In Episode 236 of the Pu’u Muay Thai Podcast, Jonathan Puu sits down virtually in the Black Room at Teep Studios in Scottsdale, Arizona with his cousin Deutsch Pu’u — a former professional fighter with a background in boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, MMA, and a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt.

Deutsch shares his journey growing up in American Samoa, where structured martial arts training was limited, and how he developed through boxing before competing professionally across multiple combat sports — including K-1 kickboxing and Muay Thai.

This episode goes beyond fighting and dives into something bigger: building a future pipeline for combat sports in Samoa.

In this episode, they discuss:

•  Growing up in American Samoa and learning to fight without formal structure 
•  Transitioning from boxing into kickboxing, MMA, and Muay Thai 
•  Fighting in K-1 and adapting without a traditional Muay Thai background 
•  Training at Fight Capital in Las Vegas with Jason Andrada 
•  How Muay Thai changed his approach to striking (elbows, knees, clinch) 
•  The importance of structure, coaching, and proper education in martial arts 
•  Building a pipeline to develop fighters from Samoa and bring them into Muay Thai 
•  Creating opportunities for the next generation through coaching and systems 

Deutsch also shares his vision for introducing structured Muay Thai and combat sports programs in American Samoa — with the goal of developing world-class fighters from the island and creating long-term opportunities through proper coaching and mentorship.

This episode is about more than fighting — it’s about family, legacy, and building something that lasts for the next generation.

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