In an extraordinary honor for me that I did an interview with the legendary Sandy Holt . Ladies and gentlemen just for you Sandy Holt !
Hello Mr. Holt. You have started with martial arts in 1974. Who inspired you?
HELLO MILAN,
THANKYOU FOR YOUR INTERVIEW IAM HONOURED AND HUMBLED TO ANSWER,
1.YES 1974 I GOT STARTED IN MARTIAL ARTS AFTER THE BIG BOOM / NAME BRUCE LEE
AND LIKE MANY HE WAS A PHENOM AND THE MAN TO OPEN THE MARTIAL ARTS TO THE WEST AND THE WORLD
I STARTED AND WAS PRACTISING
KARATE AND JUI-JITSU I ATTAINED A BROWN BELT,
And in 78 you discovered Muay Thai. Can you tell us how and where?
2. YES …WELL IT WAS 1977 AND YES I WAS INTRODUCED TO MUAY THAI BOXING IN MY HOMETOWN, BOLTON ( JUST OUTSIDE OF MANCHESTER ENGLAND ) TO A THAI MASTER / ARJARN CALLED MASTER SKEN KAEWPADUNG, THIS IS THE DATE AND YEAR I STARTED THAI-BOXING 17TH: NOVEMBER 1977. MY TEACHER WAS LIKE A LIVING BRUCE LEE WHO WAS THE MAN THAT GOT ME INTERESTED IN MARTIAL ARTS 3 YEARS EARLIER IN 1974.
You won many championships, which is the title you are most proud of?
3. THANK YOU I WON 3 CHAMPIONSHIP TITLES / BELTS, 2 BRITISH THAI BOXING LIGHTWEIGHT BELTS AND THE
EUROPEAN SUPER FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE, AND THIS BEING MY MOST IMPORTANT AND BEST IN MANY WAYS, AS THE CHAMPION HOLDER WAS FROM THE FAMOUS DUTCH /CAMP OF THOM HARRINCK OF CHAKURIKA GYM HOLLAND, HIS FIGHTER DUTCH AND EUROPEAN CHAMPION TEKIN DONMEZ, I FOUGHT HIM OVER 5 X 3 MINUTE
ROUNDS FOR HIS TITLE IN MANCHESTER AND WON, IT WAS THE TOUGHEST FIGHTER I EVER FACED IN MY 21 FIGHTS I HAD, AND HE WAS THE HARDEST KICKER I FOUGHT TOO, SO MUCH SO HE BROKE MY ARM IN THE SECOND ROUND AND AGAIN BROKE THE SAME ARM AGAIN HIGHER UP IN THE 4TH: ROUND, BUT I MANAGED TO STILL WIN, THIS WAS MY PROUDEST FIGHT AND ACHEIVEMENT IN THE FIGHTING SPORT SIDE OF THE ART.
In 1983 you established the Thai boxing club Bolton. Can you tell us more about the club, who is it intended for?
4. THANK YOU YES AS I DECIDED TO TRAIN OTHERS AND GIVE BACK WHAT MY TEACHER / MASTER GAVE ME WHICH WAS KNOWLEDGE IN THIS THAILAND MARTIAL ART THATS REGARDED AS THE MOST RESPECTED AND TOUGHEST STAND UP FIGHTING IN THE WORLD AND KNOWN AS THE “ART AND SCIENCE OF 8 LIMBS” AND I STARTED TEACHING IN 1983 THE FIRST THAI BOXING CLUB IN BOLTON ( MY HOMETOWN ) AND SINCE THEN HAVE TAUGHT TENS OF THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS OVER THE LAST 32 YEARS MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDRENS CLASSES AND THE GYMS BEEN OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK AND 50 WEEKS A YEAR, AND ON TOP OF TEACHING THE SELF-DEFENCE AND ART I / WE HAVE PRODUCED OVER 30 INSTRUCTORS WHOM HAVE OPENED GYMS ALL OVER THE UK AND SOME ABROAD TOO, PLUS TENS OF FIGHTERS AND OVER 40 CHAMPIONS TOO, IAM PROUD OF MY GYM AND ITS STUDENTS AND THE FACT THAT MY GYM “BOLTON THAI BOXING CLUB” IS ALSO THE LONGEST RUNNING FULL TIME THAI BOXING GYM IN ENGLAND AND THE UK.
You are active in many projects like kick drugs, bully free zone, where you work with young people, raising their awareness. Tell us more about it.
