ENFUSION 2011: INSIDE OUT
As clichéd as this may sound, after only two days into the making of ‘Enfusion 2011’, drama is really beginning to unfold both in-front of and behind the cameras.
After the initial relief that all eighteen fighters and four team captains arrived safe and well at the world famous ‘Superpro Samui’ martial arts facility on the beautiful island of Koh Samui, Thailand, the entire cast were given the following day off to acclimatise to the heat, new time zone etc.
Immediately, certain personalities amongst the fighters gravitated towards each other, breaking the group into much smaller two’s, three’s and four’s...some fellow countrymen, some new room-mates, some former stable-mates and even some former opponents.
Within a day however, these new friendships were to be torn apart again as the team captains took part in their first challenge, the winner being granted the right to select the first member of her team and so on until each captain had a team of four.
Day 2 (first day filming)
The first team captains challenge, a soccer penalty shootout, the off camp location...an Elephant Park!
This hilarious challenge, for the team captains to each have a penalty shootout against a five tonne elephant also served as a great ‘ice breaker’, bringing some much needed laughter to the entire cast.
Swedish team captain, Hanna Mjoberg stormed to early success, stopping both shots from the elephant and even chipping the beast when it was her turn to shoot against the elephant in goal.
As a result of this win, she was awarded first choice and so the teams were formed as follows:
White Team Red Team Black Team Yellow Team
Cap Hanna Mjoberg Julie Kitchen Aleide Lawant Maria Bastasin
F1 Ramazan Ramazanov Wendell Roche Steve McKinnon Ondrej Hutnik
F2 Frank Munoz Narcis Omeragic Mohamed Boubkari Fatih Cam
F3 Arnold Oborotov David Radeff Hak Paparyan Miika Kinnunen
F4 Thiago Martina Martin Jahn Bruno Lurette Marc Vlieger
(Reserve Fighters: Revanho Blokland, James Smith)
An interesting observation from inside the camp is just how fickle new friendships can be. Every fighter now instinctively gravitating toward their new team mates, knowing that they will only fight with each other should they both reach the grand final in Europe later this year. For the moment, it’s safe only to be friends with your team mates.
Roommates are now enemies and the atmosphere within the Superpro Camp has changed for good as the fighters wake up to the fact that...from here on in, it’s strictly business.
Day 3 (second day of filming)
Day three, another off camp location, this time perched high on a hill so steep, it’s accessible only by 4x4 vehicle, Koh Samui’s supremely beautiful ‘Jungle Club’.
First challenge, for team captains only, the winner deciding which other team hers will go head to head with in the first round of fights next week, to be held at the Petch Buncha Muay Thai Stadium.
The challenge itself was a real test of stamina, endurance and desire, a 1km sprint up an incline of no less than forty five degrees. A fast paced and even start saw Sweden’s Hanna Mjoberg taking an early lead after approximately one hundred meters. This initial burst of effort however, was to lead to an early demise as she was soon passed by her three competitors. It was England’s Julie Kitchen who then took and would not surrender the lead, being constantly pushed on by Holland’s Aleide Lawant, the two captains then opened a large margin on Canada’s Maria Bastasin and the Swede who by now had fallen back into last place.
The first real test of conditioning and it is England’s multi world champion, Julie Kitchen who ensures that her presence is known.
Task champion Julie has earned the right to select which other team hers will face in the first round of live fights next week. By making the decision personally, she would also be selecting which team captain she will face in the grand final event this autumn, thus giving herself a definite advantage. Instead however, a selfless and humble champion Julie, leaves it to her team to decide who they would prefer to face, a gesture which we are certain will have earned her the respect and trust of her team...they choose to face YELLOW TEAM.
Therefore White team will face Black team!
Back to today and the second challenge. This time it was a team challenge and an opportunity to bond and compete together.
Since Julie’s red team had opted to face Maria’s yellow team, they would now face off in a volleyball challenge. The winning team would then be allowed to do the match making...who would face who.
