THE TOWN IN TOWN GYM

Temps de lecture : 5 minutes

THE TOWN IN TOWN GYM

by Serge TREFEU (2015)

The Town in Town Gym called also “Por Suwan Gym” opened his doors in 2012, he’s in Wang Thong Lang’s district, in northeast suburb of Bangkok. Wang Thong Lang’s district is a lively area in the evening, there are many night club and bars. And exactly, the camp Town in Town is made a former night bar of a hotel which was restored in fitness gym.

The owner of this atypical gym is the legendary champion Hippy Singmanee!

Hippy Singmanee, of his real name Pichet Chuthong, was born on August 14th, 1967 to Thung Song, a city in Nakhon Si Thammarat’s region in the South of the Thailand.

Hippy arises from a big family of eight children which includes four boys and four girls!

His older brother was a good fighter and was called Thungsong Singmanee and his younger brother, Kompayak Singmanee, was a great champion who took away a belt of Lumpinee!

When he was a child, Hippy was brawler, then his father introduced him to the boxing very early, at the age of 10…

He made his first fight in 11 years, in 1978, the day of the holiday of “Pimaï” ( Thai New Year’s Day).

Hippy trained at his home, behind his house, in the court it was a training camp where his father trained his sons and other young fighters…

The young Hippy makes his first fight in Bangkok, at the age of 15, in 1982, in a small stadium to Samut Prakarn near the camp Therdthai. And, the first big champion whom he beats is Atit Sor Djensit!

Hippy is going to take away two belts of prestigious stadium of Lumpinee. In 1986, he gains the belt of Lumpinee in 105 lbs against Phungluang Kietanane and in 1988 the belt of Lumpinee in 108 lbs against Karuhat Sor Supawan!

During his career, Hippy be going to make 223 fights for 161 victories, 34 defeats and 28 draws.

Hippy Singmanee was an exceptional fighter, it was not a puncheur but thanks to his magnificent techniques of pokes and High Kick, he was able to bring down many opponents by imposing them severe technical KO, he gained 72 fights by KO and TKO!

In the 80s, Hippy was during many years one of the best fighters of his category, his Dantesque fights in front of killers such as Rambo Pongsiri and Toto Por Pongsawang became cult matches!

So, the confrontations between the wonderman Karuhat Sor Supawan and Hippy Singmanee entered in the story of Muay Thai, they were four times in confrontation with two victories for Hippy, one victory for Karuhat and a draw!

His hardest fight was in 1987 in the stadium of Radja against Weerapol Sahaprom (World champion of Boxing WBC and WBA).

Hippy met the best of his category of time such as Chanlit, Weerapol, Karuhat, Toto, Rambo, Jaroensap, Saenkhom, Paleuhatlek, Jaroenthong, Pitcitsuk, Langsuan, Dentaksin, Phungluang and Namkabuan!

His only fight abroad, he did it in France to 21 years. In 1989, in Paris, he battled European champion Jaid Seddak he beat on points.

The promoter of Hippy was in the time famous Songchai Ratanasuban who often obtained him good purses the amount of which could go up to 120 000 bahts.

Today, he teaches from now on in his own camp of boxing in Bangkok. Hippy it’s also tried a little in the promotion of fight. In 2011, he was in particular the promoter of the show that to oppose former two stars of boxing rings, Sagat Petchyindee (55 years) and Pud Lao Lek (60 years), a match which took place in the South of the country to Surathani.

MASTER HIPPY

Two other legends of the rings also give boxing lessons within the Town in Town Gym, Sagat Petchyindee and Dieselnoi Chor Thanasukarn!

THREE RINGS OF LEGENDS, SAGAT, HIPPY AND DIESELNOI!

Sagat Petchyindee was born to Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat) in Isaan (Northeast). Sagat arises from boxers’ family, his younger brother was a good boxer and his older brother a very big fighter, very strong, who was called Saksout.

He began his formation in Muay Thai in his house with his older brother, and then he was in a temple near at home. There, monks also taught him techniques of Muay Thai. Teenager, he leaves to Bangkok for the famous camp of the promoter Petchyindee, the Petchyindee Gym. Till the end of his career he will stay in Petchyindee Gym.

