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The eldest of eight children, and the only boy, Ajarn ('Master') Chai started to train in Muay Thai and Karate at the tender age of 6 or 7. He would later go on to earn a black belt in Shorin at the unprecedented age of 12, at which time he also began fighting in the ring in Muay Thai. Sirisute fought competitively in over seventy Muay Thai contests and a score of Western boxing bouts. After he retired as a fighter, he first came to the United States in 1968, at which time he decided to live permanently in the U.S. He later founded and became the president of the Thai Boxing Association of the USA (TBA-USA), which now has affiliated groups in Mexico, Europe, Australia and elsewhere. At the time of his relocation, he had a well-developed penchant for mischief and somehow managed to befriend and train a "notorious motorcycle gang" called The Hell's Angels. "I had no idea who they were," shrugs Sirisute. That is, until the FBI explained it to him... Grimacing embarrassedly Sirisute continued, "So, then I trained the FBI." [Note: "You could see both in the same class during the 1970s," says Terry Tippie] In 1978, Sirisute met a young Filipino-American high school teacher named, Dan Inosanto. Inosanto began training as a student in Ajarn Chai's backyard during these years and they soon became close friends. Once, Ajarn Chai gave Inosanto the task of 
Guro Inosanto & Ajarn Chai
| | kicking the leaves on a tree, then forgot about him and went shopping, leaving Inosanto to swelter in the L.A. summer heat. When Ajarn Chai returned (several hours later), Inosanto was so exhausted and dehydrated that he could barely stand up! But he still had his hands up and was still kicking. Sirisute exclaimed, "Oh my God...I forgot all about you," and held his sides and let out a piercing falsetto cackle! Actually, Sirisute had not forgotten about Inosanto, but was testing Inosanto to see whether he would keep going and whether he would come back. Inosanto did come back, and the friendship that grew up between these two men in those years has served both well over the years. Already well known in the U.S. Inosanto introduced Sirisute to teaching seminars, which greatly helped Ajarn Chai's extended awareness of Muay Thai in the U.S.A. as well as internationally. During the 1970s and early 1980s, Ajarn Chai taught at several Southern California colleges: Chaffey College, Claremont Men's College and Cal. State San Bernardino. At this time, he would train students at his home, the backyard of which was converted into a Thai-style camp. In fact, many of Ajarn Chai's early fighters, such as Mike Goldbach, Reggie Jackson, Glen Hernandez and Don Boyd, came out of a backyard-training environment. It was these very core fighters who Ajarn Chai lead to Thailand in 1982 to enter the first American team to compete in the Muay Thai World Championships. Sirisute would later meet Sifu Francis Fong through their mutual relation with Guro Dan Inosanto. The three, sharing a mutual passion for the arts, began avidly training together and studying both integration and evolution of the martial arts. They would later go on to teach their respective arts at the "Great Smoky Mountain JKD/Kali/Silat/Thai Camp" which was held annually in Brasstown, NC. The dynamic trio have remained close friends and training companions, and instruct at the ever-popular SouthEastern Martial Arts Trainging Conference - held twice a year at the Francis Fong Martial Arts Academy. He has instructed dignitaries and stars, statesmen and sportsmen - all in the art of Muay Thai, and now travels the world to teach seminars and generally promote not only Muay Thai but also Thailand itself. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Sirisute has worked tirelessly to teach Muay Thai seminars to eager students around the world. The organization he founded, the Thai Boxing Association of the U.S.A., now has more than 70 branches in the U.S. and has gained representation in almost every U.S. state. It has also expanded to 15 countries around the world. And Ajarn Chai continues on his path of spreading Muay Thai around the world from his home in Southern California.
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Student Area 
Ajarn Chai Interview
