Many thanks to Commando for allowing us a sneak peak at his book Muay Thai Uncovered.  Commando, has been all over Muang Thai documenting camps for his upcoming book.  I don’t think there is anyone out there who has been to more camps then he has.  In addition to his writing, he’s been fortunate enough to get a fight in at Lumpini and will be fighting on one of the Televised UBC fights from Rangsit stadium.  Give em hell Commando!   In addition to profiling camps, he does in depth profiles of the camps fighters.   Anyway thanks for letting me run this.

Written by Mark Lavelle

Jangjao is 11 years old at time of writing (2008) and is a stand out amongst the new generation of Fairtex’ Nakmuays. The necessary ingredients are in place for him to go on and achieve all that is possible within the sport both in Thailand and internationally, and if he continues to work as hard as he does now, he will do just that, and it is entirely feasible to me that in 6 or 7 years he can attain the same level of global acclaim that the likes of Yodsanklai and Buakaw enjoy today.

By necessary ingredients I’m referring to three principal components of his training which, on top of his own phenomenal natural ability, will ensure he develops to his fullest potential, and they are first and foremost, a fully skilled, dedicated and experienced trainer, secondly, a promoter with extensive worldwide contacts who is also experienced in nurturing young fighting talent, and thirdly, a fully equipped Muaythai camp with which to train at within metres of his home. Jangjaos trainer is his father, former Fairtex fighter and now trainer Jakrit Fairtex, whose ever watchful eye on his sons training routine ensures Jangjao doesn’t slack off for a second. Jackrit reached the rank of number 2 at Lumphini stadium in 1993, the champion at the time being

Kheosot Luukmunphet, and recalls his fights with Phet Lukbansuan as amongst the toughest of his career. Jackrit fought at 145 lbs and you can see for yourself from the photos that he is a big man, but 15 years ago the same opportunity to fight foreigners of heavier weights didn’t exist as it does today, and he retired possibly earlier than he could have because there weren’t any other Thai fighters of similar weight to fight him at the time. However, as detrimental as it was to Jakrits career at the time to be of an unorthodox heavier weight in a country where the average fighter weighs 20-25 lbs less, in this new day and age where Muaythai is of worldwide interest and there are many heavier fighters, the same family genes can only serve as an advantage to his son when he eventually steps out of the national scene onto greater international glories. Jangjao will be able to compete at a weight category which carries far more international fighters and therefore have a greater intercontinental appeal, (look how physically developed he is already at 11 years old, Jangjao should be* the specimen of the archetypical Muaythai fighter at 21.) Jakrit combines the training of foreigners at Fairtex Bangplee with the role of mentor, trainer and of course father to Jangjao, and it occurred to me, especially when watching them train together, how enjoyable that must be for him, to be in the enviable position of going to work every day and to be able to spend time with his son when he is there. On a daily basis the pair of them spend between 3 or 4 hours ‘quality time’ together in the gym, and by quality time I mean time spent keeping fit, talking to each other, having a laugh together…they have an excellent father and son dynamic which, surely some fathers reading this would like to have with their own son but cannot due to work commitments, commuting times or physical limitations etc. There may be a debate in Thailand as to whether young boys should be allowed to fight in Muaythai, but surely there is no debate as to whether or not young boys should train in Muaythai, especially when the trainer is the boy’s father. Granted, Jangjao has a punishing schedule in anyone’s book, (he was on the running machine even before I got to the gym every morning at 06.00), but he is getting the healthiest start to life, learning about fitness, nutrition and how to protect himself, and also having a great deal of contact with his father, who can not only teach him about Muaythai but will have sufficient contact with him to help him out with advice on any other issue he has whilst growing up, and which should ensure he grows up as a well rounded individual and a welcome part of any community.

Coming from the UK as I do, at various times over the last decade politicians have called for a return to ‘family values’ or ‘greater parental involvement’ to stem the rising ‘hoodlum’ or ‘yob’ culture which has seen people in various inner city communities scared to go out at night, boys or girls aged 11 or 12 being served with anti social behaviour orders and being proud of it, and a general feeling that the youth of today have no respect for elders or even society. Another rising problem for the UK which has been reported on various times over the last year is the rise in childhood obesity, which is reaching staggering proportions. Well it is true that the UK has these two problems to it seems, an ever growing extent, but what can be done about it? Answer, Mauythai camps all over the UK, and a before and after school Muaythai training routine, I’m sure any schoolboy will lose weight, learn respect and certainly won’t have the energy for any street corner hi-jinks that day, (now I know this will never become standard curriculum in the UK, but something similar, where sport and a training routine is involved, is definitely something to consider). Jakrit told me, “Jangjao is a quiet, respectful boy, he has always smiles and is polite to people”, which of course are traits common amongst most Thai people, but I’m sure is a result of the father and son contact I mentioned before.

Trainer Jakrit Fairtex holds the pads for son Jangjao Fairtex.

