The Greatest Muay Thai Fighter in History is teaching at Evolve!

The Greatest Muay Thai Fighter in History is teaching at Evolve!

In Thailand, there is only one (1) superhero of Muay Thai who is recognized as the greatest Muay Thai fighter of all time. You can ask any taxi driver in Thailand about him. The incredible thing is that almost everyone in Thailand will give you the same answer if you ask them who the greatest Muay Thai fighter of all time is. He is the Muhammad Ali, Tiger Woods, and Michael Jordan of Muay Thai. His name is Samart Payakaroon. And Samart is the closest thing to a superhero in Thailand.

Here is some food for thought to give you some perspective. One of our Lumpinee Muay Thai World Champions, Nuengpichit Sityodtong, is considered one of the top fighters of his era. Nueng says that Samart is 10x better than anyone that has ever fought in Muay Thai, including all the fighters of today. In fact, Nuengpichit says that he feels like a beginner next to Samart.

How crazy is that? If you are an Evolve student, you know how unbelievable Nueng is as a World Champion.

In his prime, Samart was untouchable and simply brilliant. He was a Lumpinee Muay Thai World Champion in four (4) weight divisions. He even fought in western Boxing for fun and managed to become WBC World Champion in that too. Then Samart went on to have a lucrative career as a Thai pop star and actor. Incredibly, he won the Thai versions of the Oscars and Grammys too.

So what made Samart so special as a fighter? He certainly was not the hardest kicker. He was not even the hardest puncher. And Samart did not like knees that much. Yet, he is considered the greatest Muay Thai fighter of all time by the Thai media and public. Samart was special because he had the gift of the sharpest eyes in the history of the sport. He was unhittable. Samart could read an opponent's kick or punch and avoid them by half an inch. He had lightning speed and he could throw the most complicated moves in Muay Thai with ease. To watch Samart in action is to truly witness Muay Thai at its greatest art form.

If you ever make it to Thailand, we recommend that you try to find his old fights on DVD. Samart's peak was in the 1980s. The Evolve Muay Thai Instructor Team still watches his fights on a regular basis.

Samart Payakaroon was and still is Kru Yodtong Senanan's most famous World Champion. As many of you know already, Kru Yodtong Senanan is considered the greatest Grandmaster of Muay Thai in Thailand for producing the most World Champions in the history of Muay Thai. Here is Kru Yodtong's biography. The Evolve Muay Thai Instructor Team interviewed Kru Yodtong Senanan for this article. (The Evolve Muay Thai Instructor Team speaks to Kru Yodtong every few weeks). Here is what Kru Yodtong had to say about Samart.

"Without a doubt, Samart is the most talented Muay Thai fighter to have ever graced this earth and the Sityodtong Gym. My other World Champions were all good, but Samart was exceptional. But it wasn't always this way. When Samart was 11 years old, he would always get into trouble by me. Samart was lazy and he did not have a warrior's heart. He did not like to get hit and was always afraid of getting hurt in the ring. In fact, Samart probably has the smallest heart out of all of my World Champions. The weapon that changed Samart's career forever was his push kick. Once I taught him how to use it as an offensive weapon, his opponents could no longer hit him. I made Samart practice two hundred (200) push kicks against a wall at the end of each training day. To this day, Samart's push kick is rated as the best of all time. Samart also had the most amazing reflexes in the world. There are countless times when an opponent would throw a head kick at full speed and force at him from only one (1) meter away and Samart would effortlessly avoid it. His eyes were one (1) in a billion. He saw everything before things happened. The other aspect that made Samart amazing was his speed. He could throw kicks, punches, knees, and elbows at lightning speed. Samart would knock people out on sheer speed. Samart had the uncanny ability to put together the most unique combinations and the most difficult techniques in Muay Thai. I am 72 years old and have been doing Muay Thai for over 55 years. Sadly, I do not think there will ever be another Samart again. He was truly a gift to the Thai people."
-Kru Yodtong Senanan

As you can see, Samart Payakaroon is the greatest legend of Muay Thai.