5.YES IVE ALWAYS WORKED WITH THESE GROUPS OVER THE YEARS AND GOING IN SCHOOLS TO HELP YOUNG PEOPLE SEE THAT THERE ARE OTHER WAYS TO GET THROUGH LIFE, AS LIFE IS TOUGH, AND SCHOOL AND ESPECIALLY BEING A TEENAGER IS A TOUGH TIME IN ANY PERSONS LIFE, SO GUIDANCE IS IMPORTANT AND I STRONGLY BELIEVE IN LEADING BY EXAMPLE- AS I DONT DRINK ALCOHOL, I DONT SMOKE, IVE NEVER TOOK DRUGS AND TRY TO BE A POSITIVE, HEALTHY ROLE MODEL TO YOUNG AND ALL AGES !
Which fight you remember best?
6. IT HAS TO BE MY EUROPEAN TITLE AS I MENTIONED ABOVE, BECAUSE OF THE ODDS AGAINST ME
AND BEATING THE CHAMPION WHO WAS FAR MORE EXPERIENCED THAN MYSELF AND FROM A VERY VERY STRONG WELL KNOW GYM BACK THEN THE CHAKURIKI GYM THOM HARINKS DUTCH CAMP.
Your favorite food is?
7. WELL IM SURE YOU CAN ALL GUESS???????????? YES `THAI` FOOD FROM THAILAND… ITS SO TASTY AND VERY VERY HEALTHY AND I LIKE TO EAT HEALTHY AS MUCH AS I CAN AND HAVE A SAYING I TELL PEOPLE..
“WE ARE WHAT WE EAT AND DRINK”
When we meet you always emanate positive energy. Are there moments when you are in a bad mood at all?
8. MILAN THANKYOU AND IS A PLEASURE TO MEET LIKE MINDED POSITIVE ENERGY PEOPLE AND I WOULD LIKE TO THINK I TRY TO BE THIS WAY AS MUCH AS I CAN AND AS I HAVE MANY SAYINGS ANOTHER IS `1 LIFE LIVE IT` AND LIKE MY IMAGE OF CRAZY HAIRCUTS AND BRIGHT CLOTHES I GUESS JUST ME AND NOT TRYING TO BE BETTER THAN PEOPLE BUT TO BE IN TUNE WITH PEOPLE AND IF THEY SMILE? AND COMMUNICATE? THEN ITS A BONUS đ AND I DO GET DOWN SOMETIMES AND USUALLY FROM PEOPLE WHOM ARE BAD OR ENERGY TAKERS MOSTLY, BUT FOR MOST PART IAM HAPPY AS IT IS A “CHOICE” IN MY OPPINION.
We met first at FFC Zadar a couple of years ago. I noticed your image. Did you have any problems with your image?
9. WELL LIKE ABOVE ITS ABOUT BEING HAPPY AND POSITIVE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AS WE ARE A LONG TIME DEAD AND TOO LATE WHEN WE DIE TO HAVE WISHED WE HAD DONE SOME THINGS MORE? OR SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT? AND IF ANYONE HAS A PROBLEM WITH MY IMAGE ITS OK AS MORE PEOPLE THAN NOT SEAM TO LIKE IT AND SOME DONT BUT THATS OK AS ITS THEIR PROBLEM ….“NOT MINE“ HAHAHA đ
You are active as a comentator for FFC, KOK and others. Was that ever a burden?
10. YOU KNOW I GET ASKED A LOT ABOUT COMMENTATING AND I ALWAYS SAY THE SAME ………
ITS AN HONOUR, A PRIVELEDGE AND A BLESSING AS I GET TO SIT IN THE BEST SEATS ( FRONT ROW )
SEE THE BEST FIGHTS, MEET THEM, AND GREAT TRAINERS AND ALL THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE THE SHOW RUN, THE GREAT PROMOTERS AND MANY NEW FRIENDS AROUND THE WORLD TO MAKE IT A SMALLER BUT HAPPIER PLACE ! đ SO A BURDEN ? YOU ASK? … ONLY SOMETIMES WHEN 2 SHOWS CLASH SAME WEEKEND AND I HAVE TO DO ABOUT 7 OR 8 AIRPORTS AND 6 OR MORE FLIGHTS AND RUNNING FROM TERMINALS TO CATCH PLANES CAN BE A LITTLE STRESSFUL, BUT THE REST IS “FANTASTIC” …………………. I ALSO MET YOU đ
You travel around the world a lot. Can you share some anectode from your travels?
11. YES AS I SAY “ONE LIFE LIVE IT” WE ARE DEAD FOR BILLIONS OF YEARS, SO BE HAPPY BE NICE AND KEEP SMILING, ITS A WONDERFUL WORLD …GO VISIT IT đ
Thank you for the interview.
AND THANK YOU VERY VERY MUCH AND WISH YOU AND YOUR READERS / VIEWERS WELL
SANDY HOLT
WEBSITE
www.thaiboxing.co.uk