Jangjao in pre fight training will get up at 05.15 every morning and run for 45 minutes to an hour either around the small streets of Bangplee with the other schoolboy fighters or on the running machine, (at 10km per hour), in the fitness centre at Fairtex Camp. On completion of his run Jackrit will hold pads for him from anything between 30 to 45 minutes, covering all disciplines in the sport, teaching at every stage, and spurring him to greater effort all the time, and as Jangjao has been training since the age of 5, there is already little he needs to be taught. When Jakrit trains Jangjao, foreigners get their video cameras out, it is quite something to see such a young boy exemplifying perfect Muaythai technique, putting in 100% effort and basically training like his life depended on it, it’s no wonder he is so good, he really works hard. Jangjao isn’t even excused press ups or sit ups in the morning before having breakfast, rushing off to school, completing an entire school day, and then returning to camp to train again for another hour and a half. Now, you just couldn’t do that if your heart wasn’t in it, could you? I have met many former fighters, who upon starting a family and having a son of their own, told me they did not wish their son to follow in their own footsteps, instead hoping for a less painful life for their offspring. But for as many former fighters who wish that for their children, there are just as many who would love to see their son grow up to be a fighter like they were, and possibly go one step further and become a champion, (if they weren’t). I asked Jakrit if Jangjao ever complained about the routine, or if he ever said he couldn’t be bothered, to which he replied,

“Jangjao has never complained about combining training with school, Muaythai is what he wants to do. I didn’t force him into Muaythai, he just kept following me to the gym and would kick the bags and play around, and one day, he came back to the house and said he had just fought someone somewhere, his mum and I didn’t even know! I thought to myself, well, if he wants to fight, I’m going to make sure he knows how to do it correctly, so that he can protect himself as best as he can. I’m the same as any father, I don’t like to see my son get kicked or hurt, but this is what he wants, I’m happy to help him achieve his dreams”.

Jackrit went onto say,

“It’s important if you want to learn Muaythai to start as young as possible, if you wait until 15 or 16, it’s harder for the body to carry out some techniques, but if you train a 5 year old in Muaythai, he will have the necessary flexibility all his life”.

This is true of course but my immediate response to Jakrit was that I started training in Muaythai at 30 years old and will never give up trying to kick people in the head, (which requires significant flexibility), and which only drew a laugh from him!

So can Jangjao go onto achieve his dreams? Another factor in his corner is the fact he fights for Fairtex and is promoted by Philip Wong, and who better to nurture the replacement for Yodsanklai than the man who put Yodsanklai where he is in the first place? Philip has taken Yodsanklai Petchyindee, a well respected national stadium fighter, and turned him into a global Muaythai superstar, (or as big a star as you can get in what some people still regard as a niche sport), so the template has been set, all Jangjao needs to do is listen to his dad, keep going, and take what’s his. Jangjaos mere existence at Bangplee and also that of Saengmorakot et al, refutes all

Suggestions I have heard many times before as I travel the country that Fairtex don’t produce their own fighters, they only buy fighters from other camps, here was proof Fairtex can teach, as well as train.

Jangjao with his father and  stadium promoter

Philip doesn’t take any prize money from his fighters, what they earn in the ring is kept by them, which is a deal unique between promoter and fighter in Thailand, and because most Nakmuays have to give 50% of their earnings to the camp, and Jangjao, (or any other Fairtex fighter) don’t, they are in effect earning twice as much money as their compatriots, which, depending on how you look at it, is an opportunity to either earn twice as much money as you may have done before, or fight half as many times as you would have done before. “Mr Philip has allowed me to be in control of my sons’ career, he will not force us to make him fight, or push him too hard” said Jackrit. I always think that it’s a shame that great fighters in Thailand have to retire in their mid twenties, a time of life that in any other sport should see someone not even reach peak condition, but without the pressure to appear at every fighting event going from his father or promoter, (as some young nakmuays are subjected to) the opportunity exists for Jangjao to achieve longevity in his career as the reduced punishment to his body may help him continue fighting into his thirties. To get to the skill level he is at already though, Jangjao has fought 70 times, so if Mr Philip wants a marketable champion in Jangjao when he’s thirty, the fighter will need to slow down a bit, 70 times at 11 years old is a lot, but, having said that, it is also, the norm.

Jakrit told me of Jangjaos fight record of 60 wins from 70 fights as we travelled from Bangplee camp to Pattaya to watch him compete for the stadium title at 30 kg. Well, 30 kg it may have been for Jangjao, his opponent on the day, may have been a year older than him, and definitely weighed more. Both boys were summoned bare-chested to see the referee, who would with a quick glance decide if the boys should indeed fight each other, maybe someone in the stadium that night had voiced concern about the physical compatibility of the fighters, (I presume the weighing scales were broken), but a nod of approval from the referee meant the trip had not been wasted and Jangjao would get his chance against the older boy. The other fighter from Petchrungruang camp showed a great attitude during the fight and it seemed that he never accepted in his head that he was getting beat or could get beat, but he was always behind in the fight, Jangjao was the better fighter displaying the better skills, demonstrated no more eloquently than with the two elbow strikes he produced, in rounds two and three, which emphasised his inherent talent.

Fortunate I was then to be able to see the young Jangjao win his first of many stadium titles, and I’m sure the interest in the photos of him being presented with his belt will only increase in time as his name becomes known outside of Thailand. That is the future however, but even right now, at 11 years old, he is already very well known in Thailand. He has been asked to appear live on national TV to fight at the GrandFisk tournament (Suk Asawindam), which is dedicated in unearthing the best young talent in the country, and he has fought at varying different locations all over Thailand thereby making himself known and creating a reputation for himself, so take it from me the future of Fairtex is bright, and it’s called Jangjao!