The exciting news at Evolve is that Samart Payakaroon will be here at Evolve Mixed Martial Arts to teach a Muay Thai on a rotating basis.  So you do not have to take this article as gospel. You can see for yourself how amazing he is. As a special treat, Samart will also conduct an open sparring session with our World Champions and you will see how incredible he still is.

Samart will be teaching at Evolve Far East Square, the largest martial arts facility of its kind in Asia. 

Evolve Mixed Martial Arts. Achieve Greatness Within.

Evolve Far East Square opens today!

Evolve Far East Square opens today!

Evolve Far East Square will be opening its doors for Sneak Preview Sales Days, starting today Friday November 27!  You will be able to tour the largest facility of its kind in Asia, meet some of our World Champions, and sign up as a member!

Evolve Far East Square
26 China Street
#01-01 Far East Square
Singapore 049568

Please note that classes will officially begin next week after the Sneak Preview Sales Days with a light schedule initially before a ramp up into a full schedule.  Please stay tuned as the schedule will be posted soon!   

Evolve is pleased to announce a special Customer Appreciation Package for the first 100 people who join sign up for it.  For the price of 1 location, you automatically get enrolled in all Evolve locations worldwide.  The offer expires on December 1, 2009.

Evolve Far East Square will be the largest and most state-of-the-art facility of its kind in Asia.

2 New Courses offered at Evolve Far East Square!

2 New Courses offered at Evolve Far East Square!

Evolve Mixed Martial Arts® is proud to announce the addition of 2 new courses exclusively at Evolve Far East Square.  The 2 new courses will be complimentary to all members of Evolve Far East Square.  Evolve Far East Square is scheduled to open at the end of November.

Boxing
Boxing is an excellent workout and self-defense art.  It is also a great addition to the MMA athlete's game.  The Evolve Boxing Program is designed for the complete beginner as well as for the most advanced boxer.  The course will be headed WBA Boxing World Champion Yodsanan.  He is an excellent instructor with knowledge of theory and practice due to his experience as a professional fighter and as a Physical Education major during university. 

Yoga for BJJ and MMA
The Evolve Yoga Program is designed specifically for the BJJ and MMA athlete.  Yoga is a core component of training for many top professional BJJ and MMA athletes because it unleashes flexibility, core strength, dynamic muscle resistance, technical breathing, cardiovascular health, and much more.  The course will be headed by certified Yoga Instructor and BJJ Black Belt, Joao Carneiro.  As a BJJ expert of 22 years and a Yoga expert of 10 years, Joao has a unique understanding of the best way to implement Yoga as a way to enhance your BJJ game. 


Evolve Mixed Martial Arts® is Asia's premier brand of MMA academies.  It ranks among the best in the world for Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Mixed Martial Arts.

Shock Your Body, Grow Your Mind

Shock Your Body, Grow Your Mind

At Evolve Mixed Martial Arts, we are firm believers in the value of cross training across all the major reality-based martial arts such as Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Wrestling, and Boxing. Even if you are a Muay Thai purist, you will benefit greatly by doing some Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Likewise, even if you are a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fanatic, you will benefit greatly by doing some Muay Thai.  UFC Welterweight World Champion Georges St Pierre is a big believer in cross-training in Muay Thai, Wrestling, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Karate, and Boxing. 

Here are the major reasons:

1) Fitness: Different martial arts use different muscles at different rates of intensity. A concept in fitness is to shock the body with new movements and exercises. The logic is that the body tends to adapt very quickly to routine and you end up burning less calories by doing the same thing over and over. The body is an efficient machine and quickly figures out the easiest way to do something. By cross training though, you do not let your body get comfortable. For example, a Muay Thai workout is a highly intense cardio workout with elements of aerobic and anaerobic exercise. It really pushes your cardiovascular system. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is equally hard, but in a different way. You are constantly pushing your own weight (and someone else's). Every muscle in your body is working in a resistance type format. In Boxing, the aerobic workout is far less intense than in Muay Thai, but equally effective for getting fit. (3 minutes of Muay Thai is more taxing on the body than 3 minutes of Boxing simply because more body parts and muscles are at work). In any case, the point is that you should try to put your body in different situations. You will burn fat more effectively, you will get fitter more quickly, and you will build a better body.

