sylviemuay posts
Posts: 423
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Five Concepts Behind Traditional Muay Thai - Spacing, Continue, Angles, Tempo & Rhythm
Keys to Higher Traditional Muay Thai: Spacing, Continue, Angles, Tempo & RhythmKevin writing. The above graphic represents 5 keys I’ve drawn out of our many years of filming the Muay Thai Library project (with probably over 100 Thai krus and legends of the sport), as well as being ringside for Sylvie’s close to a historic 300 fights within the country. The article below opens up thoughts on these five. This is a lengthy except of a longer new post on 8limbsus.com, you can read it here and su...
#162 Songkram Por. Paoin - Balanced Pressure Fighting in Sets as a Small Fighter (84 mins)
Songkram Por. Paoin is the "younger" brother among a pair of twins, with Chana, who was also a fighter. Songkram started first, at about the age of 13, and his brother took up fighting when Songkram was already about 10 fights in. He won the Northern Regional title at 95 lb, twice, before moving down to Bangkok and becoming Rajadamnern Stadium Champion at 105 lb, a title he defended every month for 7-8 months in a row. Ultimately, Songkram holds the highest number of titles and defenses ...
#161 Muangchai Kittikasem - The Straight & the Rotational (60 min)
Muangchai reportedly fought around 100 Muay Thai fights before transitioning into Boxing in the Golden Age. As the legend goes, he took his first Muay Thai fight before ever training (Karuhat also says his first fight was without any training, at the spur of the moment); he was at a Temple fair and there was a cash prize offered for fighters: 150 baht for the winner and 100 baht for the loser. Since he'd get paid either way, he signed up and ended up winning against a fighter with already 10...
#160 SiKing "Don King" Giatpayatai - The S. Ploenjit Chop Kick, with rhythm & distance control (1hr, 20min)
What is so incredible about this session is really two things. It is a documentation of an Old School very effective kick (which itself is SiKing's own synthesis of two classic styles), a masterful kick I've started putting into my training as a fighter, and that Kru SiKing teaches some of the hardest things to teach in Muay Tha, rhythm, timing and distance control, and does so very effectively. These are ground work basics, but they inform everything that separates Muay Thai out from ma...
#159 Lakhin Wassantasit # 2 | The Art of Close Power Fighting - Muay Maat (1 hr, 23 mins)
The Muay Maat style has so many fans and an aura about it and Thailand has had some remarkable hands heavy fighters, especially of small stature. We visiting again with Lakhin one of the most fierce lighter weight Muay Maat's in Thailand's history, a truly fiercesome puncher. It's been almost 6 years since our first session and there is so much more to show of his insight into how effective hands can be in Muay Thai. This session is full of advanced details on how to control spacing ...
On Pull-ups & Strength Conditioning for Thai Clinch | Sylvie Interview (28 min)
above, Kevin's informal interview of me on my return to pull-ups and my experiences with adding weight trainingWhen we filmed with Chatpon for the Muay Thai Library, the very moment he grabbed my neck with his forearm, I felt this unmistakable quiver of "oh sh*t." I've felt that before - Yodkhunpon, when he "hitches the trailer" causes a similar response - but there was something remarkable about this particular latch. There is a word, "anamnesis," which means ...
8 Favorite Moments From The Golden Age
One of the most beautiful things about the Golden Age of Muay Thai is that aside from the incredible skill of the fighters and the depth of talent, the sport was filled with style, sanae (aura, charm) and expressiveness. Some of my favorite moments from their great fights are about the fighters and how they presided over the ring.This is a small compilation of clips, taken from the fights of some of the greatest of all time, which I was able to cull together off the top of my head. I didn't ...
