I have been waiting to introduce this Former World Champion! (Yeah, that's right, I roll with the greats!)
Chad Sawyer is Head Muay Thai Instructor and his nickname is C-Train (I am just guessing but it might be because his fight record is 49-10-4). Anyways, I caught up with him and this is what he had to share:
I am the striking coach. I teach Muay Thai boxing and kickboxing. So all the striking for the MMA gym.
Muay Thai and kickboxing are very similar sports. But in Muay Thai, depending on your level or the level of the fighter, you can throw knees, you can throw elbows, you can clinch.
In full Muay Thai, you can elbow and knee to the head. Basically, you can do anything you want, standing up to your opponent, striking-wise. It is the sport of the eight weapons: your two feet, your two knees, your two elbows, your two fists. (This is the guy you want to hokey pokey with, am I right?)
In kickboxing you can only use your hands and your feet. So you can kick with your foot and your instep and you can punch, but that's it, you can't clinch a knee and you can't elbow.
It's fantastic. The team, the team environment where everybody supports everybody else. We believe the best way to improve is to help everybody around you, so you all can grow as a team together.
Everybody is very close-knit, like a family. It's a place where you can go and feel welcomed. If you come in here and even if you're a stranger, people will welcome you to the environment.
And it is not hostile. Even when we've got killer fighters in here, everybody treats everybody with respect. That is the biggest thing.
I don't want to let people know. (It's like this: the eagle has flown and the pancakes are in the oven; spies and superheroes never share their moves.)
Here is what Brian Bird had to say about Chad:
Chad and I go way back. He traveled with me to Australia and Montreal for UFC. After a 2013 fight we started discussing him joining the coaching team at Champion's Creed. And the rest, as they say, is history in the making. Chad built our competitive striking team.
He puts in a great deal of time to help others, and because of his unique style, it is very effective for MMA. Chad is a super funny and positive person, he has a strong sense of team and loyalty, which makes him a great person to be around but also an effective coach.
I am proud that he is a part of our gym and I feel privileged to call him a friend.
-Coach Brian Bird
