YOUR Interview with Mike Miles

This was your interview with Mike Miles, these questions were emailed in by the readers of Muaythai Online. Mike Miles is one of the most well known martial arts figures in Canada.

Mike was one of the first people to bring muaythai into Canada and has held both muaythai and kickboxing titles.

His muaythai teacher, Panya Kraitus, wrote one of the most popular books on muaythai; Muaythai, The most distinguished art of fighting (see our review).



Thanks to all of you that sent in your questions. Our next "your chance to interview" interview will be coming very soon.

Why and when did you get involved in Muay Thai?
Nicola Fearnly, Leeds, England

Mike Miles:I started learning Muay Thai indirectly as the result of a self-defense situation I found myself in. Actually I started training in the traditional Martial Arts (1967). With this type of training, one was taught to always pull a strike short of the target (we were told to do this because the blows would 'kill' someone if they made contact). As a young lad I found myself in a street situation where I had to defend myself. The aggressor came at me and I rifled a kick at his face but it fell short of the target. He was surprised and startled by the kick. Suddenly apprehensive, he did not press the confrontation and he actually apologized and thanked me for not really kicking him in the face (I am sure he was thinking I intentionally pulled the kick short of the target).

I was relieved that the confrontation did not turn into an actual fight because I had really tried to kick him in the face (I honestly did not know what I would do had he come at me again).

After this situation, I knew I needed to learn something more practical/realistic so I started complimenting my Martial Arts kicks with instruction from a boxing trainer. About this time, Full Contact rules competition (kicking above the waist) was born in North America and I started training and competing under these rules (I also opened a gym for people to train at).

In the latter 1970's, I began fighting for the WKA and through this organization I was introduced to Benny Urquidez. Working with him changed my training and teaching methods until my gym evolved into a Kickboxing rules (allowing kicks to the legs) facility.

During this time, I had a Thai gentleman join my facility and in exchange for the use of my facility, he started teaching me Muay Thai. I was impressed with Muay Thai's practicality, realism, effectiveness, and no nonsense training methods. But at this point in time there was no Muay Thai competition available in North America and it would be over a decade before any commission in Canada would allow the use of the knee (let alone the elbow). I continued fighting under Kickboxing rules but I was steadfast at learning Muay Thai under him (while I also sought out instruction from other Muay Thai instructors).

In the mid 1980's, a student of mine travelled to Thailand and he met and worked with Acharn Panya Kraitus. This was the indirect start of a very important relationship for me with Acharn Panya, one that I still have and cherish to this day. I love the Art of Muay Thai, it's training, it's techniques, and it's history and I will be involved with it until the day I die.


What do you think about establishing a Canadian national amateur tournament along the lines of the similar event in the Unites States?
Andras Kadinger, Budapest, Hungary, Europe:

Mike Miles: A national amateur tournament was originally a dream of mine back in the late 1970's. I always felt that amateur athletes were not given enough time to hone their skills before turning professional in Canada. It was a goal of mine that finally has come to fruition.

Though it is not that well known internationally, in Canada we established an annual Canadian national amateur tournament several years before the Americans did (initially the Americans asked us many questions about our event before they hosted theirs). But the Canadian event has different dynamics to deal with than the American event. We do not have any regional qualifying events in the different provinces for the athletes to 'earn' their right to fight in the national tournament (yet).

Unlike the USA, Canada does not have a large amount of amateur competitive athletes to draw from. Secondly, there are different problems that each competitive style (Muay Thai rules, Kickboxing rules - allowing kicks to the legs, & Full Contact rules) have to deal with geographically in Canada. For example, in some provinces it is illegal to fight under Muay Thai rules (or even use leg kicks) so it would be impossible to have regional qualifying events under these rules in the provinces affected, even though these provinces have athletes who want to compete under those specific rules. This is an unfortunate situation that I feel will take some time to sort out (and most likely in the courts of Canada).

Every year since the events inception, coaches (that we know about) across Canada receive an invitation to the event for their athletes to participate (with plenty of notice to prepare their athletes for the event). We have had most of the provinces represented with strong and talented competitors for a good quality and successful competition.

