ROOTS OF FIGHT
Petchrungruang Gym – Pattaya.
This gym, like many others in Thailand, is a place to learn the art of Muay Thai. However, unlike others, it's a true gathering spot. A den for fighting enthusiasts. It's a place where friendship, passion, and respect harmoniously coexist. There's no distinction of gender, age, or ethnicity. Here, everyone trains together.
In the air, you can smell oil and sweat, and you notice numerous gloves hanging on the ropes of the ring, waiting to be used.
At Petchrung, many characters alternate: there's Angelo Bernardoni, an Abruzzo native, a sports science student who finds in Muay Thai a meditative practice that allows him to control pre-match fear. There's Alessandro Sara, a promising future champion at just 16 years old, with a natural coordination in movements that allows him to deliver precise and intense punches and kicks. And then there's Dylan Hoang, a 24-year-old Frenchman who fell in love with the art of Muay Thai seven years ago.
All of them share one thing in common: Filippo Cinti.
Filippo, 41 years old, WPMF World Champion in 2005, WKN European Professional Champion in 2004, has been in Thailand since 2003 and is one of the most well-known Italian fighters. Currently retired from competitive fighting (also due to an injury), he continues to actively participate as a coach and manager of professional athletes. And it's in this role that he comes into play here, at Petchrung, as a reference point for the boys.