|
Interview with Master Tan |
|
How did you start Muay Thai? I started my martial arts training in Southern Shoalin Wu Shu when I was eight years old changing to Muay Thai at thirteen (1964) when my family moved to a town close to Thai border where To Moi (Muay Thai) is a traditional sport and art. I used to play competitive basketball for my school and Table Tennis socially; other hobbies include tramping, travelling and diving. The state that bordering Thailand where my family moved to used to be part of Thailand about a hundred years ago. It was forcibly ceded to British Malaya in an unfair treaty. The state still retained much of its Thai culture and influence such as Thai Buddhism and To Moi. In 1964 a schoolmate of mine took a few of us to his camp. We liked what we saw and applied to the Ajarn (master) to be accepted as students. An auspicious day was selected for our admission. On the day, we brought some, fruits, sweets and silk cloth as gift to the Ajarn. The admission ceremony was a rather formal affair with current and ex-students as well as some villagers attending. Traditional music and drums were played while tea and snacks were served. We lighted some joss stick and pray to the boxing shrine. After performing our wai-kru the Ajarn blessed us by adorning the mongkong on our heads one at a time. We were then accepted into the family / camp. Our Ajarn was well into his 60’s, he had started fighting under traditional bare- knuckle rules, before the modernisation of Muay Thai in the 1920’s and like most Ajarns of this time he was very traditional. I had my first fight north of the Malaysian border in Thailand after about six months training and KO’d my opponent. The recognition by schoolmates and peers was great for a teenage boy. I did well in most of the fights that followed. It was the winning that kept me fighting. After five years of fighting me and Mat “Apollo”, a Muslim boy who fought in lighter weight category, from another camp were the best the town had seen for a long time. My fight name was Pengchai Sit Petchinchoi. Pengchai means little Peng (my nick name) and Pechinchoi was my Ajarns name the name of my camp was Sit Petchinchoi.. My fight record when I retired was forty-eight stadium fights, thirty-eight wins and 4 draws. Six KO. I also had five non-stadium (fairground) fights winning all of them by KO – four in the first round and one in the second round. These unsanctioned and unapproved (by local Government) fights took place south of the border in Malaysia with some Wu Shu (Kung Fu) and Silat (Malay martial arts) fighters participating as well. Some may like to glamorise them as underground fights due to their illegal status. But the standard and fitness level of many participants were so low that many would not go beyond third round even if they survived an early knockout! My biggest achievement was winning and defending the Feather Weight (126lbs) crown of Sekimloon Stadium in Hat Yai, the largest and best stadium in southern Thailand then. I stopped fighting in 1969 at eighteen; about this time I got very sick with fever and had to spend a month in bed. The break from the routine training and fighting allowed me the opportunity to contemplate my future and I thought it might be time to move on. My parents were not keen for me to continue fighting and finally lost their patience when I had some teeth knocked out in a fight. I was sent to a school in Kuala Lumpur where no Muay Thai existed (I trained boxing there for two years) before I was sent off to England. While I stopped fighting at eighteen, Mat fought all his way to be rated number one in both Lumphini and Rajadernerm the two main stadiums in Bangkok. Mat is still teaching in his hometown today and is recognised as the best Muay Thai fighter to have come out of Malaysia. What are your memories of VUW? I started teaching in VUW in September 1988 after conducting a Muay Thai seminar in Wellington to gauge the interest in the sport. The seminar was well received with more than thirty participants from various martial arts styles. Despite the good response from the seminar, the first class started with only eight students. Most of them had done other forms of martial arts; Mark Norton, Justin Forsell and some other future senior members of the club were there on day one. The club grew rapidly in the next academic year and by 1990 we were the largest martial arts club in VUW. One of my most memorable experiences was our debut on the NZ kickboxing fight scene. After less than one year of training, some students became restless, as we couldn’t get any fights. After hearing of a WKA show in Dannevirke we contacted the promoter and arranged some matches, the agreed on condition that no knees or elbows were allowed. Our fighters and supporters were nervous because none of the fighters had any experience. The fight venue and the perceived rough crowd was not the kind of place they, uni boys from a middle class background, would normally go. I knew of one student, a timid Pakeha boy from the suburb, who brought along a pocket knife for protection "just in case" he said. On the other hand, our opponents did not know what to expect from us. I was told by the then NZ WKA chief some of their fighters were very good and had a lot of experience both in and out the ring. In the first fight, Steve Anthony KO’d his opponent in 40 seconds of the 1st round with a head kick. Justin Forsell, in the second fight against someone who was "very, very good", KO’d his opponent in 30 seconds of the 1st round, again with a head kick. The crowd went wild after the spectacular knockouts. Steve Elliot was next and KO’d his opponent in 2nd round but was disqualified as he could not hear "break" from the referee who shouted from some distance behind him. Mark Norton was the last to fight. He was under tremendous pressure to perform due to all these knockouts by his peers. He was frustrated that he won only by points even though he managed to get a standing eight count on his opponent. Many had learned on that day that it did not matter how tough and rough a fighter is, in the end it comes down to the training, techniques and sportsman's approach that win fights. I hope to see VUW carrying on its tradition of producing good students, both fighters and non-fighters, who do well in the ring as well as in life. If properly utilised, the discipline acquired in training can be applied to whatever task one does in everyday life. What is the best thing that happened to you since you started training? I acquired discipline and mental strength from my Muay Thai training; this included self-control, the ability to focus as well as management of fear and anxiety. Mental preparedness is as important as physical preparedness in any fight. To perform well overcoming of fear and anxiety is just as important as being able to single-mindedly focus in training and during the fight. During fight and days leading towards fight, the body is going through chemical transformation by adrenalin. A fighter who is able to control it will be energised and buoyed by it during fight. Failure to manage it results in oppressive fear, fatigue and pain. My training and fighting helped me to cultivate these qualities. These qualities helped me tremendously in my subsequent studies and careers. I worked in some high powered and tough jobs in Singapore, including managing the finance of a large listed company that owned more than ninety subsidiaries. My mental strength helped me to perform well in some highly charged and pressured environments. When I was training, fighting was my most favourite thing in training. After retiring, fitness and stress relief became my main reasons for training. Is there anything else you would like to add? Reflecting on my own experience, I have benefited greatly from my Muay Thai training. I performed badly through out my secondary school mainly due to the demands of Muay Thai training. I trained four to five hours a day daily and fought at an average interval of between three to four weeks. I also played basketball for my school and took no interest in my studies instead focusing my whole energy and thoughts in training and fighting. When decided to take up study seriously, my literary abilities were appalling. I failed both my fifth and seventh form examinations and was required to stay two years extra in school to complete my “A” Level. Completing my qualifications as an Accountant was an uphill battle, my ability to focus helped me succeed. During my stay in Singapore, I worked in a number of senior and high-pressured jobs, which provided me with the opportunity to earn enough to retire within nine years. One of these jobs involved turning around a company, which was at the verge of bankruptcy. I took on the job like a fight and applied the same intensity of focus. I managed the fear and anxiety caused by uncertainty as if I was stepping into Muay Thai ring and succeeded in rescuing the company. Being a person of average intelligence - I hope. Who consistently performed badly through out secondary school, earning the dubious honour of being the last boy in the worst class in fourth form and failing external school examinations badly not once but twice, I simply cant think of any factors that could contribute towards my success other than credit it to the mental strength that I have acquired in my Muay Thai training. Those who have fought in the ring understand the mental strength required in training towards fight and in the ring during fight. Anyone who is able to focus the same mental strength from fighting to whatever they do, will perform well.
|
