MEMORIAL
BY K R U D A N T E
THE BEAUTIFUL FIGHT
A tribute to Ajarn Mike Walrath of Eugene’s Bigfoot Gym
M
uay thai — also known as “Thai boxing” — is
the national sport of Thailand. This discipline
is commonly referred to as the “art of eight
limbs,” and it is characterized by the combined
use of fists, elbows, knees and shins.
Ajarn is a Thai-language term that translates as “profes-
sor” or “teacher.”
This autumn brings the passing of Ajarn Mike Walrath.
For those whose lives were touched by him, these words
acknowledge the conclusion of a long and beautiful jour-
ney. For those who did not have the privilege of crossing
paths with Walrath, this is his story:
Considered to be the “grandfather of muay thai” by those
in the martial arts and combat sports community of Oregon,
Walrath and his Bigfoot Gym were a cornerstone in Eugene
MUSIC
for more than three decades. Ajarn dedicated his life to his
family, his students and the Bigfoot Gym School of muay thai
and krabi krabong, the weapon-based martial art of Thailand.
In an era where martial arts, mixed-martial arts and
physical fitness became commodified and appropriated for
business, Ajarn Walrath’s gym stood as a beacon of legiti-
mate bushido.
An original backyard student of Ajarn Surachai Sirisute
— the man credited with bringing the martial art of muay
thai to the United States in the 1970s — Ajarn Walrath pre-
sided over a gym of fighters he treated as an extension of
his family. He was also a student of the late Ajarn Samai
Masamarn, at the Buddhai Swan School of krabi krabong,
in Thailand. Masamarn is widely considered to be the last
great master of krabi krabong.
In Eugene, Ajarn Walrath took in men and women from
all walks of life, teaching them traditional muay thai, krabi
krabong and self-defense, as well as mentoring them in
every aspect of the human experience. He was as much
a community advocate, counselor and therapist as he was
an Ajarn.
From daily struggles of work and physical hardships,
to nuclear break-ups or family emergencies, Ajarn Walrath
stood by his students. He saw the practice of martial arts
as a form of civil service to his fellow man. Many a young
man or woman was mentored on his front porch as well
as in the fighting gym. He was an advocate of the age-old
saying that “there are many fights in life, not all of which
occur in the ring.”
Walrath’s classes were taught daily, involving every
skill-level and age-level. He taught more than muay thai,
and his students learned to be more than just fighters. His
goal was to shape fierce and compassionate martial artists
who fought out of “the pure joy of living.”
One would be hard-pressed to find a traditional muay thai
instructor in the state of Oregon who has not passed through
the doors of Bigfoot Gym. There, in a humble warehouse
filled with worn equipment, Walrath accepted all who came.
Walrath was also a well-known artist and painter in the
Eugene community. His realist and sometimes surrealist
paintings, most of which were inspired by his gym, his
family, or his strong political beliefs, continue to be hung
and sold in local art galleries such as New Zone.
On Oct. 9, Ajarn Mike Walrath died unexpectedly at the
age of 62, passing over the great divide surrounded by the
family he loved, the friends he enlivened and the instruc-
tors he built. If, as it is said, death and love are two wings
that bear the good man to heaven, Walrath flew swiftly.
His gym will continue on, run by a small cadre of in-
structors who were privileged enough to learn from him.
His paintings will continue to be shown in the town he
called home. He is survived by his loving wife, Jez; his
daughters Heidi and Vivienne; his sons Shon and Matt; and
many others whose names would take up more than this
page can hold.
A Halloween Memorial Party for Mike Walrath will be
held Oct. 28. Call 503-593-9825 for time and address. For
information on how to support Bigfoot Gym, go to gofund-
me.com/bigfoot-gym-fund. ■
Dante Zuniga-West, going here by the title Kru Dante, is a member of
Bigfoot Gym, Class of 2006.
BY B R E T T C A M P B E L L
SMALL-SCALE
SOUNDS
Check out early music, HIP music and
high school string players doing ‘60s rock
O
ctober’s big show is the Eugene Symphony’s Thurs-
day, Oct. 18, Hult Center concert featuring eminent
Portland composer David Schiff’s Stomp, Leonard
Bernstein’s ambitious “Age of Anxiety” symphony
and Beethoven’s underrated symphony No. 8.
But several smaller scale concerts also offer big charms
this month.
This Sunday afternoon, Oct. 21, at the University of
Oregon’s Beall Hall, the Dali Quartet plays a pair of too-
little-known string quartets by 19th-century Spaniard Juan
Crisóstomo Arriaga (his ebullient, Haydnesque third quar-
tet) and the great 20th-century Argentine composer Alberto
Ginastera (his daring, dramatic first quartet).
They’re joined by Russian star pianist Olga Kern in
Robert Schumann’s ever-popular Piano Quintet in E-flat.
Kern won the world’s most prestigious piano competi-
tion, the Van Cliburn, and the Dali members rose through
PAT METHENY
Venezuela’s famed El Sistema democratic musical training
system. In previous Oregon visits, the foursome has de-
livered warmly expressive performances of both European
and Latin American repertoire.
If you prefer earlier music, that same afternoon features
the historically informed Emerald Chamber Orchestra
with singers Phoebe Gildea and Trevor Cook performing
J.S. Bach’s fun Peasant Cantata (featuring a farmer and
a tax collector) and his famous Orchestral Suite No. 2 at
Christian Science Church Auditorium at 14th Avenue and
Pearl Street.
Next Sunday, Oct. 28, The Shedd offers an interme-
diate-scale experience: its microphilharmonic chamber
orchestra playing a pair of down-sized classics: Mozart’s
dazzling Sinfonia Concertante, featuring dueling viola and
violin and arranged for chamber orchestra, and Brahms’s
pastoral Serenade No. 1, in its rarely performed recon-
structed original version for five winds and four strings.
The Shedd also presents some non-classical small com-
bos this month. This Sunday, Carl Woideck’s Jazz Heri-
tage Project plays instrumental versions of songs made
famous by Frank Sinatra, from his early big band hits to
his famous concept albums like the immortal Songs for
Swingin’ Lovers.
The next night a true jazz superstar, guitar god Pat
Metheny, brings his quartet to The Shedd for a rare retro-
spective of favorites from his four-decade career. And on
Oct. 27, New York pianist Larry Fuller’s trio returns to The
Shedd stage for swinging versions of pop standards from
Cole Porter to Stevie Wonder, plus bluesy jazz classics.
Finally, while you’re checking out Oct. 25’s Beatles vs.
Stones Showdown at the WOW Hall, give a little love to
the South Eugene High School String Quartet, who’ll
flesh out classic songs that originally used strings, such
as “Eleanor Rigby,” “Yesterday," “As Tears Go By” and
“Ruby Tuesday.” ■
eugeneweekly.com • October 18, 2018
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