Blake began training in martial arts 15 years ago, and in 1998 started Thai Boxing under Rene DeJoux along with James Musen. While Blake has had many training and sparring partners who he has trained with over the years, he says he only considers to have trained under 5 or so teachers. He puts his success down to his two former trainers Rene De Joux who was south island middle weight and south island light heavy weight champion, and his first coach. And also Rex Redden, from Wellington, who was a World title holder. While picking up tid bits of tricks etc from various fighters and peers, Blake has learnt the most from three trainers in Thailand: Taywin Boontham, Supot Rakkiet, and Wichai Sangkeo. It is the close teacher – student relationship that goes beyond just being coached to being a disciple and like a family member that Blake is to seek again when he returns to Thailand. That makes the difference to just training with someone to training under them.
Blake has racked up 41 fights and is returning to Thailand, where he has trained and fought before, to finish his professional fight career when he finishes his 50th fight. This will be his fifth trip to Thailand, the first being in 2003.
Apart from Blake wanting to reach the 50 fight mark on this trip, he also wants to get back to grassroots and learn not only as much as he can in the home of Muay Thai, but also develop his coaching skills for the benefit of his understudies when he returns to New Zealand. This trip is about getting to the heart of Muay Thai, Back to grassroots, where the passion of Muay Thai is strong in the hearts of locals, not just out to make a dollar. Ultimately it’s that love for the sport that makes good fighters. People tend to forget that big name fighters, although they end up in flash gyms on contract, most start in a lot of backyard family type set ups with a make shift ring, a couple of well worn patched up bags and mouldy old gloves.
Blake intends to steer clear of touristy areas and get back to rural areas and away from civilisation in many ways. He knows there is a lot more to Muay Thai than just punching, kicking, kneeing, and elbowing in a combination; and he wants to learn the tricks and little secrets of the individual components of Muay Thai. After all, as Blake states, clinching for example is an art in its own right and needs to be at least understood and hopefully mastered along with all the other important components that make up Muay Thai.
Blake plans on being away between six and seven months and in that time have nine fights at least to get to his 50 fight goal. He hopes to fight every two to three weeks, but it just depends on how his body stands up to the punishment.
Blake has in-laws including his wife’s uncle and aunty in Uttaradit and step father in Khon Kaen, and a grand mother in Chaiyaphum. Although there few Westerners in these places (Blake was one of only 3 last time he went to Uttaradit) there are many gyms around there for him to train at.
Blake has contacts for rural gyms as well as a contact that can set him up with a fight or two at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok. This would be the highlight of his career should it happen.
Blake will "semi-retire", in his words, from the ring on his return and focus on coaching; building up a stable of fighter at the Combat Sports School in Dunedin. In his absence his understudy and assistant coach Mike Crossley will control training at the combat sports school in the Todd Group facility.
Mike has fought for the gym for the last couple of years and is improving all the time. There is also a host of other up and coming fighters, as well as Gary (Gassa) Leonard who has had around 60 fights in boxing and assists with the fighters hand work.
Mike Crossley (left) with Blake
Blake intends to focus on growing Muay Thai and the newly formed Otago Thai Boxing association on his return. He has tried the K1 style of kickboxing, but prefers Muay Thai and will focus his efforts on coaching this, his chosen and preferred code.
He may also try his hand at Greco-Roman wrestling and later Olympic freestyle wrestling, just to remain competitive, as wrestling has much more frequent competition compared to Muay Thai in the South Island.
He also hopes to arrange, in Thailand, for leading Thai coaches to visit the Combat Sports School in Dunedin and share their knowledge with his charges and he has the full backing and support of the Todd Group in this undertaking.
Blake broke new ground when he travelled from Dunedin to Thailand eight years ago and now returns for his final stint in the ring there. We wish him every success and await his reports from Thailand with interest.
