Ain't that a kick in the head

KELLOGG — Getting into any high-intensity activity can always be intimidating for those just dipping their toe in the water.

In a world where we see snarling MMA fighters on TV and social media all the time, getting into a martial art such as Muay Thai might be a tough sell for those who feel like they can't match that energy.

Silver Valley Muay Thai Kickboxing owner Pablo Padilla is hoping to break that stigma and create an environment that's inviting to anyone.

Located at 120 W. Cameron Ave., Kellogg, behind Casa de Oro, your humble News-Press Editor decided to take a class and see if a beginner right off the street could truly come in and not feel overwhelmed. While I have some limited martial arts experience in my past, jumping right into something that is supposedly super intense like Muay Thai was certainly daunting at first.

Once I got there, I quickly realized that while my attire was appropriate, I lacked any sort of hand wraps — something that everyone else was busy putting on.

That moment was the height of my apprehension though, as Padilla and the rest of the class showed nothing but a calm demeanor and a willingness to help the entire time I was there.

After setting me up with some hand wraps, we did a quick warmup and then broke off into partners. From punching/kicking combos to in-close clinching techniques, the two-hour class covered a little bit of everything. A great amount of respect was shown by everyone as well. This was clear when students entered or exited a drill with a bow to each other and kept communicating throughout.

Padilla explains that the drill level is brought down to the basics anytime a beginner is in the class.

"They (beginners) need to understand it and it never hurts the more advanced to return to the basics," he said.

Emphasizing respect, spiritualness and being humble, Padilla understands that Muay Thai can be intimidating, so he strives to create a calm environment.

Originally from California, Padilla initially moved to Post Falls with his wife in 2018, then quickly shifted over to the Silver Valley.

"We love it here," he said. "It's calm and people don't mess with you."

Before the move north, he first really got into Muay Thai in 2011 when he stumbled across a small gym in the San Fernando Valley called Muay Thai Kickboxing.

Like many others who get into it, Padilla didn't know much about Muay Thai, but was curious to learn more.

"I got into Muay Thai because I wanted to learn self-defense and I wanted to get fit," he said.

It wasn't long before he was constantly training — sometimes twice a day early on. It was also here that Padilla learned more traditional ways of the art, most importantly about being humble.

"I'll always remember what my instructor there said, 'In whatever you do in life, never think you are better than anybody — because then you stop learning."

It's this mentality that he has implemented at Silver Valley Muay Thai since the business opened on July 27, 2020.

"People are drawn here when they come," student Bree Sorensen said. "It's like there's something positive about it even though it looks intimidating."

Sorensen was awarded the best fight and best fighter award last Saturday when the gym hosted its second "sparring party." This is an event where fighters from all over the region are invited to come by and square-off in the ring against one another.

"I wanted to put together events like these because everything is shut down," Padilla said. "Fighters from all over want to fight and I want to fight. So I want to help them compete."

The event brought in more than 100 fighters of all ages to the small gym and Padilla couldn't have been happier with the result. He was especially proud of Sorensen's effort.

"Bree did really good," he said. "People loved her! She poured her heart out in fight camp and it showed."

While I was a little sore in certain areas that were foreign to me being sore (i.e. my shins), I enjoyed my first experience at Silver Valley Muay Thai and can definitely say that beginners are more than welcome.

For more information, Silver Valley Muay Thai Kickboxing can be reached via their Facebook page or by emailing cloeyestes97@gmail.com.