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15-year-old Muay Thai fighter wants to turn pro, see world
Friday, July 25, 2008
Paul Johnson is used to the looks of disbelief that come after he tells someone that he is a Muay Thai fighter.
That's because outside of the ring the 15-year-old from Beavercreek hardly looks or acts like a fighter.
"To some people it comes off as a little bit odd," Johnson said. "I watched UFC and K-1 kickboxing and I wasn't doing anything else so I figured why not try it?"
Johnson began training more than a year ago with instructor Manual Taningco from TAMA martial arts in Dayton. In the beginning, it was just something for Johnson and his father to do together, but eventually he decided that he wanted to take it a step further and fight.
In the biggest fight of his young career, Johnson defeated Luke Johnson of Modern Gladiator in Indiana, in the Muay Thai Kickboxing Championships on July 19 at TAMA Martial Arts Center in Kettering.
There were 12 fights in all with fighters from Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Virginia.
"He wasn't afraid," said Taningco, who was also the events' organizer. "He wasn't stagnant, he was constantly moving. It was a very good fight."
Johnson (2-0) is currently a C-class fighter, which means that he has fought in three or fewer fights. Taningco said that he will move up after his third fight in November.
When Johnson turns 18, he said he wants to fight professionally in Asia where there are more corporate-sponsored fights.
"I would love to travel all over the world," Johnson said.
Y Flyer National Championship
Bob and Sandy Rowland of Centerville won the 2008 Y Flyer National Championship on Lake Alatoona in Atlanta.
It was their fifth national championship since they started sailing in 1979 and their first since 2000.
"It doesn't get any less exciting," Sandy said. "We went all the way home on a high ... It was so close that when we got off the boat we weren't sure if we had won or not."
The Rowlands represented the Y Flyer Fleet from Hueston Sailing Assocation, which is located in Action Lake in Hueston Woods.
Kilburn leads MVJGA
Tyler Kilburn, a Kettering Fairmont graduate and Alee Everman, who will be a sophomore at Centerville, had the male and female low rounds of the day in the first round of the Miami Valley Junior Golf Association championship tournament Thursday, July 24, at WGC Golf Club in Xenia.
Kilburn, who recently finished his sophomore year at Danville (Ill.) Community College, shot a 70 to lead the 19-22 age group. He leads Anthony Cordes, a Valley View grad and junior at Miami University, who shot a 71. Kyle Gillen, a June graduate of Miamisburg, led the 16-18 age group with a 74. Everman came in with an 85. The final round is today.
• Ten junior golfers from the Dayton area will compete in the Optimist International Junior Golf Championships July 26-Aug. 3 at the PGA National Resort and Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
The event is for golfers ages 10-18 who represent 40 states, six Canadian provinces and 30 other nations. They include:
Brooke Albers (Fort Loramie), Michael Day (Brookville), Clark Engle (Springfield), Matt Kern (Springboro), Sarah Kolodzik (Bellbrook), Laura and Lindsay Murray (Tipp City), Alec Tahy (Oakwood), Scott Thompson (Miamisburg) and Zachary Yinger (Sidney).
Contact us
If you have recreational or youth sports news to report, we want to know about it. Please contact:
Matt O'Donnell (937) 225-0652, modonnell@coxohio.com
Greg Silverman (937) 225-0629, gsilverman@coxohio.com
