A Hard Fought Victory Monday, Jan 28 2008

Nothing really is certain in muay thai here in the Philippines.  I thought I’ll be fighting somebody from MAP-Makati but on the day of the tournament, I was informed that I’ll be going up against a fighter from MAP-QC.  And this guy is no ordinary dude, he’s a US Marine stationed at the US Embassy.  Suddenly, scenes and images from the movies Jarhead and Full Metal Jacket flashed before my eyes.  The US marines, as their motto states, are “the few and the proud”.  Highly trained killers protecting American interest in all parts of the globe.   And I will be going against one of them.  If the training they went through are not real, as they are portrayed in the movie, I am the happiest man in the world.  Unfortunately for me, the US marines are really tough and mean dudes, judging from the way my opponent, US Marine Robert Frese fought our match. 

The exchange of blows are relentless from the opening bell of the first round to the closing of the third round.   In the first round, I drew first blood by landing a 1-2 combination and followed up by getting the clinch.  I then connected two solid  knees to his face and I swear that I felt his nose hit my knees.  Anybody of lesser mettle would already be wobbling and backing away, not this marine.  He kept going and going after me. 

In the later stage of the first round, we were in a clinch and I was already down on all fours and Robert still hit me with a knee to the head.   Hitting an opponent who’s kneeling with their hands on the floor is illegal.  But I can’t really blame my opponent because the referee didn’t intervene in time.  That knee to the head really dazed me and unknown to my opponent, to my cornerman and to the audience, I am already punch drunk (a term that is used referring to the feeling of being dizzy after receiving a strong blow to the head.  The feeling is like downing several shots of tequila or any strong liquor.  Hence the term).  That knee to the head is the turning point in the match because I am already too dazed to stick to my gameplan,  that is to stay outside, deliver long range techniques, move out and avoid the clinch.    I have to give credit to Robert for imposing his game on me.  Very often in a fight, its a matter of having your opponent play your game rather than let him do his game strategy. 

I am really so pissed with that illegal knee strike that I felt compelled to do my own illegal trick.  So at one point in the 2nd round, our clinch was already broke-up by the referee, I hit him with a straight to the head.  Which earned me a warning.  I think I really have to apologize to Robert for this unsportsman behavior. 

The endless clinch from Robert has sapped my energy that by the 3rd round, I am already in the defensive.  Circling away, trying to avoid an engagement and just waiting for the round to end.   I have to blame my poor cardio to my being overweight.    Like the great football coach Vince Lombardi once said, “Fatigue makes cowards of us all”.  Serves me right for eating so much and focusing my training on techniques and neglecting my cardio vascular and muscular endurance training. 

In one moment in the 2nd round, when the referee broke our clinch, I heard Robert saying, “Man, you’re killing me.”  I want to tell him, “You’re killing me too!”  But I kept it so that he will not have a psychological edge over me. 

I landed some jab-straight combinations and made some clean connections with my teep and roundhouse kicks that I am confident that I will win.  I know I got the first and second round, the third round I think I have to give it to Robert.   At the end of the bout, when we were waiting for the result, I am wary that if the judges finds the match a draw and they will require a fourth round, I know I may no longer make it. 

Perhaps I have piled enough points in the early rounds that I earned the nods of the judges and awarded me the victory.    When I approached Zhie, Robert’s muay thai kru, I told him that its one heck of a match.  Zhie asked if am I ok for a rematch this March.  I said yes, Robert does deserve a rematch.  And I know it will be another tough fight. 

I remember this line from the movie The Siege of Firebase Gloria.  In this Vietnam war movie,  an outnumbered contingent of US marines are defending their base codenamed Gloria against the Vietcong forces during the Tet Offensive.  In one scene, the leader of the Vietcong said about the Americans, “The courage of your enemy, does you honor.”  The fighting heart of US Marine Robert Frese have given me a lot of honor. 

Sidenote:

Had I known that I will be fighting an American, I wouldn’t have worn my specially made Philippine flag design muay thai short.  I don’t want to make it appear that its a US vs Philippine match and create an air of animosity between my compatriots and Robert’s camp.   

Gearing up for the fight

Goofing off with my good bud Carlo, who’s also my cornerman

Stretching for the fight

My opponent, US Marine Robert Frese

The ceremonial wearing of the mongkon

Robert, doing the sealing of the ring ceremony

Me, doing the sealing of the ring ceremony

Robert doing the wai kru-the ceremonial dance before the muay thai fight

The face-off

No, we’re not embracing…we’re trading punches

Get away from me!!! (Defending from a clinch)

Landing a roundhouse kick

Waiting for the result of the match, the most tense moment of any fight.

Luckily, I received the nods of the judges and won the match.   After receiving the trophy with MAP President and other MAP Officers

This is what sportsmanship is all about.  After trading blows and trying to kill each other in the ring, we’re all friends outside the ring. 

Hey, dude…that’s my wife.  Beck with Robert and our friend Em

After the fight, its time to pig out at Padi’s Point, Antipolo Overlooking with our Korean friend Bjong, Ems and Carlo’s daughter Winona