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Plook Jit Alley is a modest refuge for tradition against the modernity of its surroundings. There you can still find old wooden shophouses that have yet to be replaced by the now signature sprawling condominiums of the Bangkok skyline.
Along this road walks Montri Chongwarin, also known as Sam, as he makes his way to a local hole in the wall Muay Thai gym. It doesn't have the glitz and glamor of the other gyms that have sprung up in Bangkok and frankly it doesn't need it.
Sam was invited to work at the gym by one of his relatives. At thirty three years of age, he's a now retired Muay Thai champion, well-known enough to be given the Muay Thai moniker of "Sam Charoenthong Muay Thai". Sam is a veteran of at least two hundred matches, and was champion of the Koh Samui Phet Bancha Marathon Tourney.
He started his journey into physical self-improvement in his hometown of Sakhon Nakhon City, a city that is part of Thailand's Isan Province. The area is known for a more rugged, live-off-the-land lifestyle where being inactive meant not having food on the table. Sam began his foray into Muay Thai when he was bullied mercilessly by the local children. His father, seeing Sam's distress, began training him in the art of Muay Thai, a no-nonsense martial art utilizing eight limbs for attack. What started off as a journey of self-defense quickly became a successful career when Sam realized he liked being in the ring.
It took a lot more than guts for him to be in Muay Thai. He had to use his head as well. He knew that the average retirement age of Muay Thai fighters was in their mid-twenties. Constantly being hit in the head meant a future of physical and mental anguish, so he left to become a trainer instead. It had been nearly a decade since his retirement. He has spent his time getting more and more certifications and accolades as a coach rather than a fighter.
While he doesn't nearly put his body through as much punishment now as compared to his Muay Thai days, Sam still manages to stay in shape. He's in shape enough that he's confident when hearing about the Global Fast Fit benchmark for physical fitness. A 500m run, followed by thirty pushups, thirty squats, and thirty leg-lifts without break? It doesn't even sound daunting for him.
