Oskar Münchow and Jake Taylor with New Japan Pro Wrestling official and wrestling legend, Jado, Tony Kozina (Fale Dojo Head Coach) and Toks ‘Bad Luck’ Fale (Fale Dojo founder and Head Trainer).
It is with great pleasure we announce that Oskar Münchow and Jake Taylor, graduates from the Fale Dojo three month professional wrestling course, have been accepted to the New Japan Pro Wrestling Dojo in Tokyo where they will receive further training. They will leave for Tokyo on the 2nd of January 2020.
Toks ‘Bad Luck’ Fale, founder and Head Trainer of Fale Dojo commented on the growth of his students during their time at the Dojo: “These two young lions are hungry for the opportunity,” said Fale. “They’ve completed multiple intakes and have improved after each one. I look forward to seeing what the future holds for them.”
Oskar Münchow relocated to Auckland, NZ from Hamburg, Germany to pursue his training. During which he stayed the course of three classes, received wise counsel from the coaching staff, and put his training to the test competing at the first five Fale Dojo Exhibition events.
“After 11 months of training at Fale Dojo, I am so very happy and excited that I have achieved my goal of making it to the NJPW Dojo,” said Münchow. “It was not only my time Dojo that led to this. I’ve worked in Germany and also here in New Zealand a lot to fund all this.”
“Some days were harder than others,” Münchow added. ”But I knew I wasn’t going to quit until I would achieve my goal. Having finally achieved this, I’m ready for the next level. I am more determined and motivated than ever and I want to make my Dojo, coaches, senpais, family, and friends proud!”
Jake Taylor first pursued Fale Dojo this past May when he travelled from Melbourne, Australia to attend the Dojo’s first New Zealand tryout. Although he was not successful in his initial attempt, Taylor persisted and registered to join the June and September intakes. Much like his fellow lion, Oskar Münchow, Taylor embraced his surroundings. Taylor, however, had left behind his life in Melbourne and was torn between this and his goal of moving forward to the NJPW Dojo. Nevertheless, Taylor sought the advice of the ‘Rogue General’ who helped put things into perspective for the young lion.
“I’m nervous, excited, a mix of emotions really,” Taylor expressed of his acceptance into the NJPW Dojo. “I’ve been working very hard for six months here with my first goal, getting to the NJPW Dojo. I’m relieved I’m now going.”
“Fale-San told me from day one of what I will have to sacrifice, it will be hard mentally and physically,” Taylor continued. “He knew I wanted to make it to the NJPW Dojo but he also knew I was struggling to be away from my partner.”
“He knew exactly how I felt, and he was always supportive and pushed me even harder this intake to never get comfortable.”
“Now I get to go home and tell her and my family I made my first goal happen. The first of many in wrestling. The sacrifice was worth it.”
Münchow and Taylor with ‘Master Heater’ Jado-San.
Toks Fale arrived back at NZ following his recent tour with New Japan. Upon his return, the ‘Rogue General’ was joined by Jado, legendary pro wrestler and esteemed NJPW official who had come to Fale Dojo to observe the young lions’ training. It was during his visit when Münchow and Taylor were informed by Jado of their acceptance to the NJPW Dojo.
“Jado-San shared a lot of knowledge with us,” explained Münchow. “We definitely took a lot of things away that day! Getting to listen to a Japanese wrestling legend is a huge honour.”
“Jado watched our training and everything we did,” shared Taylor. “’Sell in the ring, not while you train’ is one of the advice he told us.”
Toks Fale’s insight was significant to Münchow and Taylor. Both stand at 6 feet 6 inches, and 6 feet 5 inches, respectively. Fale is regarded as the best big man in professional wrestling. The experience of working with someone of Fale’s world-class reputation enhanced Münchow and Taylor’s understanding.
Oskar Münchow – 6 feet 6, Hamburg, Germany.
“Before coming to Fale Dojo I had no idea how to wrestle the ‘big man style,” revealed Münchow. “Training under Fale-San rapidly changed that. Fale-San taught Jake and I so much: The way he broke down all the small nuances helped a lot and still does. I still have a long way to go but, I don’t think any other person/school is a better place for big men to learn the art of wrestling.”
“Fale-San has not only taught me wrestling. He’s been my mentor in and out of the ring,” Münchow added. “He has taught me so much discipline, how to achieve your goals, motivated me constantly and so much more.”
“Being able to spend so much time with Fale-San has impacted me a lot. The number of lessons I’m going to take away from Fale Dojo is not countable. This Dojo has changed my life forever. I cannot thank the Dojo staff, and everyone involved enough.”
