Muay Thai, also known as Thai boxing, has seen accelerated worldwide popularity in the last decade as it rides along with the growth of mixed martial arts. Despite its international notability, Muay Thai remains a sport for the lower class in Thailand.
When Italian entrepreneur Philip Villa founded Thai boxing company, Yokkao in 2010, it has been his vision for his brand to have a positive impact on the sport and promote the Muay Thai sport to a wider audience all over the world. He hoped to elevate the status of the Muay Thai sport as well as the athletes and gyms.
Under Villa’s direction, Yokkao is now one of the most prominent brand names within the global Thai boxing industry. The Muay Thai powerhouse company runs a 360-degree operation that covers gear/equipment manufacturing, international promotions, training seminars, and its own training camp in downtown Bangkok.
This year, Villa took the brand to new heights with a full-fledged sportswear collection. The collection has made its debut in Milan and will soon make its way to fashion showrooms around the world. With the rapid growth of the brand, Yokkao is able to pay it forward and provide support for gyms in Thailand that are in need of training gear and equipment.
In fact, Villa has supported many grassroots gyms in Thailand right from day one when Yokkao started. He shares,“I have always believed in helping gyms and fighters even at the very beginning even when the company couldn’t afford it.”
Last November, Villa dispatched his team to Buriram province in the Northeastern region of Thailand known as Isaan. There, the Yokkao team outfitted gyms and fighters with new training equipment as well as gear and shorts.
Isaan is one of the poorest regions in the country and Muay Thai is an opportunity for a better life. Driven by the circumstances to escape poverty due to lack of decent jobs, Isaan has produced many Muay Thai champions in the sport’s history.
Gyms in Isaan give the kids a chance to pursue Muay Thai as a career and achieve their full potential. However, many gyms sometimes struggle to provide the best training conditions.
Philip Villa explains in an Instagram post,
“As a Thai brand we have a social responsibility and we give priority to gyms in Thailand especially in the north where they need not just a pair of gloves, but also the gear to train with. Some gyms in the north still use cushions instead of pads. Supporting the local gyms in Thailand is something that I have always done behind the scenes but I decided that we will start to show some of our initiatives to our fans.”
Villa’s vision to build and promote the sport is a long-distance mission that he is accomplishing with Yokkao. Through the support of the brand’s growing fanbase, Philip Villa and Yokkao are helping kids and unknown prospects to achieve their dreams for a better life.