If you are a serious practitioner of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) in Hong Kong, there should be no reason you wouldn’t know Thomas Fan.
Raised in a small town with only two Chinese families, the UK born Chinese boy had a rough time growing up being different. Having a long list of fist fights, ‘Vale Tudo’ and the idea of being a complete fighter, Thomas started to train with the first generation of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) practitioners in London, UK when he was 26.
He returned to Hong Kong in 2002 as a Blue Belt and started to work as an osteopath.
Since then, Thomas had the opportunity to run and teach at various BJJ and MMA gyms. He also founded the Hong Kong China Mixed Martial Arts Association (HKCMMA).
He has refereed in the largest MMA promotions around Asia including former Legend FC, Art of War, KLF MMA and current local promotion IMPI FC. He was also the first Chinese to ever referee a UFC match.
The forty-four year old cancer survivor is also well known as the first Chinese BJJ Black Belt in Hong Kong.
Nowadays, you will find Thomas at his clinic in Central, as well occasionally teaching at KYLIN BJJ / ICON HK team in Wanchai and Laichikok.
You will also most likely see him refereeing in the upcoming IMPI event in Wanchai on the first of April.
FightlifeHK had the fortunate opportunity to interview Thomas on his recent cancer recovery as well as his views on training, teaching, refereeing and his views on martial arts.
Cancer
What was your first reaction when you were told that you had cancer?
I think the best way to put it was that my heart was put in front of me and I felt it literally drop without stopping. It was certainly one of the biggest shocks in my life.
Truth be told and looking back, it seems the stress of the previous 5-6 years could have contributed to my health failings.
My son was born with a hole in his heart which required open heart surgery. Both my parents had passed within the same year. I was also dealing and teaching for a gym owned by a big corporate business with my previous partners. My stress levels were through the roof.
I was then diagnosed with cancer. It was the worse news ever.
I would find myself questioning everything. Why did I get cancer? When did I get it? Why me? Is it over? Man, it was tough.
How did you find the strength to go through the treatments? What kept you fighting?
I drew strength from my family and friends. I thought about my son and daughter who are only five and six years old, my wife who was a hundred percent supportive and my close friends.
I kept on asking myself questions like, how would my family survive? How would I pay the rent if I had no income? How could I put food on the table? In the end, I was very, very blessed and lucky to have a lot of support. Thank you all very much.
Did you learn anything new while you were in the hospital?
I think events like these truly reflect who you are as a person, a human being and who your true family and friends are.
Many people who I had thought that cared about me never said anything, yet many people who I never really had that much dealings with, came forward and provided me with support either financially or some moral support.
How has cancer affected your outlook on life?
I think you come to realise what is truly important in life, and that all the bullshit lies people like to spread around about you or others is really just what it is and deserves no attention whatsoever.
A lot of things which I used to get upset over or maybe sensitive to have become ‘Who gives a fuck anyway’, especially nowadays where people are quick to forget.
What’s important is how a person treats you and how you can reciprocate that. As the saying goes ‘Life is too short’ and you should channel your energy to positive things in your life.
Training
Did you compete?
I competed in some full contact kungfu and plenty of BJJ or Submission grappling competitions back in the day. I participated in the first UK BJJ competitions in London and Birmingham. When I came back to Hong Kong, I travelled around South East Asia to countries like Taiwan, Thailand and Philippines to compete.
I won a few medals back then but the depth of competition wasn’t as high as what it is today. Now the scene is full of beasts and plenty of Brazilians are making a living here in Asia teaching BJJ and MMA.
I hope with time and as my body becomes strong again, I will get back to some BJJ tournaments with my students and friends.
Has Martial Arts impacted your working life in any way?
I think Martial Arts and combat sports have genuinely given me the opportunity to meet the full spectrum of both amazing individuals and idiots in Hong Kong (lol)…
I definitely learnt a lot about people and unfortunately, there are too many bullshitters here who can get away with crap.
I used to train a lot of full Contact Striking and Muay Thai, but having always injured my hands, it interfered with my day job.
In the end I felt that Grappling would give me more longevity so I shifted my focus to BJJ. Plus, I’ve gained quite some weight, and that’s no good when you need to be quick in striking!
Physical training and interaction with my students and friends also provides me balance, serenity and peace. Whatever difficulties I have during work, every time I put on a Gi and Roll, everything feels ok again.
What problems have you faced regarding martial arts?
I think the hardest part is dealing with people – there are so many different personalities, attitudes and goals.
I’ve had problems with the people and some students in particular that I had to work with.
I have had some disappointments, but perhaps I have disappointed them too.
I guess the focus and trends are also different from what they used to be when I first began training.
One thing I learnt the hard way is the saying “If you truly want to know a person’s true character, just give them some power”.
As your team or classes starts to grow, many issues and problems will start to occur with people and this applies to all professions. But so far though, I think my two Brown Belts are both doing a good job with their own development and students.
Like any big families, there have been some friction and communication problems, young kids being experts and tons of talking shit.
At the end of the day though, these issues can be resolved. As long as the head guys have a good understanding with each other.
After all who knows our history and what we’ve been through to reach this point? My top two guys have been with me for over 10 years now and I hope to grow more with them into the future.
Do you enjoy training? Why do you enjoy it so much?
YEAAAAAA – but I’m super unfit and de-conditioned now.
I enjoy it because of that peace feeling it gives me. The achievement of being able to execute moves. That physical chess feeling. The good workout. Being able to roll in different emotions. And that yearn to seek progression.
Was it hard to toggle between spending time with family and training?
