As a long-time practitioner of Muay Thai (kick boxing), I was very excited to learn about the formation of the Parinya Muay Thai Camp in Thailand.
The camp’s goal, as explained on its website, is “allow children to live, train, and eventually be schooled year-round without being under contract to fight or having to carry the burden of financially supporting their families; provide women equal opportunities as men do in the sport and all other aspects of their lives; give the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community a safe haven; thereby, setting a new standard for the way in which such camps are currently being run in Thailand.”
This is a collaborative effort between Nong Thoom (whose life was portrayed in the award-winning film, Beautiful Boxer) and Steven Khan, an American actor, writer, and also a friend of mine and former training partner.
To learn more, check out the following video (the first half is about the Beautiful Boxer and the second about the camp):
Please consider helping make this important initiative a reality. Those in the New York City area can do so by attending a benefit—a sure-to-be exciting, Muay Thai Smoker—on Friday, September 5th. People elsewhere are encouraged to make an online donation.
For more information, check out the Parinya Muay Thai Training Camp website, which you’ll find here.
Share on Facebook