A photo essay on Beta Academy, a Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and MMA gym, in Columbia Heights, Washington, DC.
For my photojournalism series titled The Warrior’s Code, I have chosen to document the fighters at BETA Academy, the premier Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts academy in the District of Columbia. My series attempts to capture not just the movements or the power of the combat athletes, but also their fighting spirit. In 1995 when sports photographer Walter Iooss Jr. went to Thailand to shoot young boys, about nine or ten years old, learning the art of Muay Thai, Iooss said, “It’s an unusual sport, beautiful yet very violent. It's like nothing you've ever seen." The photographs I took of fight team practice attempt to capture the essence of Muay Thai, with all its elbows, knees and clinches that separate it from the other martial arts. Thai boxing all too often falls under the umbrella of MMA, but it deserves recognition in its own right. As a practitioner of Muay Thai I may be biased towards striking techniques, but BETA Academy also has a talented and noteworthy BJJ program that demands respect. Both disciplines are showcased in my series as well as the effort, intensity and will power required of the extreme athletes that make up the fight team at BETA Academy.
The Beginning, silver gelatin.
The Anticipation, silver gelatin.
The Clinch, silver gelatin.
The Pass, silver gelatin.
The Guard, silver gelatin.
The Deep Breath, silver gelatin.