#158 Chatpon Dejrat - The Art of Relentless Mid-Clinch & Muay Khao Persistence (62 min)
Chatpon is the only fighter from the Dejrat Gym to fight on the OneSongchai promotion. In this session he teaches a pure, unadulterated Muay Khao, which is expressed in his ethic, aesthetic, and fortitude. When we met with him, he hadn't been involved in Muay Thai for 30 years; after he won the Song Samai Shark tournament at Lumpinee, he took his winnings and bought some land, then married the daughter of the owner of a very famous, tiny Som Dum restaurant near the Dejrat Gym. This is a Som ...
93 Details To Improve Your Muay Thai (30 min)
[Kevin writing]One of the things that has happened while Sylvie has been fighting like a demon for years, and filming the Muay Thai Library, training up all the things she's been learning every improving as a fighter is that there has been an immense growth of awareness in small things. Here's the 30 minute video of just a ton of these awarenesses, many of the details that can make a difference in your Muay Thai that have grown together in her passion. It low key blows my mind that she h...
Yodkhunpon's Fast, Trapping Anti-Clinch Reversal from Outside Position - (8 min, public)
Above is 8 minutes of Yodkhunpon teaching his clinch reversal from the recent session: #156 Yodkhunpon "The Elbow Hunter" Sittraipum - 5 | offensive teeping, clinch reversals, elbow defense (1 hr, 28 min). Below are just a few personal notes on the technique and why I find it so beautiful.watch the Yodkhunpon full MTL session hereSome background thoughts on this clinch reversal:Yodkhunpon and Samson Issanthree legends hangin'I wanted to take a minute out to talk about some of the con...
#157 Rainbow Sor. Prantalay | Profound, Dynamic Basics, Build Your Whole Style (1 hr, 42 mins)
Rainbow is a fighter from the Golden Age. Although (I believe) he didn't win stadium titles, he fought nearly all the top names of the OneSongchai promotion during his time, and after he retired from the stadia in Thailand, he went on to be undefeated as a fighter in China (he has many belts and trophies in his gym from this time). He had especially good success against the formiddable Southpaws of his time: Sakmongkol, Noppadet, Matee, Orono; and he even managed to knock out Panomtuanlek, w...
Karuhat Update - 2 Weeks Post ACL Reconstruction
Yesterday was very rough in Karuhat's recovery from his ACL reconstruction and MCL repair. We went to get his sutures removed, which went well by itself, but the surgeon demonstrated again this stretch for the hamstring that had proven a problem for us last week. I told the surgeon that Karuhat had experienced pain after this passive stretch, requiring him to take his stronger pain medication (which he really doesn't take often at all). But the ACL was grafted from the hamstring, so unde...
Karuhat 12 Days Post ACL Surgery - Update
On May 5th, Karuhat underwent an ACL reconstruction and repair on both sides of his meniscus. He stayed in the hospital for 2 nights, for observation but also just to give him around-the-clock care during the first days, watching for infection or complications. He didn't sleep well those 2 nights (it was raining a lot, it's a strange place, and nurses came in to check on him every 30 minutes or so, throughout the day), but the room was comfortable and the nurses and physical therapists g...
Getting the Legend Karuhat Reconstructive ACL Surgery - taking care
Perhaps there is nothing more significant than the care for legends themselves, in the hope of preserving the legacy of the Muay Thai they created, out of the glory of their bodies, their training and fighting. A fighter such as Karuhat Sor Supawan moved like no other fighter in history, and in his body is all the the art and grace of his beautiful fighting style. He suffered a fairly robust knee injury a few years ago sparring/holding for a large Westerner, and toughed his way through it. Event...
#156 Yodkhunpon "The Elbow Hunter" Sittraipum - 5 | offensive teeping, clinch reversals, elbow defense (1 hr, 28 min)
Learning from the greatest elbow fighter in Thai history.Those of you who have been patrons for many years will already be somewhat familiar with Yodkhunpon and his terrifyingly smooth Muay Sok style. But even if you've seen his previous entries, this one is definitely an andvancement on what we've learned from him already, bracketing both in detail, as well as realizing how important the more gross-motor practice of footwork and coordination are in his overall style.If you're new to...
