Joseph Ferrarone

I met Joe when we both happened to be training at a muay thai gym in Phuket, in 2011. I'm not a fighter, but I was attracted to the physical challenge of training multiple times a day, so spent a couple of weeks training in Chalong. I remember sitting there, at the opening BBQ of a new muay thai gym, and somehow got talking to Joe. He was thoughtful, and was different to many of the fighters and partiers that night, much more genuine. He wanted to lose a few pounds so he could fight at a lower weight class, and I thought I could use the added challenge, so with Joe leading the way, and another student at the gym, we began jogging early in the mornings, before our first gym workout, as added cardio. He introduced me to Indian runs, where everyone ran single file, and the last person in line had to step it up a notch and pass all the others and reach the front, whereupon the process would begin again. I still remember him saying (forgive the crudeness) "I like to look at my reflection when I pass a window. If I look like a p*ssy, I speed up." I still tell myself that on my runs, and always think back to him, nearly 10 years later. What struck me about Joe was that for all his impressive physical gifts, there was something all too kind and considerate about him. We'd shoot the breeze, and give each other a hard time, but never with any ill will or cruelty. I was always privately appreciative of his treating me like an equal, even though he’d clearly seen a lot more of the world, and was some years older than myself, let alone a much better fighter. I remember that the first couple of days of training had left my feet raw from the gym floor, and I'd mentioned it to Joe. After our workout, he'd taken me to the pharmacy, explaining what type of gauze and bandages and disinfecting tinctures to get. He also taught me how to drain blisters with a string and needle, and with a hypodermic needle and a drying agent. It may not seem like much, but he went out of his way to help, and it was more than most would've done. I still use these methods, and recently took care of a series of blister that my girlfriend had developed in the same way, thinking back to Joe, and grateful to him. We kept in touch briefly after I left Thailand, all through Facebook, but eventually he seemed to have deleted his account. I've thought back to him every so often, and searched for him online, hoping to reconnect. I'm terribly sorry to hear about his passing, and I hope that the respect and gratitude that a stranger like me feels towards him, many years on and after spending less than a week in his company, is a testament to his immense character.