Round Zero
The Making of a Fighter
A short film and photo series by award-winning photographer Guillaume Flandre, shot with boxing trainer Phap in Da Nang, Vietnam, on the rounds nobody watches.
Watch the film: Round Zero, The Making of a Fighter
Guillaume Flandre
US based photographer. Exhibited around the world, published by National Geographic and The New York Times, Fujifilm ambassador.
Phap aka "Do Do"
Phap coaches boxing at JMB Sport Club in Da Nang, Vietnam.
Round zero
Round zero is the one before the first. The bell comes from a phone on the floor, the punches are called by an app, and the only person in the room is you. It is the work you put in week after week, long before anyone is watching.
Guillaume was travelling through Asia when he walked into JMB Sport Club in Da Nang, Vietnam, and met Phap, known there as Do Do. He stayed to shoot. The film is called The Making of a Fighter, and these are the photos from the same days.
Focus
Wrapping your hands is the first rep. For a few minutes, nothing exists but the round about to start.
Focus is a skill. You train it the same way you train a punch: one session at a time.
Most boxing photos and videos are taken ringside, during the fight. I wanted to shine a light on the months before it: the work fighters put in day in, day out, to gain the confidence and skills they need to step through the ropes in the first place.
Guillaume Flandre
Growth
Nobody gets better during the fight. The progress happens in the months of training before it, one small fix at a time.
Round zero starts at home
Open the app and do the work nobody sees.
Listen to your coach
The app calls out punches, defenses and movements in real time. You react.
Set your objectives, reach your goals
Define your objectives, keep up your streak and follow your progress.
Watch yourself & improve
Check your form in mirror mode, or record yourself and review the footage later.
Why a Boxing App Teamed Up With a Travel Photographer
“We want to do more in the boxing community, and I love seeing content made around the sport by people who actually live in it. That means photographers and filmmakers with a real eye, and boxers and coaches who put in the work every week.”
Marc, founder of the Shadow Boxing App