“Training with Fale-San was a huge experience,” explained Taylor. “It changed everything I used to do. Coming to the Dojo felt like I pretty much clicked refresh and started again.”
“Fale-San would nit-pick everything I’d do,” Taylor continued. “He would make me do drills multiple times, walk around the ring over and over again until I got it.”
Jake Taylor – 6 feet 5, Melbourne, Australia.
“If I looked small or looked weak in a match he would call me out on it. He broke down everything I needed to do and do as a ‘big man’. Fale-San was the perfect person to learn ‘big man’ wrestling from. But don’t think for a second ‘big man’ style is all he knows.”
Münchow and Taylor also paid tribute to the staff: “It’s been amazing to pick Tony-Sans brain for 11 months,” Münchow noted about Tony Kozina, the 20 plus year veteran and Head Coach. “Tony-San bleeds wrestling and every minute you’d talk to him about it was a teasing lesson.”
“Training under Tony-San has changed my perspective of how I view wrestling completely,” Münchow added. “The knowledge that he possesses is unlimited. With every new day, you always learn something new.”
“I am also very thankful for Mark-Sans boxing lessons,” said Münchow about Mark Tui, the Dojo’s General Manager and Coach. “Before I came to Fale Dojo I had zero experience in fighting sports. Mark-San changed that. His passion for pro wrestling and boxing came very useful. It helped improve not just my wrestling but also my confidence.”
“I can’t thank the staff enough,” expressed Taylor. “Every one of them taught me so much. Hitting that reset button, being open to learning, no egos or excuses, being humbled. Even if your goal isn’t NJPW, you would be mad to go to any other school around the world then here.”
Oskar Münchow and Jake Taylor have had quite the year at Fale Dojo. Their training did not come without challenges, however, the two young lions persevered towards their goal to train the NJPW Dojo. As Münchow and Taylor prepare to embark on the next chapter of their young lion’s journey, they take with them the Dojo experience equipped with their world-class training and the support of their Dojo family, with whom they have formed lifelong friendships.
“The Exhibition shows were a big highlight for me,” reflected Münchow. “I could feel myself improving with every show and just seeing the progress show after show was very rewarding and motivating.”
“A big highlight was also meeting so many great people. I’ve made so many new brothers in every intake and I am so very grateful for every one of them,” Münchow concluded. “I never had any siblings so this was something completely new to me. Now I can say I have family all over the globe.”
“I will miss the brothers I made here at the Dojo,” said Taylor. “Everyone is family, and everyone’s here for each other. The guys would call me out if they noticed I was feeling down. Everyone was there to support.”
“The Exhibition shows was a great experience to be in front of a different crowd,” Taylor explained in closing. “If your goal is NJPW, Fale Dojo is one of the two gateways to it. The best thing I did was send an email. I would recommend it to everyone.”
Founded in 2016 by Head Trainer Toks Fale, Fale Dojo is a professional wrestling training school and wrestling promotion based in South Auckland, New Zealand. Toks Fale first came into the wrestling scene as the first non-Japanese student to successfully train as a young lion (rookie) at the New Japan Pro Wrestling Dojo from 2008 to 2009, before his 2010 debut in NJPW. Known professionally as the “Rogue General” Bad Luck Fale, his wrestling status was elevated in 2013 when he became one of the founding members of Bullet Club. Regarded as the hottest faction in pro wrestling, Bullet Club has maintained its dominance in the wrestling world for over half a decade, due partly to Fale’s reputation as the Club’s revered enforcer.
Toks Fale envisioned the Dojo as a way of sharing his experience and knowledge with his community with the goal of presenting professional wrestling as a viable career opportunity. Fale’s reputation helped ensure an affiliation between the Dojo and New Japan Pro Wrestling which has allowed graduates from the Dojo’s three-month professional wrestling course to pursue further training at the New Japan Dojo and from there the possibility of gaining a spot on the NJPW main roster.
Notable graduates to emerge from Fale Dojo include “Switchblade” Jay White, Toa Henare, Robbie Eagles, and Aaron Solow. The incentive and the opportunity to gain Fale’s insight has drawn in many locals, as well as attracting students from all over the world.
Fale’s passion is to give back to his community, to share his experience and knowledge of the wrestling profession and to instill the teachings required to become a successful professional wrestler.
Fale Dojo is the first Pacific Island owned and operated professional wrestling training school and wrestling promotion in New Zealand. Fale Dojo is also an official part of the New Japan Pro Wrestling training system.