2) Self Defense: If you are taking martial arts because you want to learn the art of self-defense, then you should really learn the art of self-defense. Unfortunately, 95% of martial arts that are taught around the world are ineffective in a real life situation. This is the sad truth. After 15 years of the UFC, it is now widely accepted around the world that the most effective systems are Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, Boxing, and Wrestling for real life hand-to-hand combat situations. For better or for worse, the traditional martial arts (such as Karate, Taekwondo, etc) have not done well in real life situations. (There are many logical reasons why, but it will not be addressed here). However, even in the UFC, there are limitations due to all the rules. As we all know, if you are in a situation where you need to defend yourself or your loved ones, there are no rules. So why should you train in Muay Thai if you are phenomenal at Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or vice-versa? Because every martial art has its own limitations! In a self-defense situation, there are 4 primary ranges of combat: the kicking range, the punching range, the clinch range, and the ground range. The truth is that you cannot always dictate where the fight will start or end up. If you are in a crowded nightclub in Bangkok, are you really going to jump guard and try to submit your foe with an armbar when his friends can easily gang up on you? What if someone sucker punches you? Or what if an intruder is in your home trying to strangle you? The point is that self-defense is about being prepared for ANY SITUATION and having the TOOLS to increase your odds of survival. If you are a pure Muay Thai stylist, then what happens if you and your foe accidentally fall to the ground together? If you have no tools, then you will simply be flailing away with terrible odds against you. Or if you are only a wrestler and there are 2 foes against you, what will you do? By cross training in different martial arts, you will pick up some tools to be effective in different situations.

3) Athleticism: By cross training in another martial art, you will learn more about your body and how it moves. It sounds silly, but it is true. By putting your body in unfamiliar poses and movements, you end up using different muscles and different thought processes. In doing so, you will end up becoming more in tune with your body and its capabilities. It eventually becomes self-reinforcing and you will become even better at your core martial art. The analogy we like to use is that of driving a car. If you only drive a car on a highway, how will you know how well the car turns or how well it performs on a dirt mountain or in the snow? By driving in different situations, you become more in tune with your car and you become a better driver too! At Evolve Mixed Martial Arts, we strongly encourage everyone to take classes in Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), Street Self Defense, and more. It does not matter if you are a complete beginner or a seasoned professional. The benefits of cross-training are for everyone!

4) Variety and Fun: The longer you do something, the more repetitive it gets. To keep things fresh and exciting, you need variety. As they say, variety is the spice of life! And there is no better place than Singapore to exemplify that spirit with all of its diverse culture, its vast array of foods, its cosmopolitan vibe, and its sense of adventure. Quite frankly, all of the Evolve Instructors cross train in different arts because they want to have fun too! Humans have an innate curiousity. We all want to learn and to grow. We also all want to have FUN. And cross-training is the answer!

Given the benefits of cross-training, Evolve Mixed Martial Arts is committed to giving you a wide array of courses to help you evolve into everything that you can be. Evolve Mixed Martial Arts offers classes in Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ), Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), Wrestling, and more. For more details on the classes, you can check our website at www.evolve-mma.com.

The point of life and the martial arts is to keep evolving and to grow continuously - physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. So here is to evolving into everything that you can be!



Evolve Mixed Martial Arts®  Achieve Greatness Within.

A Self Defense Move from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

A Self Defense Move from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

The Head Professor of the Evolve Mixed Martial Arts Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Program in Singapore is Rafael "Gordinho" Correa de Lima, a BJJ Black Belt Mundials World Champion and 3rd Degree Black Belt.  He leads a growing team of 6 other permanent BJJ Black Belt Instructors at Evolve Singapore.  Evolve Mixed Martial Arts is an official Renzo Gracie Affiliate Academy, the first and only one in Asia.

Here is a clip of Professor Gordinho demonstrating a self-defense move for Men's Health TV.

