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Live and Die By the Sword
Alex Gong – A Tribute To A Warrior
by Muay Thai Guy, Admin @ www.IronLife.com & Team IronLife.com Writer
RIP Alex “F-14” Gong
Profile
October 14, 1970 - August 1, 2003
Height: 5'11”
Weight: 155 lbs.
Nickname: "F-14"
Fight Record: 27-2, 13 KO's
Team: Fairtex
Hometown: San Francisco, CA
Website: www.fairtex.com
Championship Titles
2001 National Siam Award “Best Fighter of the year”
2001 K-1 Super fight Winner
2000 K-1 Super fight Winner
1999 Light Middleweight World Champion
1998 Light Middleweight North American Champion
1997 Super Welterweight Intercontinental Champion
1996 Super Welterweight North American Champion
1995 Amateur Light Middleweight US Champion
A year has passed since the tragic loss of one of the finest of our time in the Kickboxing and Muay Thai world. Alex “F-14” Gong was the victim of a heinous gun crime as he was leaving the Fairtex Gym in San Francisco, California, when his car was hit by a Jeep Cherokee. Being the True Warrior Alex was, He confronted the offender who cowardly pulled out a gun and shot Alex.
Alex’s life was one of many accomplishments. Not only was he a world title fighter, a top class instructor and business man inside the gym, outside the gym, Alex was an upstanding citizen, family man and role model to his surrogate son, CJ (Son of his girlfriend, Mai Tran)
Alex knew about hard times and emphasized the importance and value of family. Knowing all too well what it felt like growing up without one. After his parents divorce when he was young, Alex was taken to India by his father and put in an orphan’s home. The young and brave Alex Gong managed to find his own way to the American embassy in Kathmandu when he was only 11 years old and managed to make his way back to the USA to be united with his mother, Nita Tomaszewski.
Not only was Alex Gong a role model to his family and to his own students and friends, he will be a role model and inspiration to everyone who has heard of him. In researching the life of Gong for this article, I was moved to find out not only about the fighter, but of the gentle soul that dwelled within an exterior that displayed the hard work Alex put in inside the gym.
Alex Gong did something many of us only dream of. At the age of 23 he decided to train in Muay Thai and realizing his potential, dedicated his life to the pursuit of his goal. Years of hard work, sacrifice and dedication saw him winning a world title 5 years later. On a personal note, this hit home as I often feel frustrated with having started Muay Thai myself at a later period in my life than most. And in having the same dreams as Alex had, he has served to be an inspiration to me in achieving my goals.
Alex Gong truly was a warrior with an indomitable spirit. Akin to a noble samurai who lives and dies by the sword, Alex proved this in his own life. He carried what he had learnt in the gym, what he had experienced in the ring, into his own life and as a true martial artist, used this to benefit himself and those around him.
On one occasion, Alex Gong witnessed a woman being assaulted by a man and no one intervened. Alex took it upon himself to help the woman and used his skill to take down the assailant. The assailant then said to Alex, “You hurt me” to which Alex Gong responded, “And what do you think you were doing to her”.
Living by the sword was a way of life for him, and as a martial artist with a warrior’s spirit, he died by the sword. In the actions that led to his departure from this world, Alex showed his warrior spirit in full light. Using what he had learnt, he confronted the assailant who indeed proved to be a coward.
I would like to imagine that Alex Gong is in a safer place now. Away from the cowardice of this world, away from the hate, prejudice and hardships we face. I can imagine him training and sparring with another warrior who was taken away from us, another Samurai, Andy Hug.
So, on this anniversary of the loss of Alex Gong, Let us focus on what Alex stood for and let us use his life and loss as motivation and encouragement for our own. Whether we wish to be world champion level fighters, better family people or better people within ourselves, Alex Gong’s life has shown us that we can be all we want to be if we persevere and dedicate our lives to what we believe is true.
On this note, I would like to send out love to the family and friends of Alex Gong. May his Warrior Spirit Live in on the lives of us all.
Friends of IronLife.com Take a minute to Remember Alex Gong
Quote:
By Scott Coker, CEO K-1 USA
 "Alex paved a bright future for Muay Thai in America by creating an incredible training environment at his Fairtex camps. He was and forever will be looked up to by other fighters and trainers for his contributions and committment to the sport."
Quote:
By Carter Willams and Gene Fields
 "Me and My coach knew Alex very well and would see him at all the strikeforce events. we'd talk about fairtex and he'd always ask what was new for me. We miss alex and his friendship alot and will never forget him. As a matter of fact, I wear my fairtex shorts in memory of him".
Quote:
.By John Wayne Parr
 “I only had a chance to meet Alex once so I will do my best.
From the first time I heard about Alex Gong I wanted to fight him, there was Black Belt and Kung Fu magazines in the store here in Australia and the name that kept coming up was Alex Gong. I knew if I wanted to make my name in America Alex was the one I had to fight. Back in October 2000 I fought for the ISKA world title only to find out that the title I won actualy was owned by Alex Gong in America giving me another reason way we should fight.
In the year 2002 I moved to America and after a few months of living in Las Vegas, Master Toddy sent a team from his gym to compete against Fairtex. This was the first and only time I got a chance to meet Alex and he seemed like a guy that cared a lot for his fighters and the sport. Jeff Mustille, one of Alex's studnets was living in Australia for a year and was training at my gym. He told me he did many privates with Alex in the mornings and what a great guy he was.
We were all in shock the day we read what had happened to Alex on Ax, it was so shocking and out of the blue that surely someone was playing a sick joke. Over the next few days Jeff was sent emails from home with news clippings and he told me about web sites in San Fransico were I could find out more news about Alex and his killer. Then we read about how his killer had locked him self in a room and shot him self so he wouldn't be arrested by police, a waste of two lives now for no reason.
This would have to be one of the biggest loses in the Muay Thai community losing a great champion so suddernly for no reason expect being in the wrong spot at the wrong time. I hope Fairtex can keep producing many more champions to help keep Alex Gongs spirit alive. “
Quote:
By Lynda Lloyce
 "Alex inspired a passion for Muay Thai that was truly infectious. He gave me and many others that same passion and I am thankful for that experience, which has really become a way of life for me. still think about him everyday. As someone who saw him everyday, I encourage those who did not to remember him as the person you saw in the ring because that's when he was at his absolute best.."
Quote:
By Din Thomas
 "His loss is a tragedy. He was an inspiration to many and an asset to our sport. Pour it out for the brother who ain't here."
* Article by Muay Thai Guy, Admin @ www.IronLife.com & Team IronLife.com Writer.
* Back to This Issue's Frontpage
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