deep history of Muay Thai, the sport he dedicated his life to.
Whether you are
interested in getting an introduction to Muay Thai , sponsoring
a seminar, or preparing for a fight, Coban and his management
team can tailor a program for
you and/or your
group.
Coban Lookchaomaesaitong" was born Banlu Anwiset on August 4,
1966 in Buriram, a small city in Northeastern Thailand. He was
the middle child of a farming family of seven, and the only one
who found an interest in the life in Muay Thai.
Coban began
training on his own at the age of 11. He made himself a heavy
bag by packing a 100-lb canvas rice bag with sawdust and rice
hulls. Driven by instinct and watching local fights, Coban
shadowboxed and worked combinations on his bag. His first fight
was when he was 11 years old. It was at a fair sponsored by a
Buddhist temple (there are many such
fairs in Thailand).
He stepped up to the scale, got his weight and entered the ring.
He fought well, but the result was a draw. He didn't quit; he
continued to fight and improve. With the little money he earned,
he supported this education and helped his family.
As luck or fate
would have it, one year later, a physician named Sam Rhung Jong
Gon (whose brother
was a Muay Thai fighter, and himself a ringside doctor and
judge) had relocated to the Public Health and Recreational
Center in Buriram. He was Coban training, and invited him to
train at the Center. He provided Coban with a heavy bag, and
encouraged him to train. While other kids at the Center were
playing soccer, Coban trained Muay Thai
everyday before and
after school. By thetime he was 15 years old, he had fought at
least 35 fights.
When Coban was
ready to attend high school, Sam Rhung Jong Gon was ready to
move on himself. As his last gesture of mentorship and
friendship, he sent Coban to Camp Lookchaomaesaitong, where he
was given the nickname Coban by one of his trainers. Coban
literally means Cowboy. He spent the next nine years at the
Camp. During this time, Coban ascended through the ranks and
gained fame as a naturally tough fighter with instincts for Muay
Thai. He won his first World Championship at the age of 19 at
Lumpinee Stadium (1985).
When Coban was 24
years old, Camp Lookchaomaesaitong closed down. Coban's promoter
at that time sent him to Bangkok to train in three camps: Ghed
Bangchong, Pad Apon and Meung Suring (he kept the name
Lookchaomaesaitong out of respect to his original camp). In that
year, he won his second Lumpinee title (1990), his third World
Championship in The Netherlands (1990), and his fourth in France
(1990). A year later, Coban went on to win his fifth World
Championship in Bangkok (1991), sixth in England (1991) and
seventh in Australia (1991).
In 1994, Coban went
to California, where he earned three additional belts. In his
entire career, he
as had over 270 fights.
Today, he is a
retired fighter living in New York, where he teaches Muay Thai.
In his teaching, Coban shows proper techniques, but also
emphasizes calmness, simplicity, power, control and a fighting
spirit. He shares with his students the knowledge and the heart
of Muay Thai, the art to which he devoted his life.
