Interview with Sean Fagan The Muay Thai Guy

Sean Fagan is an Amateur Muay Thai fighter who is looking to turn pro this year. He fights at 145 lbs and is currently 11-3 with 5 KO’s. He is currently on a 7 fight winning streak and won a championship title at Muay Thai at the Mecca 2 in New York City.

Muay Thai

Brandon: What's your favorite thing about the culture of Muay Thai and why?

Sean: I love the mutual respect of everyone who trains in the art. Whether it's training partners or competitors, there is always a show of class and respect between the two which lack from many other sports. Not to mention since Muay Thai is rooted deep in Thai culture it is full of numerous Thai traditions and ceremonies that make the sport that much more interesting and unique.

Brandon: What are 3 uncommonly known facts about Muay Thai?

Sean:  1) Muay Thai is not kickboxing. It is a form of kickboxing that utilizes more techniques than kickboxing does such as the clinch, elbows and sweeps.

2) Muay Thai is a way to make a living in Thailand. People commonly misunderstand that Thai boxers in Thailand are celebrities and well off because they fight so much, but it is quite the contrary. Only the elite really make a good living while the other lower level fighters can fight multiple times a month and still only have enough to pay for food and shelter. Also for young Thai children whose families can't afford a living, Muay Thai gyms will claim ownership of the children and train them so they can make money for the gym and their family.

3) Most people don't know the 'why' of the traditions and ceremonies behind Muay Thai. It's important to know the reasoning behind the ram muay, wai kru, mongkon, prajioud and other elements of Muay Thai. I wrote a whole page about the traditions and culture of Muay Thai here;
http://www.muay-thai-guy.com/traditional-muay-thai.html

Brandon: Describe the proper way to throw an over hand punch. What happens if you do it right vs. doing it wrong?

Sean:  Ah my favorite strike! The way I explain it to most people is that it's basically like throwing a pitch for baseball except without the whole wind-up. A lot of people (including myself) really overthrow and power up for this strike when in reality accuracy and timing is the most important aspect of almost any strike. If you do it wrong your opponent will see it coming a mile away and you'll gas yourself out quickly!


Brandon: What are the 3 most important things you learned about Muay Thai while training in Thailand besides the 5 things you listed never to do on your site? Why are these important?

Sean:  One was the culture behind the sport and how to perform the ceremonial dance, the ram muay wai kru, before my first fight. Secondly was the mutual respect everyone had for each other whether it's a complete beginner, a seasoned champion or an experienced trainer. And lastly is how Muay Thai is a way of life in Thailand.

Brandon: What was the lowest point of your career? How did you overcome it?

Sean:  I can recall two low points. One was after I fought twice in a week I tore a ligament in my thumb which sidelined me for a bit. It's not like it was the worst injury in the world but I kept making excuses not to train and not to continue improving when I knew I could be focusing on different aspects of my game. It was pretty frustrating because I knew subconsciously I was just being a little bitch.

The other one was my second trip to Thailand. I had planned on staying there for 4+ months but got extremely home sick even though I was pursuing my passion and doing something that I knew many people would kill to do. I hated feeling sorry for myself and wanting to go home, but after my only fight there about a month in (I won by KO), I flew home to take care of some things at home that I left open-ended before I left for Thailand. It ended up being a great decision because I found an awesome instructor job that opened a lot of new doors to my fighting career.

Brandon: You mentioned about going pro. What is the hardest thing about going pro besides having the skills and talent?

Sean: I think it's just the overall mindset. Once you go pro, you're fighting the best of the best. If you're not confident in your skills to fight someone who is going to give you a tough fight, then you're not ready to go pro. Also as a professional you have to treat it like your job and make sure you never skip out on training, eat a healthy diet and do everything you can to make sure you're one step ahead of your competition.

Brandon: Is there anything else you would like to tell our readers?

Sean: Just to follow your passion and live your dreams regardless of what they are. Life is too short to have regrets and chances are you'll regret the things you don't do rather than the things you do. I encourage you to follow along as I pursue my dreams at www.muay-thai-guy.com in hopes to inspire others to pursue theirs. Other than that I'd just like to thank my fans for being so supportive and awesome as well as my girlfriend, Liz, my family and my friends... without all of you this journey would be meaningless! Thank you for the interview!


Brandon: Thank you Sean for taking the time out of your busy training schedule. We look forward to seeing pro in the near future.

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