Mr. Kumron Vaitayanon, known professionally as Master K, is one of the leading Muay Thai trainers in the United States. He is a native of Thailand, born and raised in Prapradang, outside the capital of Bangkok. At the age of eight, he began practicing Muay Thai by himself, and later received lessons from a number of trainers. At the age of 13, he entered a Muay Thai tournament hosted by his middle school, and he won all three fights in one day. Shortly after his tournament victory, he began formal training under a cousin, who was a professional Muay Thai bantamweight champion.

Master K then went on to have a remarkable professional Muay Thai career in Thailand, with more than 75 fights. He was known for being highly adept in using the “eight limbs” of Muay Thai as weapons; in particular, over half of his wins were from elbow knock-outs. At a major Muay Thai boxing event featuring matches with big-name fighters, Master K fought a tough opponent and won his match. At the end of the evening, he received acclaim from the audience as the best fighter at the event.
Following this major victory, Master K chose to retire from professional fighting. He pursued a career in public relations and worked at the Government Savings Bank of Thailand for 23 years, where he rose to become chief of public relations. In 1970, the bank sent him to the United States to study public relations and advertising in New York City. During his two-year stay, Master K performed a number of public demonstrations of Muay Thai in the New York and New Jersey area, raising awareness and interest in the sport in the United States.

In 1984, Master K moved to the United States to ensure that his children had the best education possible. However, he never lost his love for Muay Thai. For three decades, Master K has trained dozens of students of all ages in the art of Muay Thai. Many of those students have gone on to fight in amateur and professional competitions, achieving high rankings in their weight classes and winning championships, with some opening their own Muay Thai gyms and practices. Master K and his team have participated in numerous Muay Thai demonstrations, including the annual Thai Heritage Festival and the Asian-Pacific Cultural Festival, and in the Karate College Seminar at Radford University in Virginia. Master K also has produced two Muay Thai instructional videos.
Master K continues to train and teach Muay Thai, and his contributions to the sport will echo for generations. He and his wife reside in North Jersey. They have two children, two grandchildren, and two pet dogs.