How I Met Alex “F-14” Gong: Part 1

During the period, which I refer to as the American Martial Arts Revolution (AMAR), I was like many aspiring ninjas and Kung-Fu masters. I read magazines like Black Belt Magazine, Inside Kung-Fu, and Kung-fu Magazine. I was still sifting through the efficacy of whimsical martial arts systems vs. time-tested arts.

While reading an issue – as I religiously did – I came across an ad. It said something like: “Come learn authentic Fairtex Muay Thai in Arizona.” Arizona?! It might as well be in Thailand for a 19 year old kid making chump change teaching Tae Kwon Do, Filipino Martial Arts (FMA), and Combat Submission Wrestling Level 1 (CSW) somewhere in New Jersey. I’ll leverage my position, I thought, as I tried to convinced the owner of the school of my new mission. Mostly, the school owner thought it was “a waste of time,” and “a dumb idea.”

A few years later and a couple of states over, I got my chance. Alex Gong came to vet myself and a few other individuals in the greater NJ/NYC area for the potential opportunity of a lifetime – the chance to franchise Fairtex. The whole experience was surreal.

To prepare, I had been watching all the fight footage of the Fairtex team that I could dig up. It wasn’t as easy to find videos back then. Martial arts weren’t featured on standard channels – aside from WMAC Masters (https://youtu.be/1iqdPKrZBb4). While I was recovering from a bout with Cancer, I would record fights from ESPN2 on VHS, and watch them over and over trying to mimic the Fairtex guys. Then suddenly, poof! I was standing in front of that weird triangle building in NYC (You know…the one in John Wick…) to pick up Alex Gong.

As if I wasn’t already intimidated enough, he was dressed in an expensive suit – ready to scrutinize us. There were a few of us that he would meet with. The group included Rigel Balsamico, Jonathan Roxas, Marvin Ronquillo, & Chris Romulo. At the meeting, that I attended, Roxas and Ronquillo were there. We listened to what was in store for us.

At this point, Mr. Gong was all business. From my perspective, the pressure was intensified from that meeting. He explained the upcoming tests without any hint of emotion. The following is an estimate of what he told us:

Everyone in this room has the unique opportunity to be part of something special. We are the only fight camp in the United States with Thai trainers, who run authentic Thai style camps. If you want to be a part of this, there will be a some tasks that you will have to complete to make sure that you qualify to become a Fairtex coach. You complete an intensive fight camp, which includes rigorous exercise and daily sparring. You will participate in a Fairtex fight night “smoker” in which your opponent will be chosen the night of the fight. Lastly, you will complete a final test.

I waited for more details, but they never came. By the end of the night, I hadn’t become friends with Alex. In fact, the experience seemed to pull me down to Earth a bit regarding my capabilities. I had recently recovered from a full thyroidectomy & radiation. I had not yet fully returned back to normal. I had a long road ahead of me.

6/1/2021 – The Abbot