Sai Kung gym turning out champions

^{New champion Edward Pinchbeck}

In Sai Kung, coach Andrew Wong Kee is building champions at his gym, the Sai Kung Pythons. His newest rising star is Edward Pinchbeck, a fierce young fighter who’s been turning heads on the jiu-jitsu circuit. “He always goes up against bigger kids and adults, never gives up, and wins a lot of fights,” Andrew said with pride. Andrew has a strong track record of producing winners. He was the first coach of Brindy Mason, the former Sai Kung girl who went on to win a world jiu-jitsu title in the United States. Now based in Phuket, Brindy fights professionally every three months with the Kazakhstan Mixed Martial Arts Organisation.

^{Andrew’s team placed third overall last year in the national COPA de HK tournament}

Andrew’s own fighting background is just as impressive. Originally from New Zealand, he won the national boxing title at only 11 years old, holds a black belt and national title in karate, and became a world jiu-jitsu champion in Abu Dhabi 11 years ago.

Parents who want their children to learn from Andrew can find him at the Sai Kung Pythons gym above Poet’s Café on Yi Chun Street. One-on-one sessions in boxing, jiu-jitsu, or “combat” (a mix of karate-style punches and kicks) cost $850 an hour, while group classes are $300 per session.

Inside, the gym is full of energy — padded walls and floors, chin-up bars, bikes, climbing walls, and punching bags. Andrew’s students, aged four to fifteen, regularly test their skills against fighters from other clubs. In January, nine of his students competed in a Hong Kong–China tournament at Wanchai Stadium and came home with nine medals, three of them gold.

In May, twenty more Pythons will step into the ring for another challenge, and in September, they’ll aim even higher at the national COPA de HK tournament, where Andrew’s team placed third overall last year. For Andrew, martial arts training builds much more than muscle. “Some kids find it tough at first and may cry,” he said. “But when they push through and succeed, they smile so big — you can see their confidence come back. They become more disciplined and focused, and they stay out of trouble.”

Andrew lives in Tai Mong Tsai Village with his wife Tonia and their eight‑year‑old son, Kahylum — the next Python in training