wiz cool c
02-23-2012, 08:10 AM
the peoples champ, i didn't realize this article is about my coach and very good friend yao honggang. my friend told me to check it out,yao was featured in my article shuai jia's mma connection july aug 2010 issue. when i first met yao he was a full time shaui jiao payer, these guys lived in something like an army bunker,and earned 800 rmb a month with free room and board and training.
unfortunately there is no future whatsoever in shaui jiao as far as a career goes. yao was always smiling and was the only wrestler to say goodbye to me when i slipped out the door after getting my ass handed to me ever class.
soon yao was my good friend i started teaching him and the other wrestlers english. eventually i began to feel this school of full time wrestlers was not suitable for a guy of my age with a day job and asked yao to be my personal coach. so we started training in the park or anyplace we could find the space.eventually i started to feel i need other training partners as did yao,who would bring me people to wrestle with from time to time. so he managed to get a shaui jiao class started in the center where he studied BJJ.the class was every sunday and i was the assistant teacher covering for him when he had some other arrangements. he was already competing in MMA by this time.
i then moved from beijing to shenzhen[southern china guang dong province} he then became a mma champion, unfortunately he just lost his title to a mongolian fighter who is a good wrestler,haven't seen the fight yet. but he will keep fighting hopefully getting another chance at the title. man i almost feel like crying when i read this article. couldn't happen to a nicer guy. if you meet yao you will know he really is a special guy,and without a doubt my best chinese friend i have had since in china. really happy to see him getting the press and recognition he deserves.
unfortunately there is no future whatsoever in shaui jiao as far as a career goes. yao was always smiling and was the only wrestler to say goodbye to me when i slipped out the door after getting my ass handed to me ever class.
soon yao was my good friend i started teaching him and the other wrestlers english. eventually i began to feel this school of full time wrestlers was not suitable for a guy of my age with a day job and asked yao to be my personal coach. so we started training in the park or anyplace we could find the space.eventually i started to feel i need other training partners as did yao,who would bring me people to wrestle with from time to time. so he managed to get a shaui jiao class started in the center where he studied BJJ.the class was every sunday and i was the assistant teacher covering for him when he had some other arrangements. he was already competing in MMA by this time.
i then moved from beijing to shenzhen[southern china guang dong province} he then became a mma champion, unfortunately he just lost his title to a mongolian fighter who is a good wrestler,haven't seen the fight yet. but he will keep fighting hopefully getting another chance at the title. man i almost feel like crying when i read this article. couldn't happen to a nicer guy. if you meet yao you will know he really is a special guy,and without a doubt my best chinese friend i have had since in china. really happy to see him getting the press and recognition he deserves.