I used to train a lot more and harder when I was single. I’m very fortunate that my other half always understood me.
When I had kids though, it was more difficult to put more time into training – you can’t be selfish, you need to be there for the kids, you know?
Has being an osteopath helped you in any way with regards to BJJ?
My knowledge of anatomy and physiology definitely helped a lot.
I had an advantage by understanding how the body works structurally, how the body would reach fatigue and which directions the joints are meant to bend.
I would even read a lot of studies and reports regarding subject matters like, “the Anatomy of Chokes” or “What Happens When You Are Kicked in the Liver” or “What Happens to the Brain When You Get Knocked Out”. These were very interesting topics for me!
Did you read any books regarding martial arts?
When I first started being interested in Martial Arts, I really loved “the Tao of Jeet Kuen To” by Bruce Lee. I loved his theory of being a complete fighter.
Teaching
How do you motivate others students?
I like to show my students examples of certain fighters on Youtube – way easier (lol). Especially fighters who are of similar size to them. I would tell my students that they are the same as them, regular guys, and that if others could do it, so could they – the difference is only in the mind.
What qualities do you look for in a student?
I think ‘Heart’ is the most important aspect, if you don’t give up and don’t quit, you will surely improve.
Back in the day, when people used to ‘Dojo Storm’, the masters really gave no fucks about the challengers. If they didn’t tap, they’d just break their arms.
The people who wanted to learn would come back with their arm in a brace, train hard and were the ones who would later become great fighters.
What was the best advice you were ever given?
If you believe in what you do, you will always succeed. Don’t listen to the haters!
Refereeing
What do you think about the newly implemented 30 second ground rule for IMPI? Is this still MMA?
I personally don’t like it. It gives a big advantage to the strikers and a huge limitation to grapplers and the ground game. But then again my background lies in BJJ. Fighters who have signed up will know this too, and at the end of the day, if you are a fighter, you should know what you have signed up for.
On the other hand, I understand where the promoter is coming from. The promoter wants exciting fights as the ground game is generally seen as boring to the average spectator who wants to see knock outs.
At the end of the day though, I think it’s totally up to the promotion on how they set their rules. I’m just a referee.
Views
What are you views on competition?
I feel that whilst competition is not for everyone, everyone can get something out of competing.
That being said, I do encourage my students to try to compete at least once. It reinforces and lets you know that whatever you are doing actually works. It also teaches you to confront your fears, doubts and how to handle a physical exchange. It also feels great to win.
And of course, you can win and you can lose. I think that the slogan “you win or you learn” is pretty much bullshit. You do lose, and if you do lose, you better learn! Come back stronger or not make the same mistake. It’s a test of character.
Do you have a person who has inspired you in your life, why?
Growing up in a small UK town with only two Chinese families, I was bullied a lot for my differences in school. I would say my idol would definitely be Bruce Lee. Of course, his technique is amazing, but what caught me was how he portrayed how Chinese people could rise.
Often when we are young you never realise, but actually, my Mum and Dad have been my real inspirations.
Now that I have kids and everything, I would look back and realise how amazing my parents truly were and how much I should have given back to them with love, just the way they had given their love to me.
Any favorite quotes?
“Who dares Wins” SAS motto.
Also, there’s that old Chinese saying, “First – Guts. Second – Strength. And Third – Technique.” (“一擔，二力，三功夫”).
What’s your signature move?
I like armbars, wristlocks and the right round-house kick!
In your view, which is the most important aspect of martial arts?
Respect, loyalty and friendship.
Looking back at where you were when you started this journey, where did you think it was going to lead you?
I never really thought about ‘where it would lead me’ with martial arts. Back then I was really focused on wanting to be a really good fighter and proving myself.
Thank god this was usually done in competition and not on the streets that much… Haha…
As time went by, life events lead to one thing to another – but I’ve always stuck to martial arts, which in my case now – BJJ and being a MMA Referee.
I guess ending up as head coach and a Black Belt, the thought of having my own school and students naturally became the goals to chase for, especially when I become less interested in competing or ‘medal chasing’ as they say.
Anything you regret?
I regret not travelling enough.
I regret getting into the business side of BJJ too soon. It’s hard. You need to balance many things, the social and people aspect, as well as the business aspect of a gym.
The rental here in Hong Kong is crazy high, the space is small and you need to build a constant student base. As Locals here would say, “People need to eat in HK and pay rent”.
Fitness and sports aren’t necessarily their first priority and is certainly not encouraged here. People always have a zillion excuses not to come.
It’s also pretty hard to get girls to train BJJ as well in Hong Kong due to the conservative nature of people, and with less girls, less guys will come (lol)
That and many larger fitness companies are mostly run by and bankrolled by people who know nothing about martial arts, let alone care much about it. They end up fucking up the nature and name of the industry by running all their promotional scams and sales.
Do you still have other arts which you would like to learn? Why?
Perhaps, I’d like to start training with weapons or practicing something with more longevity like Tai Chi.
What would you like your legacy to be?
I would like to be remembered as the guy who inspired a lot of people to start training BJJ and MMA in Hong Kong. After all, I was one of the first to start teaching it here in Hong Kong.
I’ve been teaching for a very long time here in Hong Kong. I have a handful of Purple Belts and two Brown Belts after almost 16 years! and I wish to see them get promoted to Black Belts one day, locally breed Hong Kongers who would be the first generation of high level BJJers here.
I want to leave a core group of guys and girls who can compete on any international stage, and that my students, no matter where they go, to any gym or competition in the world, to be proud of the belt that I awarded them.
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