THE CAMP LOOKPRABAT
THE CAMP LOOKPRABAT
Special report by Serge TREFEU (2012)
This famous camp is one of oldest of Thailand. It is situated that in the town of Phra Phutthabat near Saraburi, a city which is in the Centre region of the country, in 100 km in the North of Bangkok. Saraburi is 20 km of the popular city of Lopburi. Lopburi is a however known city Ayutthaya and Sukhothai, it is a mythical city in the story of the Thailand. It is the city of ” Temples to the Monkeys “, the city is invaded by monkeys who live permanently in streets and temples of Lopburi…
The Lookprabat camp exists since 30 years and in was created by Mr. Noi Wuttisopakorn, a businessman important in the community of Phra Phutthabat. The name of the camp was chosen for honored the temple ” Wat Phra Phutthabat “. It is one of the most important temples of the Thailand because he contains Buddha’s very wide footprint situated at the top of a hill.
“Look” means “Student” but also “Technique” and “Prabat” makes reference to the temple Wat Phra Phutthabat.
During many years Mr Wuttisopakorn managed with passion Lookprabat Gym. Thanks to him many children of poor families of the region were able to manage by means of Muay Thai. Some people became great champions, and many earned their living correctly by becoming professional boxers…
Mr. Noi Wuttisopakorn died in 2005, the world of the boxing lost a symbolic face of Muay Thai in Thailand. It is the son of Mr Wuttisopakorn, Mr. Pracha Wuttisopakorn who resumed with his wife the Lookprabat camp. Pracha Wuttisopakorn continued to manage the camp in the same way as his father…
This camp in the time was a real factory to champion, there were more than about fifty boxers permanently who trained for it very hard. The boxers of the Lookprabat always brought good results during several following years. It is thus quite logical there that Lookprabat was twice elected ” Best Camp of the Year “, in 2007 and in 2008!
And since his opening this famous camp with product 15 great champions and gathered in 23 belts of the biggest stadium of the country, a record!
One of the first champions of the Lookprabat is Pairdum Lookprabat who gained two belts of Radja, in 130 lbs and in 135 lbs. Pairdum regrettably died in an accident of motorcycle. Then there are 20 years, there was Dangnoy Lookprabat who was Radja Champion in 126 lbs, Aodnoy Lookprabat who was a Lumpinee champion in 105 lbs, Farran Lookprabat, Lumpinee champion in 108 lbs and Lookdod Lookprabat, Radja champion in 108 lbs. Then two terror of boxing rings made the beautiful days of Lookprabat, Jonglex Lookprabat and Kompetch Lookprabat. Jonglex in gained three belts of Radja, in 126 lbs, in 130 lbs and in 135 lbs, and Kompetch in gained two belts of Radja, in 130 lbs and in 135 lbs.
A few years later it is Bunlaedech Lookprabat and Wongkod Lookprabat who to rob each a belt of Radja, Bunlaedech in 112 lbs and Wongkod in 108 lbs. At the beginning of 2000s, a great champion is going to represent Lookprabat a long time, it is the formidable warrior Pajonsuk Lookprabat. Pajonsuk gained the belt of Lumpinee in 147 lbs in 2002, he also gained two World champion’s belts in – 70 kg, that of the WPKL and that of the WMC. It was an excellent boxer who later fought a lot abroad, in particular in K1 Max and in Holland in It’s Show Time where he beat great champions such Mes Joerie, Aalviar Lima and Yoshihiro Sato.
Then it is two “diamonds” of Muay Thai that succeeded Pajonsuk, two great champions who marked 2000s, Wuttidet Lookprabat and Rungruanglek Lookprabat. Wuttidet was a terrible fighter who gained in 2007 the belt of Thailand in 122 lbs, he beat great champions as Sam-A Thor Ratanakiat, Seanchai Sor Kingstar, Pinsiam Sor Amnuaysirichoke and Lekkla Thanasuranakorn. He was elected ” Best Fighter of the Year ” in 2007!
When to Rungruanglek he dominated, in his category, the Thai circuit in the 2000s. Rungruanglek gained five belts, two champion’s belts of the Lumpinee, in 115 lbs and in 122 lbs, two champion’s belts of Thailand, in 115 lbs and in 122 lbs, and the belt of the Tournament Isuzu in 118 lbs. He was elected ” Best Fighter of the Year ” in 2009!
