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Kru Ali Phet Kalim - Old School Forgotten Principles (64 min)
🕑 Added 2020-02-02 14:00:17 +0000 UTCKru Ali is a very particular kind of man. He reminds me of Master K, my first Thai teacher, who when I met him was on the edge of turning 70 years old and was teaching students 1-1 out of the basement of his home in New Jersey, which he'd converted into a gym. Kru Ali's "basement" is a small gym, perched on the edge of a cliff that overlooks one of the most beautiful vistas of the Phuket water that I can imagine. Kevin noted a stone staircase that led from the house (which is actually under the gym, so Kru Ali's "basement" is technically more like an attic) right down to the water's edge.
But the location of Kru Ali's gym is only part of it. Yes, it's off this winding road that traverses a mountainside, and most of what's on that mountain is incredibly fancy hotels. But the contrast of Kru Ali's little gym to what else is up there, as well as the minimalism of it all: just enough equipment to get the job done - really demonstrates what Kru Ali's heart is about in teaching Muay Thai. He's in his 60s and when I explained to him what the Preserve the Legacy Project is about - archiving and documenting the older ways of Muay Thai, as it is so quickly changing - he jumped on board immediately. There had just been a Thai Fight card in Phuket the night before, where belts were handed out like welcome drinks, and he returned to his disgust about this many times throughout our session. "People don't know anything, they have no technique; how can they be champion?!" His focus, his personal mission, is about carrying on the traditional techniques of real Muay Thai, and he does so one student at a time.
part of the charm of this session is the location, check out my vlog from when I filmed.
What to Look Out For:
1) Stance/Guard: one thing that was a bit difficult for me because of the years of training I have, was Kru Ali's insistence that you never, ever go out of your natural guard. So, if you're right handed and you want to throw a left kick, you do a galloping switch-step for the kick rather than walking into the left kick, as I have learned and done. The reason this is important to point out is that it's important to Kru Ali. He is super, super invested in never changing your stance because it allows for moments of weakness. He wants as little of that as possible, ever.
2) Guard on Kicks: Kru Ali agrees with Arjan Surat in the school of thought that when you throw a kick, you should push your hand into the face of your opponent and keep the guard up high, rather than throwing the arm down to your side for added torque. Because he likes to stay close and be strong in every position, defense is a part of every offensive strike.
3) Front Side Attack: because you stay in your stance all the time, your stance and your opponent's stance dictates what you do. So, for example, if both you and your opponent are right handed, it's your lead side (left hand, left leg) that can hit the "open side" of your opponent. Kru Ali complained that fighters nowdays just want to throw their power side all the time (right arm, right leg), which just hits the closed side of same-stance opponents. He talks like this is the dumbest thing, which is how Dieselnoi has talked about it also. If you're mixed-stance (one person Orthodox, one person Southpaw), then you can go to town with your power side.
4) The Folded Block: this was beautiful. It's similar enough to Sagat's long Sleeping Beauty Bramble Guard that I felt like I recognized it, but it's different enough also that it's unique to Kru Ali. He folds one arm across the other, in front of his face, in order to guard from elbows and punches while he's throwing knees. It's very cool.
5) Low Clinch: Kru Ali has some really beautiful body locks, and how he stays active to keep the referee from breaking you so that he can score before throwing the opponent down is something you don't see much anymore. Low Clinching is less common in contemporary Muay Thai than it was 25-40 years ago because of how Muay Thai is scored now, but the moves are so effective and wonderful. They really shouldn't be lost. It's a bit like this: fighters got less effective in the body lock, so it didn't work as well and scoring punished it. If you're really good at it, it will score really well. So don't half-learn it. Learn it and get really good at it.
Sessions I referenced in this voiceover:
Karuhat Sor Supawan Southpaw and Open Side
Karuhat Sor Supawan Switching Footwork
Stills from the Session
you can follow Kevin's photography on Instagram
If you enjoyed this session you might also enjoy these Library sessions as well
#43 Kongsamut Sor. Thanikul - Muay Mat Style (74 min) watch it here
This Lumpinee champion is perhaps most notable for when he lost a fight for the 102 lb Lumpinee belt, against famed Samart. Samart winning his first belt of many. Kongsamut has a beautiful Muay Mat (punchers) style that he mixes with low kicks, very differently than the Pornsanae style. He fights in close, and is constantly twisting, hitting high and low. Any Muay Thai puncher would benefit from the principles in his style.
#17 Burklerk PInsinchai - Dynamic Symmetry (82 min) watch it here
Arjan Burklerk is a unique master of Muay Thai from the Golden Age, boasting one the highest win percentages in Thai history, and possessing a beautiful craft that harkens back to older styles of fighting with powerful, dynamic symmetry and control of space.
#33 Kru San Sitmonchai - Control of Pace & Distance when Advancing (56 min) watch it here
Kru San is a big man but has incredible muay, a lightness to his movement that he transforms into a jai yen advancing Muay Thai style. In this session it's all about. Creating pressure without rushing, using the teep to set up combinations to the body and head, raising ring awareness, and using weapons at the appropriate time in your opponent's fatigue.
#61 Arjan Surat at Dejrat Gym - Old School Master (37 min) watch it here
Arjan Surat stands as a tower in the pantheon of great coaches of Thailand. Coach of the Thai National Team, Kru of legends since the Golden Age, there is nobody like him. Learn the basics of his technique, but what is more look into the eyes of the one of the great coaches ever, training legends in his garage for decades.
#22 Singdam Kiatmoo9 - Making the Basics Beautiful (71 min) watch it here
Singdam provides perhaps the best progression through the basics I've yet filmed, the blueprint of his beautiful, effective style. This instruction is bottomless. Even after 5 years in Thailand there is a ton for me in this very close examination of powerful technique essentials.
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Comments
Watching this now, I can't help but to notice Kru Ali's philosophy is very similar to what we see in boxing. Through the different schools I've studied and different types of striking arts I've learned, it seems like switching stances mid fight and being able to play from both southpaw and orthodox comfortably is a very specifically Muay Thai thing. In boxing, "switch hitting" is considered extraordinarily rare. For the most part, you're either orthodox or southpaw, and you hold that stance no matter what. Fantastic session as always, Sylvie :)
That was an awesome bit of information. I am very old school. New ways are. Not always better
Andrew B
lol. awesome he still does splits. its not just 90's obnoxiousness. and thank for the tip on using technique that gonna work best for you. it has been confusing. and I also learned all my original muay thai techniques from a master K student, so trying to unlearn the leaning back. those technique principles also goes for jiu jitsu as well so refreshing to hear it the same across martial art styles
Amazing session, gonna study this one at least 100 more times! Amazing knowledge and old school principles!
Another awesome vid as usual. Sylvie do you think Kru Ali would consider Lerdsilla a Muay Femur? I understand that it depends on how one interrupts that definition especially in the context of assessing a fighter's overall style. What do you think though?
Sylvie von Duuglas-Ittu
His English isn't terrible. He's trained westerners for a very long time. He definitely can communicate.
What an awesome gym. How was his English? I wanna go there
Jim Molter
I am wearing my Lo Bloo for this one. just kidding. another great post Sylvie. going to watch this one a few times to absorb all the great training. Thank you.
I've been waiting for this since watching your vlog earlier. Thanks you! 😁🙏