Evolve Mixed Martial Arts® is Asia's premier brand of MMA academies.  It ranks among the best academies in the world for Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and MMA.

A Letter of Gratitude

A Letter of Gratitude

To My Evolve Family:

This is Chatri Sityodtong here today, writing an open letter in our blog.  I am writing this open letter as a small token of my sincere gratitude and appreciation to all Evolve students, instructors, and staff members for allowing me to be a small part of your lives. 

On November 14, 2008, I walked into an empty room with a bare cement floor with my brother warriors from the Sityodtong Gym:  Nuengpichit Sityodtong, Yoddecha Sityodtong, and Daorung Sityodtong.  Together, we labored away day and night to build the ring, to assemble the cage, to lay down the mats, to hang the heavy bags, and to decorate the little place called Evolve.  We had big dreams to make the world a better place - in our small and humble way.  Our dream was to create a place that people could call home and a place where everyone was family.  Our dream was to share our greatest passion in life.  Our dream was to touch lives and to inspire positive change.  Our dream was to make dreams happen for others.

There is a saying in Thailand that when you drop a pebble into a pond, the ripples can be felt all the way to the edge of the pond.  That night, we dropped the little pebble called Evolve into the pond.

Little did we know how big the ripples would become.
       
Since then, Evolve has grown into a wonderful family of lifelong friends.  Together - students, instructors, and staff - we push each other to become better, we challenge each other to grow, and we inspire each other to be the best that we can be.  We are from all parts of the globe like Brazil, Singapore, Thailand, US, Japan, Korea, UK, Canada, Germany, China, India, Pakistan, Russia, Latvia, Venezuela, Indonesia, Spain, Australia, Hong Kong, and many other countries.  We are dentists, pilots, students, laborers, office managers, doctors, administrative assistants, professional fighters, oil service engineers, advertising executives, cleaners, immigration officers, investment professionals, video game makers, nurses, entrepreneurs, bankers, logistics specialists, CEOs, and so much more.  We are old, young, fit and not-so-fit, and everything in between.  We are all great.  We are all different.  Yet, we are all one.

We are EVOLVE.  

Tonight, when all of you presented me with the surprise birthday cake for Evolve's 1st year anniversary at the Team Evolve BBQ, I was deeply moved.  I was stunned and really didn't know what to say.  When I got home tonight, it made me reflect on this past year and everything that we accomplished together - students, instructors, and staff.  Some of us have lost 20 kilos.  Some of us have inherited confidence and mental strength.  Some of us have gained discipline, focus, and physical prowess.  Some of us got our blue belts in BJJ.  Some of us achieved Level 2 in Muay Thai.  Some of us overcame bad habits like smoking.  Some of us have learned to become warriors.  Through it all, we shared laughter and tears.  We shared the joy of victory and the pain of defeat.  We poured our hearts into Evolve and we all gained different things from Evolve.  Above all though, we gained a wonderful family.

One of our students asked me tonight what I am most proud of when it comes to Evolve.  I didn't even have to think of my reply because I already knew the answer.  Yes, I am proud that Evolve is #1 in Asia.  Yes, I am proud that our Instructor Team is the largest and best in Asia.  Yes, I am proud that Evolve has become one of the top academies in the world.  But truthfully, I am most proud of the fact that Evolve is what we dreamed it to be on November 14, 2008.  Evolve has become that special, wonderful place where everyone is family.  Evolve has become that magical world that inspires people to new heights.  Evolve has become that little home where dreams can and do happen.     

All of you inspire me every day to become the best person that I can be.  I truly thank you from the bottom of my heart.  You have all changed me for the better as a martial artist and as a human being.  Evolve lives in my heart.  I only hope that Evolve has helped you too, in some small way, to become all that you can be in life.  Thank you once again for everything.  I truly mean it.

Here is to helping each other to Achieve Greatness Within! 