Our manifesto of values
We've been thinking about our values, the things that make all the fighting and training, the writing and the entire Muay Thai Library project so meaningful to us and others, and it felt like a very good time to write something down. Something like a manifesto. A public statement on what we are about, and what we want to be creating and putting out there. These are guiding principles for us, not only things that have motivated what we've been doing, but also things we aspire to, as well....
#155 - Khaosai Galaxy | Relaxing With Power (72 mins)
Khaosai Galaxy is probably Thailand's most famous boxer, reaching further into renown than any of their lengthy list of boxing World ChampioKhaosai Galaxy is probably Thailand's most famous boxer, reaching further into renown than any of their lengthy list of boxing World Champions. All the Golden Age Legends I talk to will relay the same anecdote, that traffic stopped whenever Khaosai was fighting on TV, as everyone stopped to go watch. The streets were empty. Known for his fierce punch...
#154 Hemrat Chaoraioi at TDet99 | Infinite Training, How To Train in Thailand (1 hr, 24 min)
Kru Hem is on of the head trainers at TDet99, a gambler's gym, a true Bangkok kaimuay, and the gym that serves as the "training camp" for many high-profile stadium fighters and names, including Lamnammoonlek, who was to resume his training and fight prep with Kru Hem a few days after we filmed. Kru Hem is from Khorat and stands in the stable with some other greats in the Muay Thai Library, from the prolific Dejrat family: Chatchainoi, Takrowlek, Arjan Dejrat. "Chaoraioi" is t...
#153 Noppadet Sor. Rewadee | Muay Dtae, precision femeur kicker (1 hr, 9 min)
You can see Noppadet in our "Jam Session" with Dieselnoi from a few years ago where he acted mostly as an aid to Dieselnoi, but we're absolutely delighted to get Kru Nop's own session and his own beautiful style into the Library. One of the great Power Femeu fighters, with wins over the likes of Wangchannoi, Langsuan, Detduang, Dokmaibaa, Chamuakpet, Weerapol, and one of only 5 fighters to beat Somrak during his Muay Thai career in Bangkok. In Muay Thai history he has a primier r...
Helping Dieselnoi See - Cataract Surgery a Success!
above, Dieselnoi, one of the greatest fighters in Thai history, hitting his fighter pose in the waiting room of Bangkok Hopsital Pataya Eye Center a couple of days ago - my vlog at topThe Full Story - Dieselnoi Needed HelpIn early November, Kevin and I drove into Bangkok to drop off a heavy duty winter jacket for Karuhat, who would be leaving for a seminar tour in the US during the brutal months of November-December. Coming from Thailand, the extent of his cold weather clothing is jeans and mayb...
#152 Bangsaen Tor. Kotsan #2 | High Level Ruup & Control Over Space (Boxing & Muay Thai)
This is Bangsaen's 2nd entry into the Muay Thai Library. I recommend watching the first session, but it's not important to see it before this one; you can watch in any order. He was an established Muay Thai fighter with more than 100 fights out in the provinces, before making his debut in the stadia of Bangkok. After a series of 11 Knockouts, Mr. Songchai suggested that Bangsaen go into boxing and sent him to train under the legendary Arjan Surat, and fight amateur for the Thai National ...
Fight #283 Kard Chuek (Sylvie's Commentary) - full fight
[Kevin writing]We put all of Sylvie's fights up now with commentary on YouTube, you can see video of (practically) every single fight in her progressively historic career in this YouTube Playlistand you can view her detailed Complete Fight Recordhere. This is her 283rd fight (from July) as she presses toward 300 Muay Thai fights as a significant goal. She already is the female combat sport fighter with the most documented pro fights in history, regardless of sport, and sets the mark for the ...
If You Are In Northern Bangkok 3 Gyms To Visit
A Trinity of Training ExperiencesOften when we film for the Muay Thai Library viewers and students don't really have a sense of the relationship of gyms to each other on the map, so here is a quick suggestion of 3 different style gyms you can visit that are close together in Northern Bangkok, each of them with very unique training experiences you won't get anywhere else in Thailand.These gyms are also friendly with each other - something that is important in Thailand - krus even visting ...
