The King is back. With silver medals from Italy.
This past summer, junior Ron King III traveled to Tuscany, Italy for seven days to represent Team USA in the World Kickboxing Association’s World Tournament. The team featured boxers from all across the United States.
“There were guys [on the team] from all over the place. From California to Pennsylvania,” said King. “There were around 30 people in total.”
The diverse group competed as a team, but registered for events individually based on age and weight. King competed in both the Thai-boxing and K1 Kickboxing divisions at 58kg, or about 128 pounds.
Thai-boxing, sometimes referred to as Muay-Thai, is a full contact, intense combat sport that involves various strikes. Unlike traditional boxing, it is not limited to the fists and feet.
“Muay Thai involves striking with the majority of tools on your body” said King, he continues, “It’s known as the art of eight limbs, because you can strike with elbows and knees too.”
K1 Kickboxing is more traditional kickboxing, centered purely on punches and kicks. A typical kickboxing match is divided into three, two-minute rounds, with a one-minute break between each round.
Preparing for competition at the international level was no easy task for the determined athlete. For months prior to the international competition, King focused every day on honing his abilities.
“I basically did my regular training regimen” said King.
King’s “regular” training regimen consisted of two workouts a day: a long run and sprints in the morning, followed by an extreme practice in the afternoon. A typical kickboxing practice for King includes a light warm-up, followed by grueling interval training, striking drills with pads, neck wrestling, all-out sparring with a partner, a cool down, and stretch.
“As the fight gets closer we increase intensity,” said King. “We don’t want to get rusty before a big completion.”
In the World Tournament, King battled his way to a record of two wins, and two losses. King’s talent and dedication paid off, as he returned from Italy as a silver medalist in both K1 and Thai-boxing.
Outside of the competition, King describes Italy as an amazing experience, and is thankful for the opportunity to compete with Team USA.
“Our hotel was close to the Mediterranean sea, it was beautiful,” said King. “Also one day we got to go see the leaning Tower of Pisa.”
In addition to kickboxing, King competes as a varsity wrestler for WS.
For King, his biggest moment of the tournament was his final match.
“I’m always nervous before a match, but my final match, I wasn’t nervous at all,” said King. “I realized this is where I belong.”
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King takes home silver
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