Alpha Pack Territorial Kickboxing brought in former Muay Thai World Champion Adolfo Lozano to Whitehorse for a training seminar last weekend.

Lozano won a Mexico National Middleweight Championship Title in 2001 and followed it up with the IKF (International Kickboxing Federation) Muay Thai World Championship in 2004.

He was a national coach for Mexico at the Switzerland 2004 World Championships held by IAKSA (International Amateur Karate Kickboxing Sport Association).

He was also a National coach for Mexico at the Thailand 2004 IFMA (International Federation of Muaythai Associations) World Championships.

He has a blue belt in Jiu Jitsu, a black belt in kickboxing and Thai Kwon Do and a Red Prayat in Muay Thai.

He also has over 20 years experience in personal training, self defence, fight training and conditioning.

He now teaches Muay Thai at Pacific Top Team Martial Arts West in Kelowna.

Lozano brought Marcus Dearin, another member of the Kelowna club, with him to Whitehorse.

Ernesto Castillo was one of the participants in the seminar, which took place June 23-25, for three hours each day.

Saturday, they were training outdoors at the F.H. Collins soccer field.

"I'm helping James Albert with this special guest that we have from Kelowna. These experts that are coming down and giving us a workshop over the weekend just to sharpen our skills in Muay Thai. That's going to include everything from offence to defence, at the same time getting a good workout and just being in an overall good vibe, good setting, good environment, staying healthy and keeping us young.

"I work alongside coach Albert but it's his gig."

Castillo said he was learning a lot.

"New techniques, things I haven't done in the past, even though I have experience with martial arts. I've been doing it for quite some time. I always find that each coach has a unique style, a unique sort of learning curve, and then they try to teach us that and make us a lot stronger fighter."

Castillo was asked what he thought was the most impressive thing about Lozano and Dearin.

"I think it's their leadership abilities, their coaching technique. It's really easy to learn from them and also as they both have very impressive backgrounds. They sent us some videos and some of their background and we looked that up online and clearly these guys not only coach but they also have the experience and they've had the fights that they've had in the past as well, which I think (is a) really comprehensive teaching background."

Castillo added that there was a wide array of participants, from 10-year-old Logan Martin to athletes in their mid-forties, and that wide array "is great to see."

The Star spoke with Lozano during the training session.

"I love it here," he related. "I hear so much since I move from Mexico and the farthest I've been is in Kelowna and first time in Yukon and I just love the place."

Lozano explained how the seminar came about.

"We met James in the Nationals in Niagara Falls and he liked how our team performed in the nationals and then he invited me to come and do a seminar."

Lozano said he is teaching "mostly competitive fighting. James had a team in the Nationals and more guys interested in the sport and we come here to share with them what we know and then they teach us what they know. I think it's awesome to have this type of experience."

Lozano said the plan is for the Alpha Pack members to come to Kelowna and train with them there.

"We will come once in a while, help them train here, get them ready."

Lozano listed discipline as one of the most important pieces of advice for the Alpha Pack fighters.

"If you don't have discipline, it doesn't matter the talents. Discipline and consistency are the main things.

"When I started, I had really bad coordination and repetition is the key."

Lozano said he thought the athletes had "really good skills. More than anything, I think, are pretty tough people because I was talking to James, we've had many calls, and I say this type of province, with the weather, can be so extreme, but people are tough and I think are going to do really well. I know next time they come to national or international competition, they're going to do good and I think these guys are going to motivate more people to start joining and that's how everything starts growing."

Lozano said the athletes need more work on fighting win the clinch.

"Clinch is really complicated and really technical. When they work a little bit more clinch, it's gonna be really good for the Muay Thai, because they transition from kickboxing to Muay Thai, and that's why we are coming here, to try to help them do the transition between different martial arts, different techniques."

Lozano said they are thinking of coming back to Whitehorse in the winter.

"They are going to start coming to Kelowna pretty soon and that's going to be the key, and then we can start going back and forth."

Lozano added, "People here are super-friendly. For sure, I want to come back again and I like my first experience. I been traveling all over the place and I really like the energy of Yukon … I think it's an awesome place to live."

Alpha Pack leader James Albert said the Muay Thai training was "epic. It's world-class training. It's a complete honour to have them up here and that's why we opened our door for them and got the flights set up and got this all dialled in and showing them true Yukon hospitality up here. It's well worth it."

Albert said his athletes were learning a lot.

"There's more than I can start to name. We're learning so much every session. It's amazing.

"They're teaching us competition. I'm a forms coach, that's how I got my back belt, I don't have a whole lot of competition experience, especially compared to Adolfo. He's world champ, multiple time national champ, so, in my opinion, there's nobody better to have up here."

Albert said his knowledge was being expanded as well.

"Absolutely. Watching how he coaches, watching his new techniques and picking up things that I want to start using and I can see all the athletes picking up things that they're going to start using too."

Albert confirmed they are planning on having Aldofo and Marcus up here again.

"My plan is to have them up here twice a year and go down there twice a year."

Dearin has been in Kelowna for about 10 years. He is a national runner up in in the super heavyweight division in kickboxing. He's been following Lazono for about nine years.

"It's been awesome. He gets to come out to places like this."

Dearin said he has had five fights in his kickboxing career.

"Most of my fights were in the national tournament in Niagara Falls."

Dearin spoke about meeting the Alpha Pack at the Nationals.

"That's the good thing about martial arts. You compete with these people but in the same sense, it's always such love and respect. It's great.

"I think we're just trying to pass along the knowledge … you want to make people better as well, so they can make you better. Just building relationships with James … it's been great. It's been nothing but hospitality and so much love. Truthfully, I can almost see myself out here. It's that nice."

Dearin said the the most valuable advice he had for the fighters was "consistency. Humans are such creatures of (habit) and seeing it and doing it over and over just makes it all click."

Dearin was asked what he thought of their skills.

"Awesome. These guys are so hungry. There's definitely a few punches I had to avoid. It's so great to see so much potential and the energy of everybody is beyond what's to be expected. These guys have a lot of talent.

"I have the utmost confidence that before you know it this is going to be a very, very competent team in Whitehorse here."

As for coming up here again, Dearin said, "Oh, yeah. Me and Adolfo are definitely going to be back here for sure."

Dearin said he hopes to have a bigger and better turnout and make these events a regular occurrence.

"Get a lot of the community out and get people connected. Get them involved in the sport."