Sagat is going to make 317 fights for 266 victories, 40 defeats and 11 draws. In Muay Thai, he was three times a champion of the Lumpinee, three times champion of the Ratchadamnoen and World champion of Thai boxing. But also World champion of Kickboxing. In Boxing, he was a world champion IBC, he gained the belt WBC Asian Boxing Concil and the belt OPBF. He also fought for world champion WBC’s belt against Wilfredo Gomez (World champion WBC with 20 victorious defenses of his title!) but he lost in points, it was only his third professional fight in Boxing…

Sagat Petchyindee is a legend of boxing rings because he beat in his time the best of his category as Kitty Sor Thanikul, Wangwanloup Maturee, Krontee Sor Sonalan, Nongkhai Sor Prapatsorn, Samart Prasanmirt, Noomthanong Suanmisakawan.

He met three times legendary Dieselnoi with every time of the very hard fights in front of him, Sagat is going to beat twice King of the knocks of knees!

Thanks to his power and his terrible punch, he adds up an incredible number of victories by KO, more than 150 victories by KO, a record!

His famous Ram Muay/Wai Khru (Dance of the boxing /Wave, Homage to Master) who evokes the flight of a bird is from now on a reference in the schools of Muay Thai, he moreover received in 1977 the price of “Best Ram Muay” from these last ten years.

Finally, the « video game Streetfighter » known worldwide integrated the personage of Sagat among his virtual fighters, a great tribute to this exceptional warrior…

MASTER SAGAT

Dieselnoi Chor Thanasukarn is, with Samart Payakaroon, certainly one of the boxers who most made the story of Muay Thai in Thailand.

His real name is Charin Sorndee, he was born to Nakhon Luang in the province of Ayutthaya (Centre region of the Thailand). At the age of 15, he makes his first fight which he gains at points for only 50 bahts (1 euro 25). He begins Muay Thai in the camp Chanor Loungchanang which was in the province of Ayuthaya, he makes about 60 fights for this camp.

At the age of 17, he goes to the camp Sor Vorakulchai in the province of Chonburi, then he will go to the camp Chor Thanasukarn, and to the famous camp Sor Thanikul to end finally his career in the camp Haa Phalang in Bangkok.

His first fights he makes them for 37 kg then for 45 kg when he begins to fight in Bangkok in the stadium of Radja, then he will fight in 57 kg and in 61 kg. Diesel Noi adds up 122 fights with 110 victories (40 KO), 10 defeats and 2 draws.

He gained two belts, a belt of Lumpinee and an International belt. The belt of Lumpinee in 135 lbs, he took away in 1981, against Kaopong Sittichoochai, and his International belt, in the stadium of Ratchadamnoen, against Japanese Chotkangchat. Dieselnoi did not take away many titles but his belt of Lumpinee, he’s going to keep it for four years, nobody will manage to beat the great Dieselnoi.

Because this exceptional fighter, measured near a meter ninety, for a 62 kg weight, and he destroyed all his opponents thanks to his fabulous technical of knocks of knees.

He was nicknamed “The Sky Piercing Knee Kicker”. The biggest champions such as Vicharnoi Porntawee, Pohsai Sittiboonlert, Kaopong Sittichoochai, Sagad Petchyindee, Samart Payakaroon, Padejsuek Pisanurachan, Nonekai Sor Prapassorn, Krongsak Prakong Boranrat, Raktear Muangsurin are going to be all defeated in front of King of the knocks of knees.

Having been a monk during several years, today he’s dedicated to his art education, the Muay Thai. But Dieselnoi will stay for ever among the biggest legends of the story of Muay Thai…

MASTER DIESELNOI

Town in Town Gym counts only two or three professional fighters because at the moment most of the boxers who train in the camp are children. The most hardened of boxers is Nadeet who has 120 fights to his credit, he fought in the big stadiums of Bangkok such as Lumpinee, Radja and stadium of Omnoi.

Khru Hippy is assisted for the class by the former champion Wangpanom Vor Saktawee who gained in the 90s a belt of Radja in 108 lbs and fought in Boxing (15 professional fights) in 2002 for the belt WBO Asia Pacific in 112 lbs!

Sometimes, Khru Hippy also gives the lesson to groups of girls, are often beginners who come to learn the bases of Muay Thai…

The foreigners are welcome in Town in Town, here it’s not a camp for the foreign professional boxers who wish to get ready hard to fight in Thailand. But the foreign fighters can receive private lesson with Hippy, Sagat or Dieselnoi. And a lesson with one of his legends is worth gold!

PRICE OF LESSONS TO TOWN IN TOWN GYM