Last month, Easton Denver hosted our semi-annual Muay Thai smoker. Easton schools and affiliates sent their newer competitors to display skills their students have honed over the last several months. It was a privilege watching these competitors put it all out on the line, and I look forward to attending them in the future.

Clash of Styles

Traditional Muay Thai

For the most part, Easton students had a more traditional Muay Thai style. These Muay Thai fighters generally stayed in their stance with minimal footwork. Just as in traditional Muay Thai, our Easton competitors mostly kept a strong, back-weighted stance. Also, our fighters seemed a bit more comfortable in the clinch.

MMA/Kickboxing-based striking

High Altitude Martial Arts (HAMA) and their students had an excellent showing as well. Unlike Easton, most of their students had more of an MMA/kickboxing striking style. There was a lot of head movement, stance-switching, and bouncing around (more of a balanced stance). This style was most likely adopted from their striking coach, Cory Sandhagen (a former Easton student).

Interested in Competing?

The Easton Muay Thai Smoker is an excellent introduction to competition in a friendlier setting. Muay Thai Smokers are held every spring, summer, and fall at ETC Denver. Ask your coach about competing and take your training to the next level! New to kickboxing? Try a free class now!