#151 Chatchai Sasakul #5 - Developing Feeling in Hands (Muay Thai & Boxing)
Perhaps the most popular Kru in the entire Library, his teachings can change your Muay Thai (or boxing).It's been more than 3 years since we've had him in the MTL, it was time for the next layer of knowledge - the rest of his sessions linked at bottom.Chatchai's father started him in Muay Thai at the age of 4. Chatchai had a substantial 100+ fight Muay Thai career, under the name Neungtoranee Petchyindee fighting many of the top names of the Golden Age (Hippy, Rambaa, Karuhat, Napade...
The Most Authentic Muay Thai Gyms in Thailand
Introduction: Why Muay Thai Gym Authenticity?above, Sylvie fight 284 (274th in Thailand)what follows is from a much longer discussion found here[Kevin writing]What follows is my attempt to answer the question: What is an authentic Muay Thai gym in Thailand? It comes out of my rounds of answers elsewhere on the forum, but I thought it worthwhile to move these thoughts here and develop them, because its a really interesting and even important question. As more and more people travel the world to c...
Old Muay Thai Magazines and Preserving Articles & Photos of Fighters & Krus
In my effort to understand and celebrate the great Muay Thai of Thailand's past, I've begun reading and studying old Muay Thai magazines, from the 1990s and back to the 1970s. You can see my growing pile here. All the colored tabs you see are marking photos, articles, results, rankings that feature Legends from the Muay Thai Library. Eventually I'm going to digitize them and we've already started posting some of the oldest editions to the Roundtable forum, in a special sub-forum ...
The Virtue of Muay Thai Festival Fighting - fighting within the culture of the art, for and by the Thai people - Fight 282
Kevin writing -Sylvie's full recordabove is Sylvie's most recently published commentary video, sharing her fight in Buriram earlier this year. Her 282nd fight, her 272nd in the country. In editing the piece together, which for me just involves syncing her voiced video, inserting some titling, some music, I was just struck by how beautiful the event and experience was...and how much comes through in the film. It came back to me, as I lived it, and photographed it, but also it came anew, i...
4 Minutes with Chatchai Sasakul - Balance & Power Bringing Boxing to Muay Thai
The next session in the Muay Thai Library will be with Chatchai Sasakul, a legend in the history Thailand's Muay Thai and boxing. A long time fighter in the Golden Age who faced many of the best of the sport, he reached fame when he turned to Western Boxing, becoming WBC world champion in the late 1990s, a belt he would surrender to Manny Pacquiao. Then Chatchai would go onto become the best boxing coach in Thailand, mentor to numerous world champions, winning Coach of the Year twice. He te...
Muay Khao Study Notes: The Disappearing Style of Golden Age Muay Thai, Learning from Lamnammoon
[Kevin writing...]These are Sylvie's study notes from her study of Lamnammoon's Muay Khao style in the latest session. Watch the whole thing as a patron here. I made this video edit today sharing the session notes for followers of this Patreon who may not have subscribed yet, and for patrons who haven't dove into the session yet. It's really good.The Disappearnce of Muay Khao in ThailandA few thoughts on how special this session is. As Sylvie explains, its about the structure and...
#150 Lamnammoon Sor Sumalee #2 - Muay Khao Timing (!), Space & Structure (1 hr, 42 min)
Lamnammoon is a young, late Golden Age Legend. He fought incredible battles with top names, the young dao rung"rising star" against established yodmuay. He is a true Muay Khao style and held Lumpinee titles at 115 lb, 126 lb, and 130 lb. As one of the most famous, most recognizable Muay Khao, he's an important part of the history of Muay Thai and this style, and I'm very excited to be adding more of him in to the Preserve the Legacy project. He was mentored by Panomtuanlek, one o...