But the tournament also suffers from a few drawbacks like the American tournament. Some coaches/athletes will not attend the tournament for a number of reasons including political statements, personal statements and/or financial reasons (some include: which coaches/athletes are involved in the event, which organization sanctions the event, athletes wanting to get paid to compete and/or have all of their expenses paid to be involved in the event, or people finding it too expensive to travel across this vast country to the event). Like the American event, the Canadian event will continue to endure growing pains until all the 'bugs' are worked out. A note of interest is that we have been in touch with the people involved with the American event and we have been trying to figure out how to hold a North American Championship event featuring the Canadian winners against the American winners. But there are many hurdles to overcome here as well (the first naturally is the costs of hosting the event, the American Canadian currency exchange rate, which organization will sanction the event, etc.). If the event is held in the USA, the costs associated with travelling and lodging will be staggering for the Canadian athletes and will deter Canadian athletes participation. It is more economically feasible to have the proposed event in Canada at this point in time (an American dollar is worth $1.50 CAD plus!). However, if the event is held in Canada, we are limited as to which provinces could host the event with all the different rules of competition. Nonetheless, we (both the Canadians and the Americans) are working to see this event come to light and our shared goal is to see it happen very soon.

Do you still compete?
Seb Jones, London

Mike Miles: Oh I wish! ‘Once a fighter, always a fighter!’ ‘Show me the money!’ (yuk yuk). I would love to fight again but unfortunately, by Western standards I am old and by Thai standards I am ancient (ha ha)!

Realistically, I know I do not have the same physical attributes I did as a youngster (speed, endurance), I do not recuperate as quickly after a tough workout or an injury, and I do not have the luxury of the required time to prepare for such an endeavor. Though I have time to do some training, there are other things which take my focus off of competing now: I have several businesses to run, I have athletes to train, I promote events, I give seminars, I write articles for magazines, and the list goes on.

But the real kicker discouraging me from competing again came in August of 2000 when I was run over by a semi while riding my Harley. There has been extensive damage to my body that requires physical therapy and surgery. Even so, I still give thanks to the Lord above because ‘I cashed my (proverbial) lottery ticket’. I am still alive and by all rights I should not be. So I am very happy training and watching my students compete now.

How often do you train and what is your general training schedule, if you have one?
Seb Jones, London

Mike Miles: When I was competing I used to train twice daily 6 days a week with each session lasting over a couple of hours. In the last few years training has tapered off from how long I train, to how smart I train because of time commitments and body recuperation (since my accident things have changed even more).

Here is the two week schedule I followed up until my accident (and when I am totally healed I hope to follow again). I train 5 times a week (during the weekdays giving myself the weekend off) and in the morning before I start work (teaching). During the first week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and the second week on Tuesday and Thursday I work for a couple of hours on the technical aspects of the art. Attacks, defenses, and the intricacies of moving around an opponent (with different partners who are usually the competitive athletes). On the alternate days of the first and second week I concentrate on endurance and power. I work hard on pad work, bag work, clinch work and sparring. I also try and hold pads for the fighters in the early evenings on the weekdays (which is very physical as well). My training involves working with the competitive athletes and though I get a good workout, the athletes also learn something as well.

You are well known by many for being the student of Panya Kraitus, in his book he talks of a number of lethal moves which he says he will pass on to people if they ask, did he pass these on to you?
Seb Jones, London

Mike Miles: I am very fortunate and lucky that Acharn Panya took me on as one of his students. He is very particular as to who he will teach, and more so what he will teach them. Acharn still thinks like the 'old school' of Muay Thai Masters, because this is how he himself was taught. I traveled around the world to learn from him and I went through many tests and trials to be accepted as his student.

I wanted to learn Muay Thai from Acharn for the right reasons. The 'lethal moves' were never a priority or a concern to me. I never asked him for these secrets but was bestowed his confidence and taught these techniques (plus much more) when he felt the time was right.

Some of the English translation (from the Thai language) in Acharn's textbook leaves much to be desired. There were many things I did not understand in the book and the only way I learned was to quiz Acharn first hand when I was living with him. Your question states that Acharn Panya "will pass on a number of lethal moves to people if they ask." Acharn Panya receives a lot of mail everyday from people all over the world wanting to learn these 'lethal moves'. I have seen many of these letters and I will tell you that it is very surprising who some of the people making the requests are and more so, what some of their reasons for wanting to learn these techniques are.

Regardless of what the book says, it is not as simple as a request to Acharn to learn the moves. His name and his lineage are on the line when he teaches people. That is why Acharn has to know and trust you (test and trials) before he gives you more information. When all is said and done, Acharn Panya has passed these ‘lethal’ techniques on to only a few of his 'successors' who in turn will pass this knowledge onto their own successors (if and when they find them).

