New Jersey Martial Arts Hall of Fame to honor Kumron Vaitayanon with the “MUAY THAI TRAINER” award

New Jersey: The New Jersey Martial Arts Hall of Fame is extremely proud of its seventh class of inductees to the New Jersey Martial Arts Hall of Fame. This class will be honored at the seventh dinner gala to be held at The Event Center in iPlay America in Freehold, NJ on December 6, 2019.

On December 6th, Kumron Vaitayanon will be inducted as Muay Thai Trainer.

Mr. Kumron Vaitayanon, known professionally as Master K, is one of the leading Muay Thai trainers in the United States. He is a native of Thailand, born and raised in Prapradang, outside the capital of Bangkok. At the age of eight, he began practicing Muay Thai by himself, and later received lessons from a number of trainers. At the age of 13, he entered a Muay Thai tournament hosted by his middle school, and he won all three fights in one day. Shortly after his tournament victory, he began formal training under a cousin, who was a professional Muay Thai bantamweight champion.

Master K then went on to have a remarkable professional Muay Thai career in Thailand, with more than 75 fights. He was known for being highly adept in using the “eight limbs” of Muay Thai as weapons; in particular, over half of his wins were from elbow knock-outs. At a major Muay Thai boxing event featuring matches with big-name fighters, Master K fought a tough opponent and won his match. At the end of the evening, he received acclaim from the audience as the best fighter at the event.

Following this major victory, Master K chose to retire from professional fighting. He pursued a career in public relations and worked at the Government Savings Bank of Thailand for 23 years, where he rose to become chief of public relations. In 1970, the bank sent him to the United States to study public relations and advertising in New York City. During his two-year stay, Master K performed a number of public demonstrations of Muay Thai in the New York and New Jersey area, raising awareness and interest in the sport in the United States.

In 1984, Master K moved to the United States to ensure that his children had the best education possible. However, he never lost his love for Muay Thai. For three decades, Master K has trained dozens of students of all ages in the art of Muay Thai. Many of those students have gone on to fight in amateur and professional competitions, achieving high rankings in their weight classes and winning championships, with some opening their own Muay Thai gyms and practices. Master K and his team have participated in numerous Muay Thai demonstrations, including the annual Thai Heritage Festival and the Asian-Pacific Cultural Festival, and in the Karate College Seminar at Radford University in Virginia. Master K also has produced two Muay Thai instructional videos.
Master K continues to train and teach Muay Thai, and his contributions to the sport will echo for generations. He and his wife reside in North Jersey. They have two children, two grandchildren, and two pet dogs.

We hope you will join us on December 6, 2019. Mark your calendars now and purchase your tickets early so you can be sure to be a part of New Jersey martial arts history. Call201-538-4843 or visit www.njmmaawards.com and get your ticket and join us in a historic night for New Jersey and for martial arts. It is certain to be a terrific night with family, friends, fun, and music.

Here is the complete list of award winners:

2019 Seventh Class Inductee Awards

Gary Shaw – Combat Sports Promoter

Gordon Ryan – Jiu Jitsu

Kumron Vaitayanon – Muay Thai

Marlon Moraes – MMA Fighter

Anthony Ashnault – Wrestling

Gasper Oliver – Amateur MMA Fighter / NJSACB Referee

Dr. Stu Patel – Ringside Physician

Edson Carvalho – MMA Fighter / Corner man

Phil Nurse – Muay Thai

Murat Keshtov – Martial Arts Trainer

Jerry Fatjo – Martial Arts Trainer

Steven Bongiorno – Martial Arts Trainer

Tim William – MMA Fighter

George Sullivan – MMA Fighter

Andy Main – MMA Fighter

Jeff Lentz – MMA Fighter

Corey Anderson – MMA Fighter

Roberto Villa

Roberto Villa is the CEO, Founder, Executive Writer, Senior Editor of FightBook MMA. Has a passion for Combat Sports and also a podcast host for Sitting Ringside. He’s also a former MMA fighter and Kickboxer.