As part of our festive season content, the “Cape Argus” retrieved articles from its archives looking at what made news in 1922, and 2002.
The article below was published in the “Cape Argus” dated Cape Town, Friday, December 6, 2002.
(Note: The author of the original article was Katharyn Williams.)
‘Dragon’ is king of Muay Thai ring
by Katharyn Williams
Quentin Chong thinks he’s way too nice. He says he’s honest, generous and patient, but doesn’t tolerate being taken for a ride.
The 30-year-old Muay Thai world champion was born in Gaborone, Botswana, and moved to Milnerton at seven.
He has trained in Kung Fu since he was five and started Muay Thai seven years ago.
For those who don’t know Muay Thai has been around for a thousand years.
It is Thailand’s national sport and some believe it to be the most brutal ring sport in the world. It is also the forerunner of American kickboxing and Thai boxing and, arguably, is the only contact sport that brings a bit of culture to the ring.
Chong, who attended Milnerton primary and high schools, insists he was never chosen for school sports teams.
“Whenever cricket or soccer had to be chosen during physical education I was always the last to be chosen,” he laughs.
He left Milnerton high in Grade 10 and completed matric at Progress College in Rosebank.
He qualified as a fashion designer at the SA Academy of Clothing in Cape Town in 1992.
Chong doesn’t think of fighting as a means of hurting someone – he sees it as a way of learning to control his body.
“It’s all about self-discipline and respect. Respect for yourself and respect for others.
“It’s not about violence and picking fights with people.” Despite his make love not war approach, he is still single and looking for a young with “unusual features” and “someone who will make delicious dinner after a long day at work”.
That someone also has to be energetic and independent. Chong begins his day with a long shower followed by a healthy breakfast: an omelette consisting of five egg whites and a single yolk, and a tall “lean and mean smoothie”. This is followed by an hour at gym and a break.
He then spends a few hours stretching, doing cardiovascular exercises and skipping.
“I also teach Muay Thai and Dragon Power Kung Fu.
“Sometimes I teach for up to sixteen hours a day, especially when I’m training my students for a fight.”
Now we all know how he keeps that great body in shape. “And of course, a high protein and low carbohydrate diet,” he adds. After all that hard work, Chong says he is looking forward to a fun-filled summer.
“I’m going absolutely wild. I’m going to spend as much time as I can on the beach and socialising. “I’ve been teaching and training for the past six months, so I’m just going to take it easy.”
Chong successfully defended his world title against Nokweed, a Taiwanese Muay Thai legend, at the new Dragon Power gym in De Villiers Street last Saturday. This makes him the world champion in the super mid-weights division of the World Muay Thai Council in Thailand - the biggest and only professional Muay Thai organisation in the world.
“It was my dream to host this match in my home city and it made me proud to watch my students successfully keep the first professional belts in the country.”
Over 2 000 local and international fans came from all over to support the event and more than 1 000 fans were turned away as the gym was packed to capacity.
The youngest child of three brothers, Chong loves his Persian cat, Rice Cake, and he says he plays his favourite R&B tunes in his Sea Point home to relax.
“I also love dancing and break dancing”. But he hates cooking.
“The problem is I don’t know how to cook. The best I can do is bacon, eggs and toast. But I do make the best tea in town.”
Chong’s somewhat intimate dating nickname is “the Dragon” - the Chinese symbol for power and protection.
“I think people call me that because of the huge dragon tattoo I have on my back,” he says lifting his shirt to reveal a work of art that took six hours to complete.
Ironically, he hates needles. “I’m also afraid of heights and I’m scared of disappointments, I hate it. I don’t like disappointing myself.”
But the scariest that’s happened to him was two years ago when he picked up a serious virus.
“I can’t remember what it was called, but I do remember losing 8kg in two days and I had the weirdest hallucinations. It affected my entire body, and I thought I was going to die - that was pretty scary.”
So how does he prepare for a fight when he has to compete against the best of the best?
“I’d a dance ritual before every fight. It’s called the weikru and it's a way of paying respects to your teacher and traditions.”
He admits he gets extremely nervous.
“I think because before I fight I’m under a lot of pressure. But I love pressure, it keeps me on my toes and helps me use everything I’ve got.”
Chong says last weekend’s fight might have been his last.
“But I have a funny feeling I'm only saying that for now. I’m already planning a match in Thailand in March, so I’m almost sure I’ll get back into the swing of things after a nice long summer.”