‘There is no part in life that does not contain its lessons. If you are alive, there are lessons to be learned.’ I have received a wealth of information from Acharn, now chronicled in volumes of written material as well as audio taped and videotaped information. He has given this to me and he has told me to hang onto it and pass it on when I find my own successor. I have been organizing the information for the future.


Hello Mike Miles
I have had the opportunity to train at your club in the past and have received nothing but good training. My question to you is, how do you think Muay Thai will develop in the future for Canada and can it work with all the politics that seem to go with it. Also how will it work with so many sanctioning out there? Thank you
Kim Morris
Weyburn Saskatchewan Canada


Mike Miles: Kim, first of all, it is great to see you back on the Canadian fight scene again. Welcome back. Secondly, thank you very much for the kind words about our club. You know you are always welcome to come and train here. Now onto your questions.

Sadly, there are two main things hindering the growth of Muay Thai in Canada right now and unfortunately, I still see this affecting it’s development in the near future. This ironically is answered in your question to me. The main culprit is politics. This offender can be broken down into 2 major areas, the first being the politics of the government and the second being the politics of organizations.

. Government politics in Canada - As it stands right now in many provinces and/or municipalities of this country, Muay Thai is illegal. I have my opinions and suspicions as to why Muay Thai has been singled out by certain people agenda’s in the government. With the current political situation and because I am involved with trying to change things, I can not say anything more on this issue. Suffice it to say that many of us are working to battle the situation and prevent it from spreading further across this country (it has taken me in excess of 25 years of promotions to get to where I am now just in my city, where I can promote full Muay Thai rules bouts). Frankly, the goal is to change this law permanently across Canada and only then if we are successful, Muay Thai might be able to get off the ground and propagate successfully across the country.

In regards to the different organizations, there will always be rivalries and individuals who think they can do a better job. This can be positive because it can force each opponent to up the ante and do a better job for Muay Thai. But in the real world unfortunately, most times it degrades into a negative issue. I, like you, am tired of the Muay Thai organizational politics in Canada.

Muay Thai in Canada needs you and people like you to survive. By this I mean it needs competitors and people who truly love the sport and the art. My advice to you is to stay out of all the politics and concentrate on fighting (I despise the politics but unfortunately I am constantly thrust or dragged into them. Truthfully at times, it takes the enjoyment out of what I do, but I always remember what is important to me, and that is my love of Muay Thai. That is all that really matters because I know there will always be politics around. It will never change). Do what I encourage my students to do and that is just to have the desire to get in the ring and fight. It does not matter under which sanctioning body because I am sure all you probably want to do is remain active, gain experience, and then hopefully make some decent coin for your efforts once you turn professional. Keep active and develop as an athlete and may all your dreams as a practitioner and competitor come true.

This is meant as an honest criticism (and take it for what it is), the promises made by most organizations rarely come true. As it stands right now, the majority of these organizational politics that affect Canada will have to be resolved outside of this country (some are currently being dealt with in courts of law in other countries), while the government politics will have to be resolved in a court of law within Canada. Kim, just train, learn and compete.



Seb Jones, london:
What other martial arts have you studied??

When I first started training in the Martial Arts (1967), there were very few one could choose from to learn. All that was available were Japanese, Okinawan, or Chinese related arts. It was a very different consumers market than from today. I sometimes wish I could have started off training in Muay Thai (it was not available at that time) but honestly, I feel there was a purpose for me trying these many other arts first. I think it was for my personal growth through a process of trial and error (experimentation). I started off in traditional Karate (Shotokan and Shorinryu), but soon became intrigued by the kicks used in Tae Kwon-Do so I changed to that art. For reasons explained in another question, I was later influenced into adding international Boxing training into my daily regiment, then evolved into Full Contact rules, to Kickboxing rules, and finally to Muay Thai. I also trained for a handful of years in Boxe Francaise-Savate (because I had a very capable French practitioner training with me in the mid 1980’s). I enjoyed this art and have had some dealings with their organization both in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Early in my career I did ‘dabble’ in other arts (Escrima, Wing Chun) but I know I was searching for something specific (which turned out to be Muay Thai) and to me, none of these other arts was the answer to what I wanted or needed. Presently I do not spend time in any of the non-ring related Martial Arts anymore. But, even though I do not teach Boxe Francaise-Savate as a class in my facilities, I will take some of that arts fighting theories and techniques and pass them onto my athletes and students.