After fifteen minutes of playing, once again it was Julie’s red team who were victorious and the Red v Yellow matches are as follows:
Martin Jahn (Germany) v Marc de Vlieger (Belgium)
Narcis Omeragic (Bosnia Herzogovina) v Miika Kinnunen (Finland)
Wendell Roche (Holland) v Ondrej Hutnik (Chech Republic)
David Radeff (France) v Fatih Can (Turkey)
Interesting observation is that Holland’s seasoned fighter and tournament motor-mouth Wendell Roche chose to fight former training partner, Ondrej Hutnik. Wendell has made clear that he has the psychological edge over his opponent claiming to have always “kicked his ass” in sparring.
Next up was the same volleyball challenge between White team and Black team. After the fifteen minute match, it was Aleide Lawant’s Black team that were victorious and so were able to match make against their White team opponents.
The Black v White matches are as follows:
Steve McKinnon (Australia) v Ramazan Ramazanov (Russia)
Hak Paparyan (Armenia) v Frank Munoz (Spain)
Bruno Lurette (Canada) v Thiago Martina (Curacao)
Mohammed Boubkari (Morocco) v Arnold Oborotov (England)
The McKinnon v Ramazanov match was a relief to all the other contestants. Potentially the strongest pair in the tournament facing each other in the first round can only be good for the other contestants. What was interesting however was that Australia’s McKinnon immediately chose Ramazanov despite having previously lost to him by knock out. McKinnon when questioned about this brave move said “I was happy to face Ramazanov, none of the other guys in my team fancied it and since I still owe him from the last time we met, I’m taking one for the team”
For Australia’s Steve McKinnon it seems that revenge is a dish best served immediately.
Every day now until fight night, each competing pair will be taking part in a challenge, some skill, some strength and some endurance. The winners of these tasks will be given luxury accommodation and a banquet fit for a King, while the losers will share very primitive accommodation (without air conditioning) and will be given a very basic meal of rice, water and perhaps some chicken prior to fight night. The incentive to win is huge.
There have already been some confrontations between the competitors. Turkey’s Fatih Cam and opposing team captain, Holland’s Aleide Lawant have exchanged harsh words. Spain’s Frank Munoz and Armenia’s Hak Parparyan had to be separated by a very nervous production crew as they came to real blows in training, this later lead to an incident between Frank Munoz and Hak’s best friend, Fatih Cam.
With weeks still left to shoot, it is certain that these exchanges are bound to further develop.
On the eve of first round fight night, Australia’s Steve McKinnon is experiencing breathing difficulties, extreme fatigue and is rushed to hospital. He later returns to the camp and is adamant that he will still face Ramazanov the following evening. Naturally, team captain Aleide Lawant is concerned and advises reserve fighter, Surinam’s Rivalho Blokland to be ready should Steve not make a full recovery.
The next morning, Steve begins very light training and again is nowhere near full strength. Still desperate to fight, Aleide allows him until six pm to rest and then convince her that his condition is good enough to fight. Shortly after the agreed time, Aleida has no option but to withdraw one of her strongest team members and insert a replacement to face Ramazanov. Blokland, disappointed not to have been selected in the first place is delighted by this news and in just three hours time, he will step through the ropes to face the feared Russian.
The Phetch Buncha stadium begins to fill, both with tourists, eager to support their fellow countrymen and with local Thai’s who are rarely able to enjoy heavyweight fighting. There is a real buzz on the island about ‘Enfusion’ and by nine pm, the stadium is packed full. Local’s and staff comment that “they have never seen Phetch Buncha so busy” and by the time the first fight begins, the crowd have been whipped up into an excited frenzy.
The noise of the crowd is electric, the smell of boxing oil is overwhelming, the ring lights come up, the outer lights go down, the Ring Speaker takes to the microphone, referee Joop Ubeda enters the ring, Paparya is introduced, then Munoz, the crowd fall silent...Ding Ding...Round One!
Buckle up folks, this is sure to be a bumpy ride!
