The Striking Corner

We finally made it to Episode 100! It took us a while but we did it. But the goal is now to get to 200 and keep the conversations about Muay Thai going and continue helping this sport grow in the U.S. and worldwide.

Thank you for your continued support through all these years, it is very much appreciated.

With that said, in this episode, we speak with USMF President, Michael "Chase" Corley. We thought it was only right that someone who has worked tirelessly these last 4 years to get U.S. Muaythai organized and more respected at a global level, give us a bit of a State of the Union about the sport.

In addition, Michael also gives us some insight into IFMA's upcoming Virtual World Championships. When they are taking place and how you can get involved. I'm sure many of you have questions regarding a Virtual Muaythai tournament, but Michael is here to answer some of those questions and we will, of course, share more information as we get it.

Once again, thank you for all your support these years. And here is to 100 more episodes. And...Muay Thai is Life, ALWAYS!

In this episode of The Striking Corner Podcast, we speak with Head Coach of Pittsburgh Muay Thai and Head Judge of the United States Muaythai Federation, Stephen Strotmeyer. In addition to his years of expertise in Muay Thai, Stephen also has a Ph.D. in Epidemiology from the University of Pittsburgh and currently serves as a Trauma Epidemiologist at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC.

Many of our listeners are either gym owners, coaches, or students of Muay Thai gyms across the US. We know that many of you are most likely looking for answers about reopening your gyms or going back to train safely as the U.S. begins a phased approach to easing out of lockdown.

In this podcast, we try to get more answers about COVID-19. What steps you should take to safeguard your gyms and your students, masks, rate of infections, and more. We wanted to get this info from someone that not only works in the study of infectious diseases but is also passionate about our sport, is understanding of the economic ramifications of the lockdown, and is genuinely interested in getting everyone back in business safely.

In this episode, we speak with our friend Carl Gebhardt, who is the head coach & owner of Steel MMA and Fitness in San Diego, California. We discuss his journey in martial arts and as a gym owner. We also discuss the momentum of U.S. Muay Thai before the COVID-19 crisis as well as the frustrations about owning a Muay Thai gym during this time of quarantine.

Chatting Muay Thai during these crazy times and hoping all of our friends in the Muay Thai community can get back to work soon!

This episode was our first attempt at a Facebook LIVE. We cut out a bit of the technical difficulties and the time we waited for a few more people to jump in before starting.

With everyone on lockdown due to the pandemic, we decided it would be a good time to talk about the movies, fights, coaches, and other inspirations that got us all into Muay Thai.

We also discuss why you should support your local gym in this time of crisis as for many of us our gyms are more than just a place we train, they are a family and our home away from home.

This is our first ever video podcast of The Striking Corner! The audio-only version of the podcast is of course still available on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, etc..

We are very excited to be able to offer the video version of the podcast in addition to the audio version, and while it is still a work in progress, we hope you all enjoy it! Leave us comments below.  

With the current situation around the world with COVID-19, it is a bittersweet time to get this video podcast started but because many if not all of us have seen our ability to go outside limited, we hope this podcast will offer at least a brief respite from the situation and we can discuss Muay Thai, Kickboxing, and everything combat sports related.  This will blow over soon and we are confident that in time we will be back to our normal routines.  In the meantime, we hope you enjoy the show and stay safe. 

Our guest in this episode is our good friend and world-class Muay Thai coach, Bryan Popejoy from Boxing Works.  We discuss Janet Todd's recent win in ONE Championship and more!

In this episode of The Striking Corner podcast we speak with up and coming women's Muay Thai fighter, Jackie Buntan. Training out of Boxing Works in Torrance, California; Jackie has been active in Muay Thai since she was 11 years old and won her first TBA Muay Thai World Expo title at just 13 years old.

We discuss Jackie's journey in Muay Thai and discuss the recent news that she has signed with rapidly flourishing Muay Thai, Kickboxing, and MMA promotion ONE Championship.

In this episode of The Striking Corner podcast we speak with LA-based fighter and 2019 IFMA World Championship Silver Medalist, Kennedy-Reilly Maze. Kennedy discusses her journey through Muay Thai, how the sport has shaped her life and helped her overcome past issues and insecurities.

Kennedy is an extremely focused and driven athlete who feels that her journey in the sport is just beginning. She is definitely a fighter to look out for as it is evident that she is willing to sacrifice everything to get to the top of the sport. We had a great time speaking with Kennedy and we know you will enjoy this episode!

In this episode of The Striking Corner podcast we speak with New York-based fighter Jessica Ng. Jessica is one of the most recognizable female fighters in the NYC Muay Thai scene, in addition she has represented Team USA on various occasions at both the IFMA World Championships and the IFMA Pan-American Championships. We discuss her passion for the sport, her experiences at IFMA, the growth of Women's Muay Thai and Women's combat sports, and Eric completely sticks his foot in his mouth at one point...so Enjoy!

In this episode of The Striking Corner podcast we talk with Rami "The Son of Palestine" Ibrahim. Rami has had a long successful career in both the American and International Muay Thai scene. In addition to being an accomplished fighter, Rami is also a passionate and successful coach that has instilled the same dedication and sacrifice in his students that he has always demanded from himself.

Rami, has always been a confident, passionate, and fearless individual who speaks his mind and has a gift of inspiring those around him to push harder and be better. He has helped coach both the US Youth and Adult teams as part of the USMF at international competitions.

This man no doubt loves the sport of Muay Thai and it was a pleasure to have him on the podcast. If you are currently a fighter or are new to Muay Thai, this episode with Rami will no doubt motivate you and also help you understand the kind of dedication and discipline that is required if you want to make it to he highest levels of this sport.

This is it! One of our biggest podcasts to date! Recorded at the 2019 TBA Classic Muay Thai World Classic in Des Moines, Iowa, Vinny and Eric sit down with a few of the top coaches in the US; Bryan Dobler of Double Dose Muay Thai, Bryan Popejoy of Boxing Works, Danny Brandt of Dan's Gym, Pete Peterson of the TBA and Roundkick Gym, Stephen Strotmeyer of Pittsburgh Muay Thai, Patrick Rivera of Valor Training Center, Sean Madden of Easton Training Center, and last but not least USMF President, Michael "Chase" Corley of Heritage Muay Thai.

It was a late night round table discussion with some of the top Muay Thai minds in America after a long day of Muay Thai fights. We go all in on the growth of Muay Thai in America...somewhat unfiltered. Enjoy!