
JY.
What are the ages of the students selected to study?
JM.
We have students aged 8-15. both male and female.who choose Muay
Thai as an elective subject. Each school provides a gym with equipment that
I have provided.
The course begins with:
1. Respecting elders, teachers
2. Basic Muay Thai Training - Build confidence for students, kicking,
punching, punching equipment, gloves, and sportswear as appropriate.
3. Practice the discipline of living together, some sacrifices must be made to
cultivate young children. Be a responsible person in the future. Clean the
classroom. When at home, bedrooms, mattresses, and bathrooms are
cleaned.
4. Learn about the art, culture, and history of Muay Thai from various
media to create an understanding of the art of Muay Thai.
5. Learn about the performance we call Wai-kru Muay Thai
6. Have a Thai cooking class together and bring it home for parents to eat
as well.
JY.
For the Municipality of Kempele, what opportunities have you given to
"Let's lay a foundation for studying the art of Muay Thai in Finland."?
JM.
Finland is a welfare state. I chose to teach work as an association. I do
social work and I receive a monthly contribution of about 100,000 baht.
For me, it is a very good feeling that the Kempele Municipality recognized
the importance of the activities I started doing. And everyone understands
that in the management of Muay Thai events for everyone we choose the
good ones. Create values and unity in society no matter where we are.
Honesty and discipline can bring good things to society. Help is shared with
the proceeds. It is a device that I prepare for students, because here
everything is very new. And I have to show everyone that besides being a
giver or being a recipient, I can give back to society smoothly as well.
JY.
What are some examples of activities held at JMT's gym in the past?
JM.
We held seminars and demonstrations and boxing competitions in
June, with those who come to study with JMT Gym.
Two old boxers came to fight as in the past in my show. The goal was for
foreigners to see real Muay Thai and its emphasis on the art of Muay Thai
boxing culture These events are held every year and there are Thai food
stalls outside the gym. Everyone who attended the event was happy,
starting from living together and singing hymns.
It created a good feeling together.
Muay Thai in Finland
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