Sean Kearney is living the dream. Having moved from Vancouver to Thailand, the Canadian has been fighting, living, and traing out of Sor Sumalee in Ubon Ratchatani in Isaan the rural northwest portion of Thailand. Having just fought for Max fight, Thai Fight, and an 8 man tournament in Laos Kearny is slated to take his dream further in his match up against Fabio Pinca, the experienced Frenchman out of Lyon France. Sean took some time out of his training to talk to me about Isaan, his fighting and his upcoming bout on Lion Fight 19 on November 21st, 2014 at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut.
How did you start get you started with Muay Thai?
I had my first fight when I was 17 and I started out when I was about 15. I wasn’t serious until I started to fight. I’d gotten into knowing that I wanted to fight and then when the first fight came I became serious. I was training at Master Song’s gym, a Laotian trainer in Vancouver. I had seen one of Song’s professional fighters at a gym ripping up the bag, Esh! Esh! Esh! “Woah,” I said. “What is this?” I asked the fighter where he was training at and I followed him.
How did you get to Isaan?
I was training out of 13 Coins at the time. I stayed there for four months and I had five fights. Anyways Lamnamoon’s boss from Australia, Lamnamoon had been to the country for a couple of stints to teach, came through 13 Coins. I ended up talking to the boss and he said “Hey if you ever want to head up to Isaan there’s Lamnamoon and I think they will take care of you.” 13 Coins wasn’t the best place to learn at the time for me. I ended up going to a few different gyms and then went to Lamnamoon and I’ve been there ever since.
When did you initially go out to 13 Coins?
It was January… 2008. Saenchai was there. It was the old gym. It was just one ring. All the bags were out in the open and there was this sandpaper that you trained on.
What do you like about being out in Isaan?
All the other gyms that I’ve been at never really molded me as a fighter or as a person. I was just kicking pads and fighting. Going out to Isaan I ‘ve learned so much so quickly. There’s a real family atmosphere and when I was first out there it was super cheap. I was pretty broke. I was 18 and hurting in terms of money. I was in the ring all the time and was able to pay my fees fighting. I was taking bouts about twice a month.
Were you staying at the camp?
When I was first out there I was staying at the camp. Later on I stayed with Lamnamoon as at his house he has six apartments that are attached to the building. He was renting them out to college students and then he had one of them free up. I still sleep at the gym during the day but at nighttime I go back there.
How would you describe the camp?
Sor Sumalee is closed now so we’ve been going to train at Kiatpatarapan for the past five months or so. The gym is ghetto. There’s a ring with bags surrounding by essentially shacks. Around there are rice fields. In the morning when we run there are buffalo and cows in the middle of the road. There are rubber trees. We run through basically the small village and farms.
Are you the only foreigner in Town?
No. Ole Larsen has a gym in Ubon. Though all the serious fighters either come to Lamnamoon or Neungtrakan Por Muangubon who brings his students to Kiatpatarapan. A lot of people come but not a lot of people stay. I don’t think a lot of people can cut it. I think because the training is hard. If you’re not headfirst into Muay Thai and you’re into other things it’s harder. From what I’ve seen some people either love it or they just can’t do it.
How is the training different from 13 Coins and some of the other gyms you’ve been to?
There are more teachers at Sor Sumalee. The gym just clicks for me. I’ve found a teacher who I connect well with and someone who is managing me the right way, getting me good fights which is important for a career.
Is there a style you like to emulate when you fight?
I like to fight like Lamnamoon. I like to walk forward and knee. I’m trying to box and elbow more, which I’ve been finding out opens the body more.
Lamnamoon is in the white agains Lippet in the blue
What was your recent Max Muay Thai fight like?
I fought Sangpet Kiatpetnoi. He’s fought at Lumpinee at 147lbs handful of times. He’s fought for Max Muay Thai a few times. The first round was cagey. He was kicking well and in the second round I started to push forward with long knees. We had some good kick exchanges then I hit him with a left hand right on the nose. He started leaking blood out of his nose. I could feel him starting to fade. In the third round I came out like hell, kneeing, kneeing, kneeing. I dropped him with one to the body and then he got back up and turned away. I caught him with an elbow and he didn’t get back up. I basically wore him down.