I do this because of where we are geographically located in North America, it is relatively difficult (expensive) to remain active solely in the ring as a Muay Thai stylist. My athletes sometimes will have to take bouts under Kickboxing rules, Full Contact rules, Boxe Francaise-Savate rules, Boxing rules, and even Grappling or Pankration rules just to remain active. Taking this into consideration, not every opponent will fight like a Muay Thai stylist and thus they bring their own techniques and tactics into the ring for my athletes to solve. Experiences in life, even if you feel they are irrelevant or stupid, are meant to teach one a lesson. This also applies to training, competing and learning. I learned something from each art, instructor, and peer while I was training in these other styles. Experience gives one knowledge and as the saying goes, “Knowledge is Power”. Passing this knowledge on to my students will help them deal with and solve the problems they are confronted with in the ring.

When all is said and done, Muay Thai is my passion and my life. I am blessed with a renowned teacher and a revered Muay Thai lineage. I have made many friends around the world through my involvement in the art so I feel I have been very lucky. I am involved full time with the art so Muay Thai is how I make my living. For me, Muay Thai rules!




Jafar, Holland:
Hi! I’m Jafar and I am from Holland. I train at the de Brito gym and my trainer is Francisco de Brito, a former world champion (52 kg). Don't you think that Thai Boxing has a bad influence on children and makes people very aggressive when they are watching. I don't know if you have children, but if you do, would you take him to your own fight and when is the best age for him to understand why daddy is getting punched by another man? How would you explain that to him?


Hello Jafar! I think just about any activity nowadays is perceived (by many) to have a bad influence on children if it is not taught and/or directed properly (by parents, teachers and peers). When you read today’s newspapers, stories state that children are being negatively influenced or misdirected by music, Nintendo, peers, food they eat, so it is only natural to include physical activities and specifically contact sports.

Muay Thai can be grouped into being a sport, a Martial Art, or both. Competitive sports require a rivalry (but hopefully not in the malicious sense), so the first thing to do is to explain to the juvenile what 'competition' means. Muay Thai is obviously a sport that involves contact. Obviously, Canada has other contact sports like boxing and wrestling. In boxing with high profile champions making comments like "I will punch him so hard that the bones will go into his brain", do little to assist the general publics prejudicial perceptions on all combative arts including Muay Thai. Professional wrestling seems to showcase everything that is bad about human nature (especially the attitude of 'violence for violence sake' portrayed during and more so after the competitive bouts) yet the sport is enjoying it’s greatest popularity ever (and ironically has children and teenagers as the sport’s biggest fans). But I think most parents impress on their children that the wrestling violence they watch is not real, not acceptable in daily life, and is purely for entertainment. Any kind of ‘contact’ sport can make people aggressive, be they participants or spectators. In Canada we have mainstream sports like hockey and we have a running joke that goes like, “I went to a fight the other night and a hockey game broke out!” It is funny but unfortunately it is also true of the sport. In Europe there have been riots by the spectators during or after football games. So this aggressive attitude does not affect the pugilistic arts alone.

I do have two children. They have both watched me fight in the ring during my career, but they never watched me compete until they were old enough to train (4 years old for the boy and 6 years old for the girl). Being their parent and also serving in the dual role as their instructor, I concentrated on teaching them all aspects (not just the physical qualities) of the Martial Arts. As practitioners we are taught techniques meant to hurt someone but we are also taught when these moves should be used (self defense or competition). And like all the Martial Arts there is more to Muay Thai than just striking someone. There are other attributes that should be taught in training, specifically mental tenets (courtesy, integrity, humility, perseverance, respect for people and for life…). Acharn Panya tested my mental tenets before accepting me as his student (I know he does the same with everyone he has trained). A good teacher who instructs children will explain, teach and ingrain these tenets as well as the correct understanding and proper attitude of why one is striking in a ring atmosphere, or a street situation, and why one should not be a bully. Most athletes who fight in the ring do it for the joy of competition and the drive to be the best they can be (to me competition in the ring always felt like a physical and mental game of chess). Very few athletes compete and battle in the ring with a hatred in their hearts towards their opponents.