Today champion who represents Lookprabat are Pornsawan Lookprabat, Kaotam Lookprabat and Komphetlek Lookprabat.
Pornsawan gained in 2009 in only 17 years champion’s belt of Thailand in 112 lbs, in 2011 he gained champion’s belt of Thailand in the category above, in 118 lbs.
Kaotam is at present Lumpinee Champion in 118 lbs, he gained his belt last year against Rungpet Wor Sangprapai. He makes left today the best fighters of his category, he beat champions as Manasak Naruepai, Nongbia Chokngarmwong, Phetpanomrung Kiatmuu 9 and Kaikmoodam Sit O.
Komphetlek, him, is a 18-year-old whiz kid who has already made 200 fights, he gained two belts, World Champion WBC’s belt in 130 lbs and the belt S1 in 130 lbs. His World Champion WBC’s belt he gained him in 2010 at Pattaya against rough French – Turk Yetkin Ozkul!
In the camp now there are no more so many boxers as in the nice time, they are not more than a dozen of nakmuays to train here, but fighters of very high levels. They are supervised by three trainers among whom two come from the city of Surin in Isaan, a region which produces of excellent fighter and the other one comes from Singburi, a city near Lopburi.
The promoters of the camp are Mr. Vinai Narksin for the stadium of Radja and Mr. Tidipong Aomanuen nicknamed Jar Tui (Owner of the camp Saengmorakot Gym) for stadium of Lumpinee and Omnoi. The boxers can thus evolve in every big stadium of Bangkok, they fight sometimes even in the stadium TV7…
Lookprabat is a camp ” Muay Khao ” (Strong in blow of knees), the techniques of blow of knees are particularly worked in this camp.
The training begins at 6 am in the morning with a 14 km jogging, a jogging very testing during the course, the boxers have to rise by running very stiff staircases which lead to a small temple perched at the top of a hill. Sometimes, they go up and go down these staircases several times, this very hard exercise allows to strengthen the muscles of legs, no such thing to have calfs in cast-iron!
The training continues with rounds of paos, rounds of punch bag and the clinch. At 9 am, nakmuays is going to have lunch and take a rest deserved well…
The training of him after noon begins at 3:30 pm with a jogging of only 6 km then they move on by the jump rope. In period of preparation of fight, every fighters make 3 rounds in paos, a round lasts 10 minutes, it is very long but completes to obtain an excellent physical condition. After the testing session in paos, every boxer is massed all the muscles by his colleagues of trainings.
The boxers make then 20 minutes in punch bag, little of sparring and end with the traditional session of clinch which lasts 40 minutes. The training finished generally at about 6:30 pm. On Monday, on Wednesday and Friday after noon, a special session is dedicated to sparrings in Boxing with 3 rounds of 5 minutes each…
Before, this camp received practically nobody foreigners. But for two years the Lookprabat camp was completely refit, his surface is bigger and the structure of the camp is quite new. The summary rooms of the thais boxers in tiny bungalow are always there.
But henceforth the camp is also equipped with impeccable rooms for the foreign fighters who wish to sleep in Lookprabat.
The foreign boxers are thus many now to have come here, French, Australian, Spanish, Americans trained and fought for Lookprabat. An American, Alex Anoushian stayed 8 months in the camp and fought three times for Lookprabat. The Australian champion Mark Sarracino also fought for Lookprabat and he it is prepared with the team of Lookprabat to face the champion Oley Sakonpetch. The fight was planned in Australia with a belt International WBC in game.
The foreigners are very well supervised because the camp is not invaded by foreign fighters, thus the trainers have time to take care well of them. The boss of the camp even sometimes comes to give some technical advice to the foreign boxers.
He reigns here, a very good atmosphere, the trainers and the Thai boxers share their knowledge without held with the foreigners, what is not the case in all the camps in Thailand…
Woman boxers is also welcome in Lookprabat, several seminars were already organized within the camp with woman fighters of all the levels.
Mr and Mrs Wuttisopakorn owners of the camp are very charming people, they will welcome you warmly.
For the formalities of registrations in the camp, a translator works permanently for the Lookprabat gym, very kind she master perfectly English, thus do not hesitate, come try the experience in Lookprabat Gym in this authentic camp which produced very great champions!
LOOKPRABAT GYM
PHRA PHUTTHABAT
SARABURI
Website : www.lookprabat.com
Facebook : Lookprabat Muay Thai