How was your recent 8 Man Tournament experience?
The Kokiet group does a show every two months at an American owned casino in Laos. It was at a higher weight for me as I normally fight at 65 or 67kg. The tournament was at 70 kg. There were a few foreigners like myself in there. It was South East Asia versus foreigners; the competition wasn’t as stiff as I’m used to although there were good guys in the tournament. All the bouts were three rounds. It was different because you can’t get too high or two low after a bout because you have to get in the ring again. It was almost like having longer breaks between rounds. I basically had three fights in a couple of hours. I love to fight and getting to fight three times in one nights was awesome. I wanted the bouts.
The first fight I got touched with an elbow so I had a welt on my temple. In the last bout my opponent was pretty tired. I’d gotten two stoppages already, as that was the plan. Lamnamoon told me to knock my opponents out early that way I could rest.
In addition to the Max Muay Thai bout and the 8 man tournament you also did participated in Thai Fight under Kaard Cheuk rules using bound hand wraps instead of gloves. What was that like?
The kaard chuek fight was awesome and it was so much fun to try something new. Offensively there wasn’t anything different but defensively, because you have no gloves you cant block as well, we had some different tactics. The fight was amazing and it was so much fun to fight Iquzang in front of so many people and take a convincing win.
How are you feeling about your match up with Pinca? He’s had more fights than you and on an a solid international level, What makes you feel qualified to be fighting him?
My last few fights I’ve fought guys that are on his level although he’s probably 50 or 60 of the same caliber guys. I’ve put on a good show lately and I just want to test myself against the best.
What are your strengths and weaknesses as a fighter?
I’m still growing a lot. In another two more years I think I’ll be peaking. Right now I’m able to get in there with whomever though. My energy is really good and my boxing is getting better. I can clinch like a champ. I’m also working on a lot of stuff that will hopefully show in the fights.
You had some issues with your balance in your fight with Malapet a year ago on Push Kick promotions. He was throwing you and putting you off balance. How are things different now?
I wasn’t training with top level Thais at the time. Now if you watch my fight with Iquezang he was trying to do the exact same thing as Malapet without any luck. I’ve gotten way better and stronger. If I fought Malapet again it would be a different story.
What is the different about the Isaan world of Muay Thai?
The Isaan world it’s just pro fighters. The kids are fighting every week. In Bangkok the fights are only there because of gambling and in Isaan it’s the same way. In Isaan the main event will be two mid level Lumpinee fighters but there’s all the kids learning. It’s more like high school for a Muay Thai fighter. Bangkok, Lumpini, and Rajadamnern are more like university. Most of my career has been in Thailand, at least 25 or 30 of my fights have been in Thailand. I’ve fought about 15 times in North America. In North America the attitude towards fighting is very different. You win, you lose, it doesn’t matter in Thailand. You’re going to fight again in three weeks. It’s not the end of the world. You get sick and pull out? Whatever you’re fighting again soon anyways. If you pull out of a fight in North America you’re not going to fight again for six months.
How do you support yourself financially?
I mainly fight on the bigger shows in Thailand now and I’m able to make enough money. Like regular Thai fighters I give 50% of my winnings to the gym for my rent, food and training. For Thai Fight you get about 50,000 baht. My boss gets half and I get half which is pretty good for Isaan. I get about $1000 per fight for myself. My only expense if I want to get coffee or get foreign food. It’s the only way I can live, train and fight full time.
What’s your plan for the future?
I will stay in Thailand. I love it out there and I love fighting so much. I can’t deal with fighting three times a year out here in Canada and dealing with bullshit with promoters and fighters pulling out. If I was to stay here in Canada I would retire from fighting. Fighters like Pinca are slowing down more and I think when I am his age I’ll probably consider settling down somewhere else. I think I’ll put in at least another year and then evaluate where I am at.
Where do you see Muay Thai in Thailand and internationally going?
It’s tough to say. The pool of fighters at Lumpini and Rajadamnern seems to be getting smaller. Muay Thai in Thailand, however, is alive and well. The shows like Thai Fight are on Saturday night on Channel 3 and everyone watches it. Muay Thai will never get MMA or Boxing big.
The post Living the dream with Sean Sor Sumalee Kearney appeared first on My Muay Thai.