Eugene Ekkelboom is a modern day gladiator. Perth Woman met with this five times Muay Thai World Champion. Kelly Stewart reports.

There is an abandoned training kit and six pairs of discarded shoes at the front door. The blinds are closed, his mates are watching sports on TV. His Thai friend is in the kitchen pounding spices with a mortar and pestle. Trays of empty egg cartons are stacked at the sink. Bills are being propped up by his trophies on a shelf. A picture of Mohammed Ali hangs on a wall. His world title belt is stashed away in a cupboard.

Born in Tom Price and growing up in Bullsbrook, Eugene Ekkelboom is five times World MuayThai Council (WMC) world champion. Muay Thai is the most powerful form of stand up fighting in the world. He has fought fifty-six fights with only five losses and he has never broken a bone.

 

The techniques used to defeat an opponent in the ring are often violent and designed to inflict as much damage as possible. “It's like anything if you're good at something you just want to keep pursuing it and seeing how far you can go,” this unassuming champion explains.

 

"...when you get in the ring you're thinking 'Oh what am I doing here?' But you train so long and you want to test your skills. It's just something that keeps taking you back.”

 

Winning the world title was only the start.  He successfully defended his belt again against worldwide superstar Rayen Simson at Champion of Champions II in Jamaica earlier this year.

“ I won it...then you become the hunted...everyone wants your belt and you don't want to give it up because you've worked hard for it and you've just got to not let them have it.”

 

What does it take to be a world champion in Muay Thai?

 

Dedication. And Eugene has it in bucket loads. Unlike many fighters in the eastern states who are sponsored and only concentrate on Muay Thai, Eugene still gets up every morning and goes to work. A chippy by trade, he works up to six days a week and fits in training around jobs.

 

Three weeks before a fight and it's time to put work on hold to concentrate on training. A typical day will start at 8am with an hour long run before heading to the gym and doing four rounds of boxing. Then he tries to rest for most of the day before heading back to the gym in the evening for three hours to do more bag work, running, skipping, grappling, sparring and one-on-one work with his trainer.

 

What about the food of champions? “I try to eat healthy but I do like my chocolate and there's a few things I shouldn't say, my trainer will find out I lied.” So Tim Tams are off the menu, despite being a prized treat. A healthy diet is important as it's often necessary to lose or gain weight for a fight. The intensive training regime means carbohydrates (toast is a favourite), eggs, lean meat, fruit and a lot of green vegetables are essential to replenish energy levels. With his Thai friend and trainer Toto living in the house Thai food is often on the menu.

 

After watching Toto train fighters in Thailand, Eugene's trainer Darren Rees brought him to Australia to help with Eugene's training. Although he understands little English, he is an important factor in Eugene's life. Living and training together has meant they have become great mates - and Eugene's grasp of Thai and cooking skills have improved.

 

But it's not all about training and diet. Maintaining the right mentality is just as important before a fight. “A lot of people like to get wound up and think about the fight but I like to relax and just chill out, not think too much about it and try to stay  injury free. If you've got a lot of injuries that sort of plays on your head a bit. So you've just got to keep reassuring yourself and just thinking positive.”

 

It is this ability to remain calm and relaxed that makes Eugene a champion in the ring. “You can't get too hot headed. You see a lot of people get hot headed and they think 'Oh I want to beat this guy. I want to smash him'...and then you lose your cool and you run out of energy. It's like a chess game. You know you want to out-point him, out smart him.”

"All the good fighters you see are really nice, humble, relaxed and aren't really aggressive people.”

 

This contrasts with a scene of two fighters in a ring, circling each other looking for weaknesses and a chance to hurt their opponent. “You don't feel it at the time...you've got too much adrenaline.” Regardless, it can't be easy to remain calm and relaxed when a skilled fighter is trying to knock you out.

 

But this violent dance both begins and ends inside the ring. “Before you're friends and afterwards...everyone's friends.” It's a surprising sentiment from a hardened fighter. It left us wanting to know more.

 

To find out more about the man behind the gloves we spoke with his mum and his sister. They both had some very interesting things to say about Eugene's generous nature. After learning his Thai coach's mother had breast cancer Eugene gave part of his winnings to pay for her surgery and treatment.

 

In Thailand Muay Thai is not just a sport. For some it's a job. When a Thai fighter broke his arm in a fight Eugene sent him money to help support him while he couldn't fight.

 

Eugene's altruistic character is a part of his appeal. His sister Katie thinks this is just his nature. “He doesn't talk down to anybody...it's what makes him a very likeable person.” That's the way he has always been.

 

Growing up in Bullsbrook, Western Australia, Eugene was involved in soccer, BMX, football and motocross. He also joined Scouts, believing he would be able to fight in Vietnam. He was introduced to Muay Thai as a way of increasing cardio fitness to help him conquer the 250cc class in motocross. Eugene began taking Muay Thai seriously after realising he was a good fighter. As a result the 250cc class was never conquered.

 

But at thirty-two he's already accomplished much in his career and he's not stopping yet. “I reckon I've probably got another three, three years, four years. I've stayed injury free. At the moment I'm loving it. I mean it keeps me fit.”

 

Any plans for the future? You bet. “ I'd like to give back to the sport too. It's been good to me.” He hopes to help out the new fighters at his gym and possibly open his own. “We've got heaps of young boys at that gym, really good up and comers...going to be great fighters.” If Eugene is around to train the next generation of fighters the competition better watch out.

By Kelly Stewart

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