sylviemuay

Watch These Fights: The Brilliant 122 lb Lumpine Belt Run of 1993-94

For anyone just coming to the Muay Thai Library Project or learning about the Golden Age, these 7 fights are a must, a great pathway into the Legacy and a way to familiarize yourself with some of the top names.

The Golden Age of Muay Thai was unparalleled in its dense collection of talent. Divisions were packed so deep that even the 4th or 5th best fighter could be considered elite; b...

#149 Provincial Kaimuay Knowledge | Santi Ubon Muay Thai (85 min)

The Muay Thai Library is known for our commitment to documenting and archiving the Muay of the great legendary fighters of Thailand's past, making sure that the details and spirit of fighters like Dieselnoi, Karuhat, Samson, Chamuakpet and so many others will not be entirely lost as Muay Thai in Thailand rapidly changes and becomes more oriented to the West. If you've been supporting the Library for long you know that we also document the Muay of so many others in Thailand, truly incredible t...

Nungubon Interview | Karuhat vs Saenchai? Gambling & Muay Thai, What Has Been Lost

(above) We're really happy to be able to present the voice of such a legend of the sport, Nungubon Sitlertchai who had one of the great careers in Thai history, gives his views on the greatness of Karuhat & Saenchai (who he both fought), the role of gambling in Thailand's culture of Muay Thai, and so much more. We need to hear the greats themselves as we seek to celebrate and preserve this wonderful art and sport, and your support of the Muay Thai Library makes this possible. We're adding...

#148 Anantasak Panyuthapum | Boxing, Elbows and The Feet (80 min)

Anantasak is the 1997 Fighter of the Year, making him the 18th FOTY awardee in the Muay Thai Library (see the whole collection at bottom). He was a Muay Maat with dangerous elbows and was nicknamed "Mr. Flying Axe Elbow." He was Omnoi Stadium Champion at 126 lb and winner of the Isuzu Cup in 1997, the same year he received the Fighter of the Year.

After his Muay Thai career he went on to an amateur boxing career, winning bronze, silver and two gold international medals in that time. He ...

My Fight Mental Training Template - What Works For Me | 280+ Fight Veteran (34 min)

Above. This post is available for everyone, patrons and followers of patreon alike. It's just me sharing in a very concrete way the template I use for mental training in fight preparation, especially focused on my experiences preparing for my last fight. My 283rd fight. I'm hoping that some of you can connect to this.

The book I worked from and discussed is:2024-07-22 07:53:18 +0000 UTC View Post

#147 Nungubon Sitlertchai - Explosive Striking & Control Over Space (1 hr, 40 min)

This session is such a long time coming, it means a lot to finally film and document the great Nungubon up in Ubon Ratchathani, Isaan. Nungubon is from the same gym as the Muangubon lot, which included FOTY gymmate Orono. Nungubon. "Joy" (his play name), started at just 8 years old and fought for more than 20 years, in fact winning the 118 lb Lumpinee Stadium Champion title against Saenchai was in Nungubon's 20th year of fighting, at 28 years old. Something that struck me is how young he is; ...

Sylvie's Technique Vlog #42 - Centering Your Opponent (13 min)

It's been a while since I did a Technique vlog my my patrons, but someone requested I bring them back, so here is the first one (I've made it public for everyone). I started doing short Every Second Counts videos instead, I'll link those at bottom.

Kevin and I drove up into Ubon, a very long trip from where we live in Pattaya, to film with a number of Legends. We ended up filming with Nungubon and Lamnamoon on consecutive days, which allowed me to perceive strong connections between wh...

18 of the Fighters in the 1988 Rajadamnern Rankings (March) Are in the Library

It's pretty amazing how much we've been able to document in the Muay Thai Library so far. I've been studying old Muay Thai magazines and archiving relevant articles I run into, and came across this in Fighter magazine this morning. Back in the day, rankings for each stadium were printed in the various magazines on a monthly basis. This list for Rajadamnern is absolutely stacked, showing just how dominant you had to be to become champion at that time. I've underlined all the fighters who are i...

Big Trip To Isaan, What's Coming To the Library: Nungubon, Lamnammoon, Santi Gym, Anantasak, Chatchai Sasakul

my vlog about the trip is above. This is part of my Sylvie Run Cast series where I talk about all things Muay Thai on my runs. You can watch the series on YouTube, here is the Playlist.

We just got back from a big trip to Ubon Ratchathani in Isaan to film for the Muay Thai Library project, so this is a bit of a heads up on what is coming! We filmed for the firs...

