How Phoe Thaw Hopes To Inspire A Nation Through Martial Arts

When Phoe “Bushido” Thaw (6-0) competes at ONE: PURSUIT OF GREATNESS on Friday, 26 October in Yangon, Myanmar, he will be looking for a victory to advance his career and inspire his compatriots. 

He believes his responsibility is to set an example, so the next generation of Myanmar martial artists can one day realize their dreams, just as he is realizing his now.

“This is really important. It’s your duty [as a martial artist],” the 33-year-old says.

“We have to hand over what we’ve experienced, what we’ve done, and what we believe to the next generation – all of the right things. It’s going to be handed over, generation after generation, and life is going to be better.”

Phoe Thaw does not expect to inspire the entire country on his own, but he believes his influence on just a few people can create a ripple effect.

The people whose lives he effects will be moved to pay things forward and, in turn, go on to help others.

“I’m not able to do everything by myself, but if I give 10 people inspiration, then it’s going to very quickly spread through the public,” he says.

“It’s very hard to inspire because I am only one [person], but I want to help the next generation. I want to help them a lot.”

Phoe Thaw is determined to set a positive example as he rises through the ranks of ONE Championship’s featherweight division, showing that anything is possible through hard work and self-belief.

The undefeated contender is already devoting some of his time to helping young athletes.

In Yangon, Phoe Thaw runs the Team PT gym, where he teaches and mentors up-and-coming Myanmar martial artists.

Some of these young people cannot afford the fees to train, so “Bushido” allows them to use his facility for free. He even lets some of them stay there.

“I’m just trying to help them, to give them support,” he says.

In the early phases of his martial arts career, Phoe Thaw would seek training where he could find it.

Sometimes, that meant training at gyms that were willing to sponsor him. Other times, it meant training at Lethwei camps that were little more than a cluster of mats on the street or under a bridge.

Phoe Thaw hopes that as his success in ONE Championship grows, he will be able to improve the infrastructure of his gym so Myanmar’s aspiring martial artists can have an elite training experience – something he lacked.

“I’m going to collaborate with businessmen to help develop mixed martial arts in Myanmar, and help the next generation,” he says.

“I put all my investments into my gym so I can help the next generation and develop the training facility in my gym. This motivates me a lot.”

While Phoe Thaw has already improved conditions for everyone he has taken under his wing, he insists his work is not over yet.

He hopes to turn his gym into a state-of-the-art facility that will allow all comers to transform their lives through the power of martial arts.

“I want to build a health, fitness, and mixed martial arts gym to help people have happy and healthy lives, and to help people live successfully in life,” he explains.

“That is my goal – to help the people with the martial arts. After all, it’s far from a strictly physical pursuit. It’s to get more self-confidence and become more mentally mature. It’s how to use willpower, how to use inner power. That is how I describe the martial arts.”

Phoe Thaw is hopeful the people who look up to him will take note of his hard work and his determination, and that they will follow in his footsteps.

That, he feels, is even more important than winning his upcoming bout against Malaysia’s Keanu Subba (6-3) at ONE: PURSUIT OF GREATNESS in Yangon’s Thuwunna Indoor Stadium.

“It’s never 100 percent we’ll succeed, but as long as we train hard, we can give the best performance,” he states.

“I would like to get recognized for that effort, not only the result. I want to give the message that as long as I train hard, I can give my best performance in the cage.”