With all the love and respect in the world,
Kru Chatri

The Championship Family

The Championship Family

At Evolve, we are a family.  The core of Evolve is our strong culture of excellence, friendship, and fun.  Evolve is not just a place to get a great workout.  Yes, you will get a great workout.  Yes, you will learn real self-defense.  And yes, we have the best instructor team in Asia.  But it is more than that to all of us.  It is a special place where we can all forget the stresses and worries of life.  It is a place where we can all learn and grow from each other.  It is a place where we can all be ourselves and where everyone is rooting for you to succeed.  It is a place where we can laugh and cry together.  Above all, it is a place where lifetime friendships are born and where the sky is the limit. 

Evolve is our second home...for instructors, students, and staff.   

Evolve Mixed Martial Arts is the top academy in Asia.  It is for people who demand the very best in life.  And the best attract the best.  Everyone at Evolve - instructors, students, and staff - has a desire to succeed in life, to make a positive impact in this world, and to live life to the maximum.  At Evolve, we are truly passionate about life.  Evolve is fortunate to have the best instructors, students, and staff in Asia.  The Evolve Instructor Team is the only team in Asia with World Championship titles in Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Boxing, and No Gi Grappling.  The Evolve Fight Team has competed and won at the highest levels in the world at the UFC, the Art of War, the Mundials Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Championship, the Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai World Championship, WBA Boxing World Championship, the No Gi World Championship, and many other top events.  At Evolve, our instructors, students, and staff emanate this championship spirit.  The champion warrior spirit lives within each one of us.  The Evolve Family is a family of winners.  Evolve is about living life to the fullest, having a ton of fun, and evolving into everything you can be as a person and as a martial artist.  This culture of excellence, friendship, and fun is what makes Evolve special and truly different. 

Our elite Instructors and fearless Leaders hail from the world's top academies such as Sityodtong Gym in Thailand, the Renzo Gracie Academy in New York, and the Gordo Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Rio de Janeiro.  To carry on the spirit of excellence, our fearless leaders have instilled this special culture because they saw it work in their respective academies.  We train hard - together.  We push beyond our limits - together.  We share victories and defeats - together.  We laugh - together.  We achieve greatness within - together.

At Evolve, the experience is about the journey of self-improvement - physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually - in a safe, fun, and supportive environment.

We are all one.  Here is to EVOLVING together!!! 

FightShape: the official Strength and Conditioning Program at Evolve Mixed Martial Arts®

FightShape: the official Strength and Conditioning Program at Evolve Mixed Martial Arts®

FightShape is the official Strength and Conditioning Program for the Evolve Fight Team.  Here are 2 members of the Evolve Fight Team doing 5 rounds of 5 minutes at 100% output.  Rafael Dos Anjos is preparing to fight again in the UFC in January 2010.  BJJ World Champion Leandro Brodinho is fighting in the Art of War on November 28, 2009.

FightShape is offered at all Evolve locations as a complimentary course for Evolve members.  Get fit like a professional fighter!  

Team Evolve wins at the 2009 No Gi World Championships!

Team Evolve wins at the 2009 No Gi World Championships!

Evolve Mixed Martial Arts won the super heavyweight division at the 2009 No Gi World Championships this past weekend. Antonio Braga Neto, a member of the Evolve Fight Team, became No Gi World Champion in his weight class for the 2nd consecutive year. He won every match in convincing fashion. Braga Neto also won the Silver Medal in the Absolute category.

Please congratulate Braga on a great performance at the tournament!

Another BJJ World Champion joins Evolve!

Another BJJ World Champion joins Evolve!

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Mundials World Champion, Zorobabel Moreira, has joined the elite Evolve Instructor Team in Singapore. With his addition, there are now 7 BJJ Black Belt Instructors from Brazil at Evolve Singapore. 3 out of the 7 are World Champions. The entire Evolve Instructor Team stands at 32 world-class instructors. Zoro is a professional MMA fighter with a 3-0 record.

Zoro Moreira holds a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under the legendary Roberto "Gordo" Correa de Lima, the head of Evolve Brazil.

Zoro Moreira is originally from Brazil.

Please give Zoro a warm welcome to Singapore!


Evolve Mixed Martial Arts® is Asia's premier brand of MMA academies. It ranks among the best academies in the world for Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and MMA.