THE EMERALD GYM CAMP
The EMERALD GYM CAMP to KRABI
Special report by Serge TREFEU (2009)
Wilfried MONTAGNE and his wife Eve has just taken up together a camp in Thailand. Wilfried takes charge of the part boxing and Eve gives three times a week lessons of aerobics. Wilfried (Champion of Europe and champion of France) is a champion recognized in France because it fought almost everywhere worldwide, several times in Thailand in particular during the famous King’s Birthday in Bangkok. He beat champions of good names such Chalunlap (Champion of China, N°3 in Lumpinee), Samkor (3 times Lumpinee Champion), Wannai Pongpila (World champion and Thailand champion) and makes draw against redoubtable Saimai (World champion and Lumpinee champion). He also faced great champion as Dejpitak (Lumpinee champion), Narupol (Lumpinee champion), Yinyai (N°2 of Lumpinee), Mourad Sari (World champion and Lumpinee champion), Yassine Benhadj (Europe champion) and Sofiane Allouache (World Champion).
Today Wilfried in 35 years is always in service and still training but not in his fetish gym of “Lumpinee Gym” to city of St Denis in Parisian suburb. Now it is in his own camp in Thailand that he gets ready in possible fights …
The EMERALD GYM camp opened in November, 2008 in the renowned sea resort of Ao Nang which is 18 kilometers of the city of Krabi. Krabi is situated in the South of the Thailand in approximately 800 km from Bangkok in one of the most beautiful regions of the country.
The region of Krabi offers magnificent landscapes with its green cliffs, its hills “in sugar loaf” which appear from the sea and its beaches of dreams. The name “Emerald” was given in touch with the famous “emerald pool” who is situated in the region. It is a set of pond of mineralized fresh water the water of these magnificent natural swimming pools of which is of a green color emerald!
The camp is at feet of a cliff near a magnificent hotel which consists of a set of wooden luxurious bungalow. The place is quiet away from the full of life center of the sea resort. The main completely new structures of the camp are wooden with roofs in sheet of banana. What gives to the camp a typical aspect of the region. Besides the beauty of places, the camp extends over a surface of more than 1200 m2!
Two big boxing rings, six bags of striking, a room of body-building and a room for the aerobics, all this in a quiet and airy place. It is really a very pleasant camp to training. Here we are far from the pollution and from the noise of Bangkok.
Infrastructures to receive the boarders are also very good qualities for an only 300-baht price. There are three rooms which can contain up to three persons each and a big bungalow being able to welcome five persons. All are equipped with the air-conditioning, the TV, the refrigerator and the warm shower. The top is a big sauna which allows relaxing pleasantly after the hard trainings of the day. For the long-term residents, the cook of the camp who is the woman of one of the trainer realizes the dishes regional delicious!
The training takes place the morning and after noon and begins or by the heating in the rope or by a traditional jogging. The bravest can go to run on the beach which is in 15 minutes of the camp. Strong moment the morning jogging on the deserted beach!
According to the level of the fighters the training continues with sparring, work in paos and in bags. Two experimented trainers are at the service of the fighters.
Pakaipet and Bangman is everything them two of the former champions of the region. Pakaipet which comes from the island of Koh Yao made more than 150 fights among which 50 in the stadium of Lumpinee. In 126 lbs (-57 kg) and 130 lbs (-59 kg) he beat champions as Phe Songsai, Chamonplek, Mitsai and Singsawat. His speciality was knees and clinch. When to Bangman Sakmain who is of Krabi, he was classified N°3 in Radja and N°4 in Lumpinee even some years ago. South champion of the Thailand with its 200 fights with 100 in the stadium of Raja for 150 wins, he beat great champion as Kaipet Sor Vorapin (Radja champion), Robert Kaennorasing (3 times Radja champion), Chakmuang Kiatniwat (Radja champion) and Plaaplam Sitsamtan (Radja champion).
Bangman, him is a specialist of the blow elbow and it proves him when it still fights in small stadium of the region. His last one fight, he gained him by K.O in the 2nd round thanks to a circular blow elbow!
At the moment there are still no Thai champions who training here, only children. Baw 13-year-old, the son of the trainer Bangman, the boxing for the camp and has already 8 fights to his credit. Several youngs fighters of the camp Sidpuhiymanop which is in some kilometers from here come regularly to training to the Emerald Gym.
But the Thai champions would not know how to delay arriving because the former champion of the Radja Teorit Noï who works in the region is soon going to make come boxers of an important camp of Phuket.
Around of the foreigners, the camp has already welcomed many fighters. Zig Zach fighter of famous Asia Contendeur often comes to train here. Many people of European but also Canadians and of Americans come often to trains. Jason an American fighter lives in the camp for several months and fights in stadium of the region for the camp. Indeed, the foreigners who train seriously have the possibility of fighting in the stadium of Ao Nang which is one of the biggest at present in the South of the country. Others stadium can receive foreign fighters, to Koh Lanta, to Koh Pe Pe or farther on the island of Phuket. To the Emerald Gym everybody is welcome, about is their level the boxers will find their accounts there.
Wilfried organizes so sometimes seminars with big champions, the last one to come was Samkor Kiatmontep (triple Lumpinee champion) who distributed lessons during 15 days. So in the future the other seminars with champions are for the program …
The ambition of Wilfried is to have Team of fighter Thai male and so feminine. He wants to form young’s fighters and to see them evolving in the time as make him all the traditional camps of the country. Before long the Emerald Gym will make certainly speak about him in the region, CHOOKDEE to the TEAM EMERALD GYM!
EMERALD GYM
SOI 11
AO NANG
KRABI
THAILAND
Tél. : +66 08 35 48 38 50
Website : www.emerald-gym.com
Contact : contact@emerald-gym.com