#146 Wangchannoi Sor Palangchai #4 - Elite Timing & Impact and Shadowboxing (42 mins)

For those new to the Library, Wangchannoi Sor. Palanchai was Fighter of the Year in 1993. He beat every Fighter of the Year awardee for the decade prior to his own win, with the exception of 1991's Samson Isaan (who wasn't in the same weight class). He's what Kevin and I call a "Power Femeu," with strong hands; he started his career as Muay Khao so knows the energy and ethic of that and carries it into his own style. He was 108 lb Lumpinee Champion, then 122 lb Lumpinee Champion (an incredibl...

The Top 5 Greatest Muay Thai Fighters of All Time: Thongchai's Choices

above, Thongchai's choices.

We have continued our interview poll of great fighters and legends of Muay Thai, asking them who are the best 5 fighters in history. The purpose of this list isn't to come up with a definitive GOAT, but rather to create a broadbrush picture of Thailand's Muay Thai greatness. Before we started this poll the general picture of great Muay Thai fighters was in English dominated by just a handful of names that get passed back and forth, a lot of it due to...

#145 Thongchai Tor. Silachai - Muay Maat & Lowkick Legend (96 min)

I'm so excited to get Thongchai into the Muay Thai Library. He's one of these incredibly prolific fighters, who fought for like 28 years (starting at age 11) and was dangerous all throughout. He has a heavy-handed, low-kick Muay Bouk style that fits wonderfully within the sessions already laid out by his own teacher, Arjan Medprik, as well as Takrowlek Dejrat. A lot of westerners incorrectly attribute the hard-punching, low-kick style as being Dutch; but Arjan Medprik was a fighter inthe 60s,...

Public for Everyone! #144 Jean-Charles Skarbowsky | Keys to Winning in Thailand

We've decided because this Muay Thai Library session is so unique, so unusual, to provide the straight audio edit of our Muay Thai Library session with the legend Jean-Charles Skarbowsky. Be sure to become a supporter if you aren't already and watch my annotated video version of this session, read all my study notes, and get access to the full Muay Thai Library which now has 180 hours of documentation of the legends & krus of the Muay Thai Library.

2024-03-28 03:09:31 +0000 UTC View Post

#144 Jean-Charles Skarbowsky | Keys To Winning in Thailand (1 hr, 50 min)

This is a very special session for the Muay Thai Library. Skarbowsky is one of the most famous and world-recognized Western fighters to have trained, and fought in Thailand during the late Golden Age and its close aftermath. (Some of his fame is due to his amazing appearance on The Ultimate Fighter many years ago for team GSP, where he schooled everyone, but he also truly is a historic Western Muay Thai fighter, in the conversation of the GOAT of Western fighters in Thailand.) While we have p...

MTL Podcast (audio only) #142 Arjan Metprik Silachai 2 - Relentless Pace & Low Kick Attack (69 min)

The podcast is an audio version of our second Arjan Metprik Muay Thai Library session, with some audio edits to make is more easy listening. Arjan Metprik is one of the great, legendary krus of Thailand, training champions in Khorat for over 40 years, specializing in a twisting, low-kick, pressuring style.

This is our all-purpose description of our MTL podcasts:

We're hoping these podcast versions are a...

Takrowlek's Low Kick in Slow Motion & The Top 5 Greatest Fighters

Above is a new version of the slow motion capture we did with Takrowlek Dejrat, this time with speed variation and no commentary. The original can be found in his Muay Thai Library session which also details his very effective low-kick Muay Beuk Golden Age style, which he teaches out of his home gym in Bangkok.

Along with filming documentary full sessions with legends and great fighters and krus of the Golden...

#143 Takrowlek Dejrat - Master of the Low Kick (90 min)

Takrowlek comes from the lineage of Arjan Surat and the Dejrat Gym. Arjan Surat has had innumerable great fighters under his care, but almost none of them carried the Dejrat name; for me, the fact that Takrowlek did is very special. He's the younger brother of Chatchainoi Chaoraioi, also in the Muay Thai Library, and is a Muay Beuk style (invasive, forward, firing first and lots of KOs). He fought in Western Boxing a little bit, but ultimately had much more opportunity and success in Muay Tha...

Golden Age Muay Bouk (มวยบุ๊ค) vs Entertainment Muay Thai: Interview with Takrowlek Dejrat

This informal interview is at Takrowlek's gym in Bangkok, after we filmed a session with him for the Muay Thai Library. Takrowlek is a Golden Age fighter, who grew up in Muay Thai (following his brother down to Bangkok from their hometown) and has raised his daughter and his nephews in Muay Thai as well. He represents Muay Thai as a "way of life" in a way that bridges generations. Additionally, he and his brother, Chatchainoi , were students under Arjan Surat, one of the most respected and fe...

#142 Arjan Metprik Silachai 2 - Relentless Pace & Low Kick Attack (69 min)

Kevin and I are so happy to get another session with Arjan Metprik into the Library, and this one is quite different. The first one shows his padwork and training style, this one because I was fighting the next day is him really breaking down his amazing Khorat style. it's like a time capsule traveling back to the Muay Thai of the 1960s & 70s. His style is both Old School, with recognizable Boran elements, and also incredibly effective and proven in the ring by his top student, Fighter of...

