On Saturday, January 10, the International Polish Muay Thai Cup was held in Olsztyn. The tournament was won by Dominik Zadora, a representative of the Bolesławiec Muay Thai Club, who defeated the previous ranking leader, Jakub Jarosz, in the final bout.
This is not the young Bolesławiec resident’s first success. Dominik already holds the title of Polish champion. “He is still undefeated,” Tomasz Zadora, the young champion’s coach and, privately, his father, told the IstotneInformacje.pl portal.
“I have been fascinated by martial arts since childhood,” Dominik admits. – “At first, muay thai was my hobby. Now I am thinking about turning professional.” He began training with his father in 2005. “At first, he trained because he wanted to be fit. It was only last year that he decided to try his hand in the ring,” Tomasz Zadora points out. After winning two tournaments for beginners, Dominik competed in the Polish Championships and... won.
The winner of this year’s Polish Cup had been interested in various sports since childhood, including football and taekwondo. “I wanted to train everything at once, but I realized that I had to choose one direction. I chose muay thai,” says Dominik. – “I am an individualist. I wanted to decide for myself about my fate and my successes.”
Why muay thai? “It is the style most similar to street fighting and the most versatile,” explains Tomasz Zadora, who has trained in various martial arts for 24 years. – “People say that muay thai is about taking a hard hit and hitting back even harder.” But he immediately adds: “Of course, none of our fighters uses their skills in the street. This style is a very good school of character. It takes a great deal of perseverance and determination to keep coming to training and strive to improve despite injuries and ailments.”
An important element of muay thai is the wai-kru dance. “It is a dance through which the fighter pays tribute to the coach, instructor, school and their masters,” the coach explains. “Each school has its own style of dance,” Dominik adds. Wai-kru is a kind of ritual. “It gives the fighter strength and helps them concentrate before the bout,” says Tomasz Zadora. – “An expert can assess a fighter’s abilities solely on the basis of wai-kru. If both fighters represent a similar level and the bout is even, it is the dance that determines the winner.”
The judges rated Dominik’s wai-kru very highly. The Bolesławiec resident’s dance also impressed internet users. The young champion admits that he attaches great importance to this element of the bout. “Through wai-kru, we can show our opponent that we are not afraid of them and that we want to face them. It is a psychological tactic,” he explains.
Tomasz Zadora looks to the future with optimism. “We hope that Dominik will succeed at this year’s Polish Championships,” says the coach. If he wins, he may be called up to the national team and compete at the European Championships. Traveling to competitions costs money, and quite a lot of it. The young champion is looking for a sponsor who could help finance these trips.
(GA information)