Historical NM medals to Kristiansand – fvn.no
Brandon Trung Moen won gold and Amalie Qvam silver in the first full-contact NM in Thai boxing.
OSLO: Thai boxing or Muay Thai is a traditional martial art with roots dating back to the 18th century. Unique to the sport is the utilization of elbows and knees in addition to punches and kicks.
The sport emphasizes visual technical purity, fighting spirit and steel condition. Well as I enter my seventh year as a practitioner and fourth year as a trainer, I want to tell you that something special has happened with Thai boxing in the last year.
This summer, the IOC has adopted Thai boxing as an Olympic sport and will be seen for the first time in Paris 2024. Nationally, Thai boxing has also come under the umbrella of the Norwegian Sports Confederation. Thai boxing thus joins the ranks of other full-contact martial arts such as karate and taekwondo sorted under the Norwegian Martial Arts Federation.
Live stream
Norway’s first muay thai NM with full contact rules went off the rails in Oslo on Saturday. Unfortunately, new coronary restrictions led to a very small audience, but this did not seem to impress the practitioners. The matches were available on live stream via Facebook with commentators in place. Oksa Muay Thai in Kristiansand was represented by Brandon Trung Moen (33) in the weight class -81kg and Amalie Quam (21) in the weight class -63.5 kg. I have the pleasure of training with both of these athletes several times a week and know how many are investing in the sport. For me, there was no doubt that both would go a long way.
It has been some tough years for the sport, especially for martial arts, where it is near impossible to keep the meter. At Oksa Muay Thai, we have been extremely concerned about following restrictions and in many cases have surpassed these to ensure that we do not contribute to infection. With new restrictions at the time of writing, it does not look bright for those who love martial arts or sports in general. Small clubs that are run on a voluntary basis seem to be getting worse. For many, it has therefore been exciting to see how the various athletes have been able to prepare for an NM. During the “restriction break” this summer, both Brandon and Amalie have fought in Copenhagen and Oslo, respectively. Behind this follow hundreds of hours of technique training, sparring, strength training and diet.
This year, Frontline Muay Thai in Oslo hosted this historic NM. 28 athletes participated in the hope of being able to call themselves the first Norwegian champion in full contact Thai boxing.
Clear semi-final victory
Amalie met Ingeborg Oseland from 8 Limbs Muay Thai from Stavanger in her first match. It was a smooth first round, where Amalie got the upper hand in the clinch with several good hits with elbows and knees. Ingeborg came back strong in the 2nd round with several good sparks, but Amalie picked herself up towards the end with several good clinics and finished with a nice series of strokes. In the 3rd round, Amalie landed many good punches and kicks and pressed on. She drove Ingeborg into the corner on several occasions and won the match by unanimous referee decision.
Brandon had his first match in the semifinals against Andreas from the NCA in Trondheim. Brandon went purposefully from the start, exaggerating his opponents with a series of punches and sparks. A well-timed kick pushed Andreas into the ropes and down into the canvas. It was clear to those who watched that Brandon was set on winning. Andreas had to stand telling from the referee when his kick was caught and was answered with a hard cross. The referee had to stop the match in the 2nd round after a series of sparks against the thigh which meant that the opponent could no longer use the leg. Thus, Brandon was ready to fight in the final.
In the final, Amalie met Ida V. Rautio from NCA in Trondheim. Amalie and Ida had fought against each other in Oslo this summer which ended in a draw. Ida has good kicks with previous experience from Taekwondo. Ida went forward with good punches and kicks. She managed to neutralize much of Amalie’s clinch. It became a war back and forth with Ida’s kick and Amalie as clinch and used elbows well. Both girls kept an insane pace throughout five rounds and it was a joy to watch. Unfortunately, Amalie lost on referee decision, but secured a silver medal in her first NM.
NM victory on points
Then it was time for the finals in the -81 kg class, where Akram Belmekki from Frontline in Oslo was waiting. Brandon chose to do a Wai Kru before the match started, this is a traditional “dance” which honors the fighting spirits and is usually in Thailand. Both practitioners went hard with extremely hard blows. Brandon was more selective in his attacks, but everything was delivered with 100 percent power. It landed full hits at both ends. Akram bet mostly on kicks against the legs followed by big hook punches, which several times found its goals. As commentators pointed out, Brandon smiled back at Akram when he was taken. Brandon continued to chase Akram the following rounds. After a hard fight from both, it was Brandon who could have his hand in the air and call himself Norwegian champion in muay thai 2021.
Oksa Muay Thai is located in Henrik Wergelands gate in Kristiansand. The goal is to offer authentic training in Thai boxing regardless of skill or ambition level. Oksa has delivered a number of Norwegian champions over the years, but also offers a good offer to those who are looking to get in better shape or want to strengthen their self-confidence.