On this month’s episode of the Easton Community Podcast, our host, Mike Tousignant, interviews Coach Sean Madden, our Muay Thai Program Director who’s been a pivotal force in shaping Easton’s Muay Thai program. To listen to the episode, visit our podcast here!
Sean’s journey with Easton began in 2009 when he joined as a 19-year-old college student. Over the years, he has witnessed the program evolve while staying true to its core values of developing strong fighters, maintaining a high-level Muay Thai program, and embracing adaptability in the face of challenges
As Easton’s Muay Thai Program Director, Sean plays a crucial role not only in competition and class development but also in structuring the program and maintaining the high standards that define Easton Training Center.
The Muay Thai team kicked off the year with the Colorado State Tournament in February, hosted by ISKA. For the first time since the tournament’s inception over a decade ago, Easton had an athlete from every single location with a Muay Thai program! (Not counting Littleton, since they had just started their striking program upon moving last summer.)
With 12 athletes competing, Easton finished with eight state champions — an achievement that speaks to the quality of training and preparation. Following this success, Easton took to the national stage at the USA Nationals in Delaware, where Natalia Esceval, a kids coach from Denver, competed and advanced to the finals, narrowly losing by split decision.
Beyond competition, fostering a strong and inclusive community remains a priority for Sean, including the All-Women’s Sparring Event, now heading into its third iteration. Martial arts can often be a difficult space for women due to its traditionally male-dominated nature. Easton’s Muay Thai program continues to thrive with a large number of dedicated female practitioners, which for Sean is a strong indicator of a healthy and welcoming program!
[The Ultimate Guide to Muay Thai]
In the seat of a Program Director
Sean’s responsibilities as Program Director extend far beyond coaching and competition. His role involves hiring practices, developing training standards, and ensuring consistency across all locations. He collaborates closely with general managers and department heads to maintain Easton’s high standards and continuously improve the program.
One of the significant changes coming to the program this year is the implementation of a formal instructor certification process. Together with Coach Terrence, Sean has designed a three-pronged certification test for fundamental Muay Thai instructors.
This test includes physical, technical, and written components to ensure that all instructors possess the necessary skills and knowledge to teach confidently and effectively. Sean emphasizes that improving instructor quality directly enhances the student experience, boosts instructor confidence and reinforces Easton’s core value of excellence.
To Sean, Muay Thai isn’t just a skill set — it’s a lifestyle. Whether someone competes, coaches, officiates, or simply trains for personal growth, Muay Thai offers a depth that can be explored in countless ways. The key is staying open to different avenues of involvement and understanding that the sport has layers beyond just stepping into the ring. The art, the philosophy, and the battle-tested degree of the sport hold equal importance.
For more of Coach Sean and Mike’s conversation, including philosophy, competition, adaptability and self-doubt even in the greatest of fighters, listen to the full podcast episode here.
