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

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; when we filmed he was only 53 years old, putting him 4-5 years younger than many of the Golden Age fighters who he was facing. He came up as a kind of junior in the Golden Age. So, he watched greats on TV as a young kid (Hippy, Boonlai) as heroes, and then fought them when he got big enough. He was Lumpinee Champion at 105, 112, 115, and 118 lbs, which is very impressive by itself; but what makes it incredible is who he was fighting in those championship matches: Kompayak Singmanee for the 105 lb title; Langsuan for the 112 lb title, Yodsiam for 115 lbs and Saenchai for 118 lbs. He really is a Yodmuay. Enjoy how wonderful and knowledgable he is. And, if you are adventuresome consider visiting him and training with him in Ubon Ratchathani.

• We also have a great Nungubon interview coming next month, its not ready yet as we're having it professionally translated. Watch for it because he talks about facing both Karuhat and Saenchai, thoughts on the nature of Muay Thai and today's versions of the sport.

What to Look Out For:

1) Crossing Distance: Nungubon has an incredible ability to cover a lot of space with his strikes, even with his short stature and with great precision. The trick is, to me, the actual meaning of the word "throw" in throwing a strike. He lets it go. He sets it up, mechanically and accurately, but when he lets it go he actually releases it to the target. It's in the legs, all of it, but the control and precision comes from how the rest of his body engages with the move, so for example in his cross, the lead leg and the rear punch end up stacked on top of each other. It was difficult for me to figure out, but once I understood how he was feeling it, it became more clear.

2) Defense: important for every style, but necessesary for the above mentioned way of throwing strikes, defense is absolutely essential to being able to do any of this. The protection is involved in every part of the movement, and also works to control and direct the power. Nungubon said of training his own son that he taught him Femeu style, because to Nungubon that's a strong defense, and then his son can develop into any style at all after that because the defense is the base of all of them.

3) Shadow Footwork: the focus of Nungubon's shadow is his footwork. He placed a PVC pipe stand at the center of the floor and danced/footwork moved around it. His evasiveness is circular, not linear (in/out) and by constantly moving his legs, he's able to be quick and powerful while also hiding his strikes from his opponent.

4) Feuk Boi Boi: this literally just means to practice something often and consistently, but it's something Nungubon repeats a lot. Anything he shows me, he adds that it must be practiced a lot to become natural and automatic. You can't be "thinking" of what to do or how to do it, you just feel it and move. If you're thinking, you're already too slow.

5) Teep is for Everyone: I've heard this before from Dieselnoi, but Nungubon corroborated that the teep is for every style. It interrupts, it's used for timing, it can juggle an opponent and control space, it sets up power strikes. The way Nungubon actually phrased it is that only idiots don't have a teep.

6) Clinch Turns and Opportunity: our clinch focused on a turn that requires a lot of timing and some very basic mechanics. But what I loved a lot about it and what I think makes it so universally practical is that it's based on a position of the opponent that will present itself all the time. Nungubon made a point that you shouldn't worry if you miss the moment, because it will present itself often. It's when the opponent is trying to swim their arm in, you let them get slightly inside your arm and then loop the back of the neck and pivot, pushing the back of the neck. It's an off-balancing move that allows you to strike, get better position, escape, and best of all, ruin their ruup.

7) Tammachaat: this is the actual key lesson of this session and of Nungubon's style in general. It's the most important part and it's essential for all the above mentioned elements. It means "natural" or "instinctual" in Thai and this is a component of basic Muay Thai and Yodmuay all the same. In English we might get this concept when we think of an athlete who "makes it look easy." We know it's hard; we know it took a lot of training, we don't mistake it for someone literally being "born with it," but it looks natural. That's tammachaat. It looks effortless and it feels instinctual. You don't memorize how many times to switch your feet before kicking like a pattern, to fake once, then punch, then fake twice and kick. That's not natural. You feuk boi boi the memorized bits until they become unconscious, at which point they are now tammachaat.

Other Sessions Referenced:

#27 Karuhat Sor. Supawan 4 - Tension & Kicking Dynamics (104 min) watch it here

#104 Yodkhunpon Sittraipum 4 - The Art of Shadowboxing (64 min) watch it here

#140 Weerapol Sahaprom - Symmetry and Power in Boxing & Muay Thai (1 hr, 40 min) watch it here or podcast here 

#95 Wangchannoi Sor. Palangchai #2 - The Secret Powers of a Cool Heart (77 min) watch it here

#76 Dieselnoi Chor Thanasukarn 4 - How to Fight Tall (69 min) watch it here

#8 Sangtiennoi Sor Rungroj - Advanced Clinch (52 min) watch it here

Check Out Nungubon's Top 5 Greatest Muay Thai Fighters in History:

watch it here

This is part of our running interview poll of legends and ex-fighters of Muay Thai, building a picture of true greatness in the sport, as seen through their eyes. This way we can move away from highlight reels & English commentary and talk to people who actually saw fighters fight and even faced them. This so far is the updated results of the poll, which are weighted. A lot of these fighters are documented in the Muay Thai Library.

you can see the full YouