JAID SEDDAK
Interview of JAID SEDDAK by Serge TREFEU (2010)
Serge TREFEU: Hello Jaïd how are you?
JAID SEDDAK: That goes very well
You are one of the French pioneers of the Muay Thai, in what year about you began the boxing?
We are going to say, at the beginning of the 80s.
You were how old?
I was approximately 18 years old. I was always a sportsman, I played football at first. I saw a fight it was Cantamessi against Soudareth and I have “Love” on this sport the Thai Boxing. But in fact I really started the Thai boxing accidentally, it was to prove to the lad who had said to me that I could not make this sport…
You began in which gym?
In Bellonie Gym in Montreuil (Parisian Suburb). I lived in Garches in 95 and I went to Montreuil in 93. Five times a week I did the route, Garches-Montreuil, there was for more than one hour of route…
In the time there was who in this gym?
There was Nikiéma, Cantamessi and an incredible trainer which was called Jack. And it is him frankly who gave everything to me in this sport. Later I belonged to the Yamatsuki Gym of Roger Paschy and Roger gave me so many things!
How it is crossed your first fight?
I began the boxing and it had been hardly 15 days since I’m training. Friday evening, Gille Bellonie my said “you are in shape because tomorrow there is a small event boxing and if you want to make it a demonstration “. I said “Yes OK “. And made by demonstration, I met to make a fight, a fight class C if we can say for time. The boy in more in front of me was 10 kg more than me, it was not too cool to begin the boxing because I was novice. But the boy I floored him and I gained!
Effectively for the beginning in competition it is a direct entry to the heart of the matter?
Yes and I am not better than the other one but when we give me a blow, I restore two. All my career was like that, people who fought against me they remembers it itself. Down from my 1m60 I looked of the dizziness to quite a lot of people…
What was your first major title?
My championship of France, it was in 1983, I believe. Then I have made at once for a European championship against a Dutch of Chakuriki Gym. It was heavier that me but I put him KO in the 2nd round, it was live on Channel TV Canal + in the time. I was one of the French first ones to fight on Channel TV Canal +!
How many times you were Europe Champion?
10 times in four different categories!
You often fought against boxers heavier than you?
Yes I fought the Dutch Mickael Lieuwfat “a killer”, he was 5 kilos more than me. I fought Abel El Quandili in Kickboxing, he was 7 kilos more than me. I always fought heavier guys…
Against the Dutch Lieuwfat (World champion of Thai Boxing), it was a hard fight?
Yes Lieuwfat it was a redoubtable fighter. I fought him twice. Once for a European championship of Thai Boxing. And I beat him by KO, I broke him the knee!
Your first championship of the World you gained against whom?
It was in the stadium Jappy in Paris against the Thai Payatnoi
How much you won of championship of the World?
I am going to say to you those who are really recognized because I have make full of title abroad and if I count everything, I shall be more of ten times World champion. Then, in Kickboxing and in Full-contact karate, World Champion WKA. In Thai Boxing, World Champion MKBB, it was in Holland. In Savate I was Vice World champion. I fought in all the disciplines!
You fought in Savate?
Yes I fought in Thai Boxing essentially but I saw lads of the same category as me who was champions in the other disciplines. Then as I like the fight I thus was to face them in their disciplines, and I beat them…
You are one of the French first ones to come to fight in Thailand, it was in which year?
Yes it is true but there was Cantamessi before me. I came in Thailand at the beginning of the 80s. I was with Fabrice Allouche (Europe Champion Thai Boxing) who had made a great fight in the stadium of Radja. I indeed remember it myself, Fabrice had taken out a magnificent poke turned to his fight, it was magic the atmosphere. We were the first ones to fight in Radja against Thai of high levels!
You went to which camp in the time?
One trained to the camp of Naris where there was Attapong, Yousoth, Lomthai, those goods…
You fought a lot in Thailand?
Yes I fought many Thai because in the time I fought for the promoter Songchai. And I also met stars as Hippy Singmanee, Rambo Pongsiri. But my big pride in all my career it is because I never have, ever taken by KO!
What was your hardest fight during all your career?
I would say my first meeting against the Dutch Lieuwfat. It was a machine this man, he did not stop advancing, impressing, it was a very hard fight…
You had which fighter’s style?
Already I never moved back and in Thai boxing I was a specialist in knees. I had a good cardio, the fighters I tired them at first then I finished them with my knees. But during a fight I damage seriously the right hand “effusion tenosynovitis”. And during one year I have of the changed my boxing, I have of the worked many with my left and I developed a very good left hook…
Your most beautiful memory of boxing?
My champion’s first belt of France. I believed in it not, I had him in the evening with me in the meal at table, my mother said to me “that goes you feel good? “. I had the belt on a chair in front of me and I has him left no eyes. During a month I kept my belt in my room, I was in love with her!
You were really proud of this trophy?
Yes to have this trophy, it was a big pride. There is who does not like the competition, me I always liked that, there is a loser and a winner, the best, it is like that. One day the actor Gérard Lanvin, the friend to me, said to me “Me the trophy Caesar, I do not believe in it “, I asked him why, and he answered me “Because I do not like the competition “. I have him say “Me I like the competition, I like trophies, that we give me a quite small medal and I am satisfied “. To me I have full, full of cup, trophy, I like, it is gratitude!
It is for it too that you were going to fight in the other disciplines, to have titles?
Exactly. I remind myself that once I had just fought in Thailand in Radja Stadium. I come back in France to make a fight in Full-contact karate and I take a championship of France. Everybody was stunned, it was the first time when a lad of the Thai boxing gained a title in Full-contact karate,it was never made. And five months later I took the championship of Europe in Full-contact karate!
In Thailand you are known thanks to all your fights, you kept friends champions here?
Yes I have full of friends, of great champions as Hippy, Wangchaynoi, Samarth Payakaroon, with Samart I have make The 400 Blows…
What advice you would give to a small young person who starts the boxing?
Already to believe in him and especially not believe all what we tell him. And for the fights, always be technical the first round, take its time…
What you make now?
I am in the music. I produced moreover an album which is called “KING JAID. On A Positive Air”, profits were put back to an association of fight against AIDS. I produced him with Diams, Fonky Family, Akhénaton, 113, Rohff, Arsenik, Passi, Pit Pacardi, Assasin, Cheb Mami, Samy Naceri. I also produced Diams, Rohff, 113, Arsenik before they are known of big public. There, I soon take out my next album which will be sponsored by Jacques Séguéla and the clip realized by Olivier Dahan!
The cinema you have already tried?
To Make castings, me that break b… But if we propose me a role will be with big pleasure. I have good friends in the cinema for Olivier Dahan who realized “La Môme”. It is my friend but never I asked him whatever it is. Tchéky Karyo it is also a friend. I know of the world in the cinema, Valérie Lemercier I great get along well with her. Emma Decaune, her it is my young “Baby”. Clotilde Courau, Samy Naceri, I know them well. Joey Star also I know him for more than 25 years, it is my “buddy”. Kool Shen also it is a friend.
you have a small anecdote to be told us with the boxing?
Yes I have many but I am going you to say about it a who is rather unusual who it is crossed in Japan. During a fight in Japan we arrive at the airport and here there is a parade of big Mercedes which welcomes us. Then Ferrari Testarossa arrives, a lad comes down from the car and comes to greet me. The lad by shaking hands with me I smell that misses him a finger. There, I ask my buddy ” it is what all this, it is Mafioso’s!”. He says to me “Yes we’re surrounded by it “. It was all Yakuza’s!
Today you are how old?
I was born on September 21st, 1962 to Mostaganem in Algeria where De Gaulle said “I understood you! ” And there I can say to you “I understood you! “. Here is I have 47 years and September 21st if you want to please me send I full of e-mail of letters to wish me just “Happy birthday”, it will enormously please me, it will be my most beautiful birthday present!
You want to add anything?
It had been a long time since I had made of interview and since I had not seen a lad as you who is so much fascinated by boxing, it feels that you like the boxing. And if there are people like you who write on the boxing, we gained everything for the future of the boxing. Otherwise I hope that there will be small young people who put themselves in this sport and who their will allow to go out of their “shit”. Because there is which stay in their “shit” and who want him, and there is who make everything to take out there, those there it is necessary to encourage them. Me if I had not known the boxing, I shall be can be not there spirit to speak to you. I owe to the boxing and to my family a lot which my always encouraged. My advised first one it is my mother and then it is my nephew, he is as a son for me…
Thank you very much for this interview and chookdee to you for all your projects!
Thanks to you
Jaid was one of the most charismatic boxers of his time because his enthusiasm it has him revealed as well on the boxing ring that except the boxing ring. Author of memorable fight in front of great champions as Payatnoi, Hippy Singmanee, Rambo Pongsiri, Mickael Lieuwfat, Yigin Osman, Rachid Elherdmi, Abel El Quandili. He really met and beat the best of his category and marked his imprint in the his story of French Muay Thai. It is moreover one of the boxers feet and fist the most titled until today. And his fighter’s nickname “Little Big Man” reflects well his tremendous career!
JAID SEDDAK
Height: 1m60
Weight: 55 Kg
Number of fight: 73. 63 Wins. 10 Losses.
Title :
Thai Boxing: World Champion (1992, 1993, 1994). Europe Champion (From 1986 to 1994). Europe Champion (From 1985 to 1992)
Kick Boxing : World Champion (From 1990 to 1995). Europe Champion (1988, 1989, 1990). France Champion (1987)
Full-Contact : World Champion (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995). Europe Champion (1991)
GYM: Bellonie Gym – Yamatsuki Gym