Special Advertising Feature by Candy Feliciano
For Variety
IN a quiet corner in Garapan, just behind Naked Fish, there is a sanctuary built of sweat, silence, and the heavy thud of leather meeting leather. Most people see a gym. Dr. Tai Doram sees a laboratory for the soul.
For the young people who walk through his doors, those searching for a sense of belonging or struggling to navigate the pressures of modern life, Dr. Tai is busy handing them the tools to become royalty. Not the kind that sits on a throne, but the kind that rules the chaos within themselves. As he often tells those who walk through his doors, “The Man or Woman that Conquer Themselves, Become A King or Queen!”
For Dr. Tai, the journey to the mat is paved with a professional understanding of the human mind. As a behavioral specialist, he looks past the outbursts and the defiance. He sees the “psychological gaps” that can be left behind when a child’s energy isn’t channeled correctly. He notes that research has shown improved social skills in individuals identified as having ADHD, Conduct Disorders, and Autism through providing outlets for anger.
In his view, the modern world has failed our children by containing them. He speaks with a professional edge when he says, “Professionally speaking, the youth is not supposed to be contained in the manner in which the American Educational System has instituted. We have systematically removed physical education, arts, and humanities from majority of our public schools. These are the foundations for self-awareness, role playing, release of energies that are now called ADHD.
“Walking into MCA-MMA is a lesson in radical belonging. There is no judgment here, only “familia kinship.” The air is thick with the spirit of the Wai Kru, the traditional Thai ceremony of respect, but it is also grounded in the reality of Saipan’s daily life. When a student enters, the world stops. Training ceases, and every member of the team walks over to greet the newcomer with an embrace. It is a physical manifestation of a psychological truth: you are seen, you are safe, and you are worthy. Dr. Tai is a man who leads with a heart that bleeds for his students, famously stating, “I give out more scholarships than we take in money!”
The transformative power of this sanctuary was put to the ultimate test when Dr. Tai led a group of local fighters to Mexico for an international tournament. It was a journey that saw young athletes from a small island stand before 449 fighters from across the globe. But the triumph was shadowed by the weight of the struggle.
Dr. Tai reveals a heartbreaking reality of the financial and logistical hurdles that nearly stood in their way: “The hardest part of Mexico is that I paid for 90% of the trip. One of my nieces was not able to perform because of President Trump’s new immigration policies.” He reached out to various entities for support, but often found himself carrying the burden alone.
Despite these hurdles, the spirit of the CNMI shone through. As they entered the airport in Mexico, people stood and cheered for them. The international community saw the fire in these athletes. For Dr. Tai, the emotional weight of that moment was overwhelming. “For me, I had to walk away from the group and shed tears. The realization as we were entering the gold medal rounds, I felt that we paved a road like no other and that the kids let me know that Heaven has blessed me through my beliefs in return the Grace of God to others in this world.” He watched as his students, once struggling with impulsivity, learned the professional endurance of maintaining weight and diet, standing as ambassadors for Micronesia.
Here, the work continues in the shadows of the gym. Dr. Tai uses Muay Thai to bridge the gap that traditional “talk therapy” often cannot reach. We live in a digital age where self-talk has lost its ability to compete with the façade of social media. Martial arts reel the students back to a world of substance and intrapersonal relationships. He has seen 14-year-olds who were already drinking and fighting in the streets find a new path. They come in wanting to show how tough they are, but they are “humbled through correction never humiliation.” He recalls a student who was on the verge of being kicked out of school, a young man whose normal demeanor was foul language and violence. After one day in the gym, he was voted the most improved student.
This is the “Coming Home” mission in action. Dr. Tai knows that the majority of juveniles in reform institutions come from homes without a father figure. He uses the gym to fill that void, acting as a “tough but nurturing” coach. He balances the demand for physical excellence with a specialist’s understanding of emotional triggers. He teaches that every movement has a cause and effect, just as every decision in life leads to consequences. His goal is to reach a point where, when he leaves the room, the student has the courage to stand on their own and do what is right, moral, and ethical.
To the parents who fear that combat sports might encourage aggression, Dr. Tai offers a different perspective. He isn’t teaching kids how to hurt others. He is teaching them how to stop hurting themselves. He addresses the impulsivity, the social withdrawal, and the low self-esteem that plagues so many youth today. Through Muay Thai, they build a supportive environment utilizing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques masked as sweat and discipline. There is a “healing and calming power” in knowing you can defend yourself, which paradoxically removes the desire to fight.
The mission of MCA-MMA is a quiet revolution happening in Garapan. It is a plea for the community to look at their children, their relatives, their friends, their students, and see the “exceptionally gifted athletes” that the rest of the world has already recognized. Dr. Tai’s vision remains steadfast: “Everyone That Enters Our Doors, Leaves A better Citizen of The World!” He continues to feed off the success of his students, a “co-dependency” that keeps him young at heart and determined to stay in the fight.
As the sun sets over the parking lot behind Naked Fish, the lesson remains simple yet profound. Life will throw strikes, it will try to contain you, and it will often ignore your greatest achievements. But if you can walk into that sanctuary, embrace your team, and conquer the storm within your own mind, you have earned your crown. Dr. Tai Doram is not just training fighters. He is raising the next generation of Kings and Queens, proving that the greatest victory isn’t found in a trophy from Mexico or Italy, but in the quiet, disciplined strength of a soul that finally knows its own worth.
For more information, contact Dr. Tai D. Doram at taidoram03@gmail.com or call him at (670) 285-9216 or (859) 429-5212.
