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Airman earns silver in martial arts competition

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Brok McCarthy
  • 51st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  Recently, a member of the 51st Maintenance Squadron competed in a competition to see who would go to the World Wide Muay Thai competition in Thialand.

Johnathan Lytle, a Muay Thai blackbelt, placed second in the competition, earning him a silver medal. The competition had 12 different weight classes and consisted of individuals from all over Korea.

Not bad, especially considering he's only been practicing the martial art for eight months.

"I had heard about Muay Thai when I was back in the states, but never got into it because it's not all that popular there," he said. "When I got here, I was looking for something to do instead of going drinking downtown. When I heard it was being taught on base, I decided to give it a try."

Muay Thai is a form of kick boxing and the national sport of Thailand.

Lytle said in order to earn a belt, a student must be able to demonstrate certain maneuvers found on a checklist. If all moves are done to the teacher's satisfaction, the belt is awarded.

"I usually go to class four to five times a week," he said. "Occasionally, when we have down days, I will practice twice a day, once in the morning and then again in the evening."

His instructor, Master Chae, Kim Myong, teaches at the base Fitness Center three times a week, and allows students to come to his gym off base in the evenings, which is how Lytle is able to practice as much as he has.

Other than having something to do, Senior Airman Lytle started studying martial arts to help get him in better shape.

"When I first started training, I weighed 267 pounds. Now I'm down to 215," he said. "I have also lost three or four inches off my waist and have managed to shave about two minutes off my run time."

Anyone who is interested in learning Muay Thai, or any other martial art, can sign up by speaking to instructors while they are at the Fitness Center.

For more information, call the Fitness Center at 784-5568.