Fale Dojo is pleased to welcome Frank “The Tank” Masoe – heavyweight boxer, as part of the coaching staff. Masoe will teach boxing as part of the Dojo’s General Community Classes. In addition, Masoe will add his expertise to the Dojo’s three-month professional wrestling course to help develop the striking technique of the young lions.
Faafua Masoe; former boxer and father of Frank Masoe.
Frank Masoe lives and breathes his community. Born and raised in Mangere, South Auckland, Masoe was inspired by his father, Faafua, a former boxer, to follow in his footsteps.
“My mum and dad inspired me and my siblings to always have gratitude,” said Masoe who acknowledges his Samoan parents for setting a strong foundation for him to pursue his goals. “They did their best to give us the best life in the way of appreciating the small things such as time, family and community.”
Masoe with his coach, Cameron Todd.
Masoe has captured many championships throughout his career. His most notable of these accolades include the New Zealand Heavyweight Championship (which he captured twice), the Auckland Championship, as well as the New Zealand (twice held) and Australian Golden Gloves Titles. Masoe was also a Silver Medal winner at the 2012 Junior Oceania Championships and represented Samoa at the XXI Commonwealth Games in 2018.
However, even with all of his career milestones, Masoe the ‘Tank’ continues to give back to his community. This value is what incidentally led the humble heavyweight from South Auckland to Fale Dojo.
“I was looking for a gym with a boxing ring to train my sister for her fight,” Masoe explained. “I just happened to come across some posts about Fale Dojo on social media shared by some of my friends who are members of the General Community Classes.”
“The Dojo immediately caught my eye, particularly the ring,” he continued. “I contacted Mark Tui [Fale Dojo co-owner] about whether I could use the facility, the next day I was training my sister in the ring at the Dojo. I was very happy with the facilities, especially with the size and quality of the ring.”
Masoe was invited to join the Fale Dojo coaching staff soon after. He accepted as he discovered how much the Dojo resonated with his values.
“Since the moment I first walked into the Dojo, I was welcomed by everyone,” Masoe stated. “This place has a strong family environment and has a positive vibe. I can see why my friends who train at the Dojo hold the staff in such high regard.”
“The trainers at Fale Dojo all come from a high level of experience in professional wrestling, bodybuilding and rugby league,” he added. “I’m humbled that I can bring my background and share my experience with the team.”
Masoe is passionate about sharing his skills to help aspiring fighters further their training as well as those who are beginning their journey. He is determined to equip the students with the knowledge and ability to execute their skills effectively.
“My classes are very technical,” said Masoe the two time New Zealand Heavyweight Champion. “I teach the fundamentals of boxing with great detail and break every single movement down: From simple steps like throwing jabs and footwork, to executing the complexities such as throwing combos and dealing with different scenarios in a match.”
He continued: “I love helping people progress, I love seeing improvement. That’s the perks of being a Boxing coach. You get to see the development in their technical ability and their fitness and to see them apply all the skills that you’ve taught them in the ring. That’s what makes me very passionate about what I do.”
Moving forward, Masoe is excited about complementing the diversity of the Fale Dojo General Community Classes. Masoe plans to assemble a Boxing team made up of members from his class.
“My goal for 2021 is to put together a Fale Dojo Boxing team to compete at events,” the ‘Tank’ revealed. “But before we reach that level, I want to see growth and development backed up by commitment and determination.”
“I can identify who will have the potential to go all the way, and who will need more guidance just to put them into the right path,” Masoe shared in closing. “I will be as thorough as I can so that every single participant in my class can walk away with the skills and a solid understanding of the sport of boxing.”