The Lord's Gym (owned by Agape International Missions) is a Muy Thai kickboxing gym, free to anyone who wants to train there, and is located in the epicenter of child sex trafficking, just outside Phnom Penh. Young tough men and boys who are looking for purpose in their lives and honor come to train here. These are the same out of work young men who are enticed into becoming traffickers.
The coaches, Sum Kan and Sopaek, are Christian men who love and mentor their fighters. The fighters find a special community within this gym. Recently, one of their fights received a vicious knee blow to the head and needed emergency medical treatment. I was told that most gyms would have nothing else to do with such a fighter. Not The Lord's Gym. The gym paid all his medical bills and someone was with him at the hospital 24/7 until he was released. He is still a part of the gym. He was there today watching and helping the very young fighters.
I lead the morning strength and conditioning workout, 9 to 11 am. On my first day I had eight fighters, ranging from 12 to 20 years-old. We did three circuits of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). They loved it.
The afternoon workout session is the most well attended session. We had about 20 fighters packed into the gym that becomes a kinetic frenzy of legs and fists. Muy Thai kickboxing is a brutal sport where the combatant uses his feet, hands, elbows and knees to beat his opponent. The only protection the boys in this gym have are their gloves. No head gear, mouthpiece, or other pads of any kind.
Finally, when the session is over, we sit in a circle on the ground and I lead them in a short devotional. Today I spoke about the parable about the man who sold everything to purchase a field that had a great treasure in it - Matthew 13:44. We had a great discussion about it.
Changing the culture of human trafficking is about making relationships and changing hearts.
- Clay Cranford
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