As a parent, it is equally important to explain to the child the sporting aspects (competition) of Muay Thai involved within the ring. Make sure to explain it is not acceptable to strike someone outside of this competitive atmosphere. Education about Muay Thai and the reinforcement of its ideals to the child is of the utmost importance. I think once a child is old enough to participate in the training, this would be the time to explain the reasons for the physical contact required in competition. Children are very impressionable, and keeping that in mind, imprint the reasons and desires for your wanting good, clean, and challenging competition (based on mutual respect between you and your opponent).



Seb Jones, london:
Which fighters and trainers in England have you heard of and which do you admire and respect?


I have had nothing but pleasant experiences in my dealings with trainers, fighters and people involved with the ring arts/sports from England. Over the years I have met a lot of ’Brits’ and I honestly can not think of anyone in England who has left me with a bad memory. Though I am located in North America, the cream of the Muay Thai and Kickboxing scene (internationally) always rise to the top (so I hear of exceptional international talent over here too). I have written articles for many magazines worldwide and covered the international fight scene so I have made many contacts in England (and around the world) as a consequence of this position. England has a lot of names I admire and respect.

Overall, I respect and admire most fighters (be them champions or not). It takes a lot to get into the ring and lay one’s reputation and physical well being on the line every time one competes. A ‘champion’ to me is not only those individuals who have title belts. I do respect fighters who are title holders, but to me to be a ‘champion in life’ goes beyond owning a title belt. A champion in life means being a role model. Someone that people, especially kids, can look up to and someone that people want to emulate! Fighters who possess this quality are the ones I admire and respect the most. England has had a lot of exceptional athletes who appear to possess these qualities (when I have met or talked with them). Mentioning names is a tall order because truthfully I do know I will miss several people (and I hate to do that). The names I mention will be off the top of my head, so they are not mentioned in any particular order of importance. Fighters/athletes: Richard Smith, Steve Trimble, Lloyd Hopson, Kirkwood Walker, Chris Allen, James Burgess, Ashley Gishard, Ronnie Green, David and Maurice Riley, Keith Nathan, Andy Newall, Kash Gill, Matt Skelton, Lisa Houghton, and Julie Heselgrave are just a few that have impressed me.

Being a coach myself puts me into more ‘familiar’ territory when it comes to naming British trainers and instructors. Coaches are the ones who can take the raw talent of the athletes and help turn the competitors into 'gems'. Many times coaches are overlooked for their contribution to the final product (sometimes even by their own athletes). This is unfortunate because to become a successful competitor, it requires team work between the coach and the athlete; mutual trust, dedication, perseverance, long term goals, good coaching as well as being able to be coached. The relationship between a coach and athlete can be as rewarding (and at times taxing) as a marriage. Hats off to a few of the British coaches I admire and respect including: Steve Costigan, Julian Howell, Tony Moore, Keith Nathan, Tony Myers, Mark Woodard, Steve Humphries, and Master Chana.

In regards to the British fight scene there are two people whom I feel really deserve their due. They are Keith Allen and Colin Hopkins. Both are very knowledgable and have theirs heart in the right place when it comes to Muay Thai and/or Kickboxing. I respect them very much and I consider them to be friends.

Though obviously, I have not met all the fighters and trainers in England, from my personal experience, your country has a very respectable reputation and track record in Muay Thai and Kickboxing through their coaches and athletes. I think that is brilliant.

Seb Jones, London:
Martial Arts proved very popular in the 1970's then seemed to die down a little again and now seem to be growing in popularity again. As some one who has been involved in the arts for a long time what is your opinion on how they have changed in popularity and where can you see Muay Thai going?

The Martial Arts have evolved drastically, both in good and bad ways over the decades. On a positive note there are an increasing amount of people looking to the Martial Arts for fitness. Attendance is up in schools and Martial Arts are now a much more widely accepted method of getting into shape. A lot of good instructors and students have benefited from being able to find more work involving their field. Secondly, the general public now has a greater variety of Martial Arts available to choose from than ever before. The choice is no longer restricted to Arts originating from Japan, China and Korea. Other countries have seen their own Martial Arts receive notoriety internationally.

But, during the changes over the years, the Martial Arts have evolved through a ‘flavor of the month’ mentality. In the early 1970’s (due to the Bruce Lee fad) the Art to learn was Kung Fu. Through the years favor changed from Art to Art and some of them included Kickboxing (due to televised bouts in the sports infancy), Ninjitsu (movies), Muay Thai (movies), Aikido (movies), Jiu-Jitsu (UFC) and most recently, Tae Bo (Lord forbid).

