Meet Mike Smallwood. You won't be seeing him doing any Cirque du Soleil moves, but he packs a mean superman punch.
We wanted you to meet Mike and get to know him a little better. Here is what he had to say:
I teach Muay Thai. One of the things that I love about Muay Thai, is that it’s difficult. It's always hard work. You have to suffer through it a little bit but you’re happy that you did.
I love the culture about it. There is not a lot of posturing and acting like tough guys. It is very respectful.
This club tends to emphasize respect, which I like. I enjoy the camaraderie between participants. Also, between opponents, there’s no malice. Win or lose there's no ill will. It is important to treat everyone with respect.
I am a very unflexible, unathletic person. So in Muay Thai, and I think in probably all of my fights, I may have thrown one Head Kick, because the guy was short. Otherwise, it is not something that works for me.
So, my biggest weapon that I've developed is a really strong outside calf kick and I would combine that with a Superman Punch. So most of my finishes come from Superman Punches.
We asked Coach Brian about him, and this is what he had to say:
Mike leads by example. He is a competitor and a coach. When he teaches, he is a serious instructor, yet he is extremely positive. He is great at building people up!
Mike has competed multiple times in Mexico and when he is there he volunteers in local communities and gives kids the opportunity to learn all about martial arts. He offers his time and gives his leadership skills freely. Another one of his focuses has been working with kids with autism. He is a true leader and spends time in the community making this world a better place just by showing up.
- Coach Brian Bird
Are you going to show up to meet Mike and take one of his classes?
