I recently became certified as a Muay Thai instructor with the Thai Boxing Association of the USA, TBA for short (thaiboxing.com). It was started by Ajarn Surachai “Chai” Sirisute and has become one of the largest martial arts organizations in the world. To even be considered for an instructorship you have to have been studying Muay Thai under Ajarn Chai’s TBA for at least three years, pass two student level tests and be recommended by another instructor.

The first time I saw Ajarn Chai was more than four years ago and he left quite an impression- how fast he could move, the shape he was in, his emphasis on form and his core rule of discipline. I did not know then that I would one day wish to seek an instructorship under him and his organization but I do remember that after his seminar I was very intrigued with Muay Thai. I also personally have an emphasis on good form so his philosophy meshed well with mine.

At some point in my training I decided I would like to seek an instructorship under Ajarn Chai so I talked to my instructors about it and they helped me lay out a plan to achieve this goal. Without going into all the details of that plan, the jist of it came down to Ajarn Chai’s core rule: discipline. The harder I worked and more disciplined I was, the better I would perform on the final instructorship test.

From there, a typical week training and preparing for my test looked like this. After work, I headed straight to the gym, trained until about 9 PM (or later), headed home to sleep, all while trying to eat every 2-3 hours (except during training and sleep) to keep my body healthy. Saturdays were a day of rest and I spent a few hours training Sunday mornings/afternoons. That was my schedule for more than nine months.

So after four and a half years of studying Muay Thai and in particular that final year of extensive training, I passed my instructorship test on April 26th, 2009 (also my birthday). After all of my dedication and discipline I received my Apprentice Level Instructorship. Interestingly, after all of that hard work I now get the honor to start my training and teaching.

To reach the next level of instructorship requires another three years. Ironically, in a world filled with instant gratification and feedback from things like Twitter, it took years for me to reach the beginning. Much like a high school diploma this certification just means I am ready to begin my journey, not that I have reached the end.

I would like to thank all my instructors, coach and training partners that helped me through all of this and gave me strength even when I did not feel like I had it. This achievement is as much yours as it is mine. I would like to especially thank Ajarn Chai for everything.

Thank you, Sir!

-Chad Breske

Trackback this Post | Feed on comments to this Post