Brittany Kelley
KYLE — Pierce “Suaytae” Valenzuela, of Kyle, is preparing to kick his way to the top at only 15 years old by representing Team USA in Bangkok, Thailand, at the end of June.
Valenzuela began Muay Thai three years ago when he discovered the sport on YouTube after wanting to find a competitive sport that he could “take a step further.” From there, he began practicing at American Vintage Society in Buda.
“People call it the art of eight limbs. So, all your weapons are: your knees, elbows, kicks and punches, obviously. It’s similar to kickboxing, but now you’re just adding knees and elbows,” he explained.
From the first day, he knew he had found a passion, sharing that, “It was exactly where I wanted to be.”
The fighter eventually developed his own style, earning him the name “Suaytae,” which he noted means “beautiful kick” in Thai, since he focuses on kicking.
As Valenzuela’s enthusiasm for Muay Thai continued to grow, he began considering competing and entered his first Muay Thai Development League (MDL) match.
“It’s like a tiny little scrimmage. It’s just a good way to practice and there will be events around Texas that do it. It’s a way to gain experience, if you really want to fight and then, you’ll go on to do actual sanctioned fights that appear on your record,” said Valenzuela.
After competing in several of these, he put in an application to be on Team USA. He explained that, although there is no formal match to determine who is on the team, the Muay Thai community in the United States is quite small, so those deciding have been to the MDLs and will “know if you’re actually good enough because, majority of the time, they’ve seen you fight.”
He stressed that being able to represent his country is no small feat, as this is a huge accomplishment for the 15 year old.
Valenzuela competed at the USA Muay Thai Grand Nationals in Delaware — placing second — and the Southern Regional Tournament in Louisiana prior to taking the stage at the WBC Muay Thai World Festival in Bangkok.
The tournaments span across several days, where the competitors fight in a bracket to move up until the final winner is crowned.
“I took home a bronze medal that time around [in Louisana]. It was really fun, though,” recalled Valenzeula. “I got a really good fight in and really good experience, so I’m actually really proud of that … I think [these other fights are] preparing me really good, mostly because in Thailand, it’s going to be high-paced, so very touch-and-go type of style … There’s a difference between regular Muay Thai, where you have all the people watching you in a stadium and then, there’s tournament style, where it’s very fast-paced and you have power behind your shots, but you’re more looking to score for the judges.”
Despite wanting to do well in competitions, Valenzuela emphasized that his favorite part of the sport isn’t the recognition: “[It’s] the community. I met a lot of good people throughout it and it’s a good way to socialize and workout with friends at the same time. So, it’s really enjoyable.”
Valenzuela shared that he hopes to compete professionally in the future, but for now, he’s hoping to have more opportunities to compete, which is difficult, due to the lack of competitions in Texas. Because of this, his mother, Leila Valenzuela, shared that they are consistently looking for sponsors. Those looking to aid him in his Muay Thai career can email [email protected]. Additionally, a GoFundMe can be found at https://gofund.me/11b289992.
Although nervous for his upcoming performance in Thailand on June 25, Valenzuela emphasized that this is normal. So, he’s simply looking to do his best and if he does, then he can be proud of himself, no matter the outcome.
“As long as I’ve gained experience and gained something from that fight, I’m pretty much satisfied,” he concluded.
