Pollet’s Martial Arts Centre continues to show its standing within the martial arts community by luring leading Muay Thai instructor, Master Toddy, to the region.
The experienced fighter and instructor arrived in Bathurst and began training students at Pollet’s on Wednesday and he will continue to introduce them to the art of Muay Thai before seminars in Dubbo and Orange.
In his first visit to Australia, Master Toddy will also visit Sydney, Melbourne and the Gold Coast before returning to Thailand in early December.
However, his focus is firmly on Bathurst for now as the man who has trained more than 40 world champions attempts to introduce the Muay Thai discipline worldwide.
“It will definitely be a success over here because I come to this gym of Master Pollet’s and it is one of the best here and he already has 100 students that do karate and and they are going to be doing Muay Thai as well,” Master Toddy said.
“I’m also travelling while I am here and before I go there will be a couple of thousand who know how to train Muay Thai properly.”
Master Toddy said that Muay Thai is a rapidly growing discipline and he believes that it can be a big success in Australia.
“I bring Muay Thai art from Thailand to Australia. My system is working very well in America and other countries and this is my first visit to Australia. So far I like the people a lot and it is an excellent country,” he said.
“The system of Muay Thai is growing so much because it is very big in America and the other side of the world, but it’s not that big in Australia. It is a system where they can train without getting hurt and they can enjoy themselves and that’s why the sport can grow fast here.”
Master Toddy said one of the reasons Muay Thai was growing so fast was because it is unique compared to other styles of martial arts and it is also making it’s way into other sports such as the Ultimate Fighting Champion-ships.
“It’s very different to any other martial arts because our hand is heavy like boxing. It’s as fast and heavy as boxing and we use the elbow and knee. We also have our most powerful kick which is called the roundhouse kick and it uses the shin so it can break your arm or leg with one kick,” he said.
“[Other sports] like MMA [Mixed Martial Arts] and UFC or Jujitsu like to have a Muay Thai technique included because they are one of the most powerful and one of the best for self defence because it can stop an opponent straight away.”
Master Toddy and Hanshi Ian Pollet met in July but since then they have grown very close.
“We are very good friends and like family. We have similar minds and I think he will help to continue Muay Thai in this country,” Master Toddy said.
Hanshi Pollet said he was delighted to attract someone of Master Toddy’s standing in the sport and believes that it can help Pollet’s Martial Arts Centre increase their profile even more.
“Our fighters are starting to get a lot of international recognition and that hasn’t been an easy thing. I’ve had to get out there myself as well as these guys and it’s starting to work well,” Pollet said.
“Our school is one that everybody wants to come to because they know that they have an opportunity. One of [Master Toddy’s] students has gotten part in James Bond. Why can’t our students have the same opportunity?”
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