Meet Anthony Le, an aspiring fighter who at the early age of seventeen, has already captured wins in multiple weight divisions in the Muay Thai (PMT) ring, his record is 8-0 in the 16 and older division and state championship. He’s a silver medalist in a higher weight division at the nationals in the 17 and older fight division, the 150 lb division. Now at seventeen, he fights in the adult division and has taken first place in two weight divisions.

On June 11^th, 2022, he entered the Sanda Leitai at the 36^th KSF US Open Gongfu Challenge in Atlanta Georgia. There he captured first place in the Division A competition. Anthony won by TKO in the second round.

But there’s more to Anthony than being just another up-and-coming fighter. Anthony is Cung Le’s son. I chatted with the young champion to see what it’s like to follow in his father’s glorious footsteps.

GC: I imagine you started training early, yes?

AL: I started martial arts at four years old and from the very start I was like, "I want to follow in my Dad's footsteps and be just like him!"

GC: What style of fighting do you lean upon the most?

AL: I lean on my Dad’s style because it has so many weapons to use. It’s like having a bunch of back up plans.

GC: How much time do you spend training regularly?

AL: I train two to three times a day - usually 3 to 5 hours total. 

GC: How much time do you spend training in preparation for a fight?

AL: I take a month to two months to train and prepare. Usually, I’m in shape though for year-round competition. 

GC: What do you do differently when preparing for a Sanshou fight than for a Muay Thai fight? 

AL: Well, we added more wrestling and throws but kept our kickboxing the same. In Muay Thai, we concentrated on tightening up our weak points and strengthening and sharpening the tools that I lacked.

GC: Which sport do you prefer—Sanshou or Muay Thai? 

AL: Sanshou all the way! You get to throw and use wrestling, along with kickboxing, which is just amazing. Also, it adds more flavor and it’s a very different type of fighting. I love seeing the throws and takedowns with the traditional martial arts - something you don’t see very often.

GC: With so much time spent in the gym has impacted your maturation into adulthood? 

AL: Yes, tremendously. You learn consistency, dedication, respect, honor, integrity, and much more. I feel when you're in any combat sport, it’s a very serious jump. Now you are at war with yourself to push yourself to go against your mental and find out what you are truly made of. It also makes you feel great about yourself and gives you the confidence in life to take risks. This sport will either make or break you. So you have to put in a lot of time and commitment. Without it, you're not going to go far.

GC: I imagine you are aspiring to become a professional fighter, yes? 

AL: Yes, I’m an aspiring martial artist working hard to make it to the big leagues. 

GC: I imagine that includes MMA too.

AL: Yes, we’re working on making a jump into MMA, but for now, stay tuned.

GC: How does your dad’s legacy affect your approach to fighting? 

AL: My Dad's legacy doesn’t affect me. It's a big pair of shoes to fill, but all I want to do is train hard and make God and my family proud. I know with enough hard work I will live up to my dad's expectations and, if anything, I’m very proud and blessed to have such an amazing dad and coach in my corner.

GC: What are some of your favorite combinations? 

AL: I have so many, but my double kick into a back kick combo is one of mine!

GC: Have you mastered your father’s legendary scissor kick? 

AL: Sadly, it’s still in the works, but you will see me use it in the future! 

GC: Are you looking to go to college? If so, where might you be applying?

AL: I did want to go to Stanford, but after working on this career path, I want to jump straight into the martial arts world. I have many skill sets, so I don’t see myself needing college, but if anything, there’s always later!