Wong
Posted in Alex's Blog on September 26, 2010
Falang, Falang, Falang-foreigner!! These are probably Wongs favorite words, he sings them in his rough smoky voice almost constantly each day in the gym,he also acts as the human timer, “OK START……..1 minute, 2, minute, 3 minute, 4 minutes OOOOk Lao Lao Lao – Fast Fast Fast….OK BREAK 10 push up!!”
I feel like theres a Wong in every gym in Thailand. Wong….. where to start I guess the barrage of half finished tattoos decorating his back is as good a place as any, there’s the intentions of a dragon on both his back and leg, some self inflicted ones on his thigh, but I have to give him credit he does have an impressive tiger across his chest. Wongs favorite things………………Chang beer, making threatening movements towards any falang in the gym, cigarettes, telling you how many fights he’s had, Chang beer, kicking falang, Chang beer, did I mention Chang beer? I don’t mean to make fun of him, he’s a good trainer and is just messing about most of the time but the things he does/has done make him one of the most entertaining people in the gym, his value in this regard is completely priceless. he just a hilarious character to have in the gym which is why I’ve put together a list of my favorite Wong moments and quotes.
-I’m shadowboxing when I hear a child crying in the gym, its Wong trying to strap one of the large padded belts around his infant child, the poor thing was practically lost inside it.
-Wong is also in charge of conditioning, his favorite motivation tool is ripping a stick from a tree by the gym and whipping everyone with it while we do sit-ups, all the time merrily singing his favorite song “falang, falang, falang“.
-”You fight?”…..”Yes”…..”Ok, I bet bt500 on you, you lose I kill you”.
-Wong was coming out of retirement for a fight, his training for this included:
1. Putting on his running shoes
2. Walking behind the gym.
3.Having a cigarette
4. Shadow boxing for maybe 7 punches
5. Assuring me he could do 500 situps
“Ok you watch 500″-points to situp bench……….”1..2..3, ok done, ready for fight”
-On any Saturday night I can guarantee you Wong will ask you how many fights you think he has had
“how many fights you think me have?”………..”you’ve had 210, you told me last week”
Nathan is pretty new to Muay Thai and when he replied to Wongs question with an estimate of 30 fights, Wong clearly hurt by the guess
“why you think me only fight 30″ he replied with a concerned look on his face, pretty hilarious kind of had to be there!
-Wong, pretending to feed his child a large bottle of Chang
-Any of his numerous aggressive gestures to foreigners/kids/dogs and inanimate objects.
-But my absolute favorite Wong story I just heard a few nights ago. Den the head trainer at the camp, explained how when Wong used to fight for the camp, himself and Wong would go for runs together in the mornings, “together” here being used quite loosely because while Den would be “running” Wong cycled beside him on a bicycle!!. Let me just put this into perspective for you, Den who was no longer fighting would go for a run and Wong who was still fighting would follow on a bike, a BIKE!!
Don’t get me “Wong” though Wong is a good trainer, he is pretty shrewd with what he wants and communicates this to you with a head kick and slap of a focus mitt but he will work you hard, very hard. If you really want to boost your endurance, and smash pads Wong is the man to go to. I guess you could say he trains you the way he fight “balls out from the get go”.
