John Slattery: An Irish Warrior
Every few months, the Evolve Instructor Team gets together to select students who have impressed them on different levels and who best exemplify the values at Evolve Mixed Martial Arts, the top MMA gym in Southeast Asia.
For our 3rd student profile, the Evolve Instructor Team chose John Slattery because he truly exemplifies some of the core values at Evolve: excellence, continuous self improvement, and teamwork. John is an inspiration to all of us at Evolve.
By way of background, John is from Ireland, is 28 years old and has been living in Singapore for the last 8 months. He runs a headhunting team in the Banking Sector. His other hobbies include mountain biking, tennis, surfing, and travel in Asia.
Here are some direct quotes:
"John is a big guy. When he first came into Evolve, he did not have the knowledge of how to unleash his potential physically in terms of body mechanics. It is beautiful to watch John's improvement over the last 5 months. Today, everyone can see that he is developing into a true Muay Thai warrior. The biggest area of difference for John is the power and technique of his kicks. His power has improved about 150% for his kicks and elbows. He needs to work on generating more power on his punches from his hips. But I can say that he is fitter, faster, and more powerful beyond my initial expectations. I expect John to show some very big improvements in the next several months because his understanding of Muay Thai is deeper. Keep up the hard training!"
-Nuengpichit Sityodtong, Muay Thai World Champion and Evolve Instructor
"John is a very tough guy and never gives up. He has a big heart like a fighter. His Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has come a long way, especially his top game. John moves well and knows how to use some good submissions. For improvement, he needs to make sure that he does not overcommit his body weight in any direction - this is something John does sometimes because he is a good competitor. He also needs to work on his bottom game. I am very happy to see John in class - he always has a good attitude and everyone at Evolve likes him a lot. John has a big future in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu because he is talented and because he is training under the Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu system. Train hard, my friend! See you on the mats!"
-Leandro "Brodinho" Thomas, BJJ World Champion, Professional MMA Fighter, and Evolve Instructor
"John is an animal! This guy has a bright future at Evolve. I remember his first Muay Thai class at Evolve a few months ago. He had poor fitness, limited power, and sloppy technique. Now he is an explosive Muay Thai warrior with good fitness, good power, and good technique. Of course, there is still a long way to go for John, but he is a fighter. His warrior spirit and love for the fight game must come from his Irish background! The Irish have lion hearts and John exemplifies that very well. The thing that everyone appreciates about John is that he is a strong competitor, but is also one of the most friendly guys that you will ever meet. His natural ability and humility are the foundation to success as a Muay Thai student. I agree with Nueng - John is going to show some big leaps in his game over the coming several months because things are starting to click for him in terms of his understanding of his body and mind in the Muay Thai framework. Great work, John!"
-Chatri Sityodtong, Muay Thai Fighter and Evolve Instructor
"I have trained 14 World Champions in my career of 40 years in Muay Thai. John has a special gift and can go far in this sport if he trains hard. He has improved very quickly and his game is one level higher than when he first started. I would like to take him to Thailand to Sityodtong Gym in Pattaya! He has a big heart and strong desire to learn. This combination is dangerous for his opponents. John has very fast hands and strong kicks. He needs to learn to generate more power from his hips though. Also, John needs to work on his knees - they are one of the weak spots of his game. Nevertheless, I am very proud to be one of his Muay Thai instructors. He has come a long way. Chatri is correct to say that John has a bright future."
-Daorung "Papa" Sityodtong, Muay Thai Trainer of Champions and Evolve Instructor
"I love training both Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai and the instructors at Evolve Mixed Martial Arts are some of the top trainers and fighters in the world today. You rarely get this experience in one room."
-John Slattery, Evolve Student and Irish Warrior
Congratulations, John! Keep up the awesome work because there are no limits.
Evolve Mixed Martial Arts. Achieve Greatness Within.