#141 Jareonsap Kiatbanchong 2 - Optimizing Distance & Balance (80 min)

This is a great session where you get insight into present day stadium pad holding training at the hands of a legend of the sport. Jaroensap  is out of the famed Kiatbanchong gym, stalemate of fellow Southerners  Jaroenthong, Samranthong, and Oley Kiatoneway. Jaroensap jokes that  everyone in the gym other than him was Femeu, so he was the "dumb one"  who came forward, but in truth he's the only one of the group to have been awarded the prestigious Fighter of the Year (199...

MTL Podcast (audio only) #140 Weerapol Sahaprom - Symmetry and Power (1 hr, 40 min)

The podcast is an audio version of much requested Weerapol Sahaprom Muay Thai Library session, with some audio edits to make is more easy listening. Weerapol is one of the great legends of Muay Thai who also had a huge Western Boxing career as a long time WBC World Champion. Learn true two sport genius.

This is our all-purpose description of our MTL podcasts:

We're hoping these podcast versions are a chance for patrons to enter the Library in a more diverse way. Even though the vi...

Muay Thai & Western Boxing: Studying The Style of Samarn Dilokvilas in 1936

We don't often do this, but occasionally we'll take up a theme found in the Muay Thai Library and draw sessions together as part of a larger discussion. These posts are free to the public so feel free to share them with anyone you think would find them interesting.

[Kevin writing] The video at top is a film study of the newly published footage of the fight for who was the best Muay Thai fighter in Thailand. Samarn Dilokvilas vs Somphong Vejasidh. See all the fight footage and read 2023-12-12 10:15:23 +0000 UTC View Post

#140 Weerapol Sahaprom - Symmetry and Power (1 hr, 40 min)

So many have been hoping that Weerapol could be added to the Muay Thai Library, and I'm so happy to have finally been able to film with him, both as a fighter and a documentarian. Weerapol is one of the most vicious, prolific fighters of the Golden Age. His career spanned 30 years, 15 of them in Muay Thai, then 15 years in Western Boxing. He achieved great success in both sports, was Rajadamnern champion in 3 weights and fought the best of his era, and became WBC (and WBA) World Champion in b...

The Secret to Langsuan's Relentless Knee Attack - from The Modern Martial Artist (7 min)

Sharing with everyone this collaborative work with the The Modern Martial Artist YouTube channel. He uses a study of the Muay Thai Library combined with fight footage and his own knowledge to present the keys to Golden Age Fighters, and this one on Langsuan, one of the greatest Knee Fighters in history. Langsuan really should be a name on everyone's lips when discussing the greatest of the Golden Age, and ...

MTL Podcast (audio only) #139 Chamuakpet Hapalang 3 - Vertical Attack, Control of Space (85 min)

The podcast is an audio version of the Chamuakpet Muay Thai Library session, the 3rd in the MTL, with some audio edits to make is more easy listening.  

This is our all-purpose description of our podcasts: 

We're hoping these podcast versions are a chance for patrons to enter the Library in a more diverse way. Even though the videos are so important, there is so much to also just get out of the commentary. It's the Library on the go. Many have written they like to listen...

MTL Podcast (audio only) #138 Detduang Por. Pongsawang - Close Range Counter Power (90 min)

The podcast is an audio version of the Detduang Muay Thai Library session, with some audio edits to make is more easy listening.  We're hoping these podcast versions are a chance for patrons to enter the Library in a more diverse way. Even though the videos are so important, there is so much to also just get out of the commentary. It's the Library on the go. Many have written they like to listen on the way to the gym, which is really cool. If you like what you are listening to in the com...

#139 Chamuakpet Hapalang 3 - Vertical Attack, Control of Space (95 min)

Truly one of the greatest fighters who ever fought. Not only did Chamuakpet fight at a very high level for 17 years in the National Stadia, he encompassed the Golden Age, fighting at some of the deepest weight classes. He was one of the 3 Kings of Muay Khao from the Hapalang Gym (Dieselnoi and Panomtuanlek also in the MTL), but his style was more complex than just being a stalking fighter. He fought forwards and back, used knees with great IQ (called Mr. Computer Knee for that), and all the o...

#138 Detduang Por. Pongsawang - Close Range Counter Power (91 min)

We were so happy to finally film with Detduang who is a kru at PK Saenchai, and who fought all the top names of the Golden Age, contesting for stadium belts several times. He has a powerful, closing style that is made for shorter fighters who don't want to dance around and be evasive. The principles of his fighting are for anyone who wants to stand in, especially if you want to use the lowkick. I hope you enjoy! 

What To Look Out For:

1) Progression o...