During the Bruce Lee craze, a lot of individuals tried to copy Lee with his Jeet Kune Do innovation and jumped from Art to Art and created their own new ‘named’ Art. A ‘new’ Art is misleading because these ’founders’ have taken their theories and techniques from other Arts that have already existed for hundreds to thousands of years. No holds barred fighting suddenly produced a wave of ‘master’ ground fighters. In years prior, these same people were teaching that their ‘Karate’ would defeat anybody and that they would never fight on the ground. Muay Thai was suddenly inundated with Muay Thai instructors whose only training in the Art could be attributed to wearing a pair of Thai style trunks. All the traditional Martial Artists who for years put Kickboxing and Muay Thai down were now teaching it because it was suddenly the latest fad. Thai Bo influenced health clubs into teaching ‘Martial Arts Aerobics’ claiming it was also practical for self-defense. But in the majority of cases it was being taught by people who could not deliver the blows correctly and more so had no experience in how the blows would be used in a self-defense situation. Like anything that is popular or a fad, it has also brought out people who have only wanted to cash in.

Changing the subject, since my first involvement in Kickboxing and Muay Thai, my hope has always been to see one of the Martial oriented ring arts (Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Full Contact, even Boxe Francaise-Savate) make it to the Olympics. In my opinion, that is where I can see Muay Thai going. With this status, the athletes (who train so hard) would get the recognition they finally deserve. However, the more I look into the Olympic dream, the more I sincerely question whether or not any of the above ring arts will ever make it to the Games in the near future.

There are many obstacles to be addressed in order to win Olympic recognition. With the Martial ring sports we are suffering from too many Chief’s (sanctioning bodies) and not enough Indians (athletes). Tae Kwon-Do was in a similar situation but the Korean government finally resolved this problem by choosing one organization to work towards Olympic recognition. Muay Thai is going through a similar problem right now. There are 2 international amateur organizations wanting to take Muay Thai to the Olympics. The courts in Thailand have decided in favor of one organization but as in any debate, I am sure there will be continuing litigation in the future. Muay Thai will never be taken seriously by the IOC until Thailand restores and finalizes order in it’s own house. Around the world amateur Muay Thai has many countries with national Olympic recognition, but allegiance in each country varies from organization to organization. Admit this to any national Olympic committee and watch the support for amateur Muay Thai fly out the window from these committees.

Within the Olympic committee are members who want to see the ‘blood’ sports associated with the Games banned from that arena. Other blood sports like boxing have had their fair share of problems during it’s Olympic involvement, including tainted judging which lead to the ‘innovation’ and the use of computer scoring. This solution in itself has created more problems because circular trajectory blows like hooks, body shots and uppercuts rarely get the same attention in scoring compared to straight punches (short range punches are far harder for the majority of judges to see and score) with computer scoring. Plus with all the head injuries associated with boxing, there has been recent discussion about the sport not allowing punches to the head (imagine a boxing fight with no head shots, kind of boggles the mind). Who would watch the sport if it came to that? So how will Olympic officials react to punches, elbows, kicks and knees being allowed to the head?

Muay Thai has made it’s way into the Asian Games. This is a positive stepping stone towards the pursuit of the Olympic dream. But will it draw an audience? A lot of Muay Thai purists do not support the safety equipment used in Olympic style Muay Thai. If we can not get our own practitioners to support the requirements to achieve the Olympic dream, how can we convince people outside of Muay Thai to support it? In order for a sport to remain a part of the Olympics, there has to be a certain amount of spectator support (so make no mistake, the Olympics are a business). Looking at Olympic Tae Kwon-Do, it received very little television coverage in the last Olympics. Is it because it is a new sport in the Games, or is it because Tae Kwon-Do did not sell the tickets required for television coverage? Will Olympic Muay Thai be able to draw the fans?

I would like to see Muay Thai grow worldwide. I foresee the direction will be through the Olympics. I know if Tae Kwon-Do achieved the Olympic dream, Muay Thai should be able to as well. The big question is when. I think the answer is when everybody involved in Muay Thai finally realizes that the goal is to see Muay Thai in the Olympics and working together is the only way it will happen (placing everything else secondary). If it only was a perfect world! I hope Muay Thai will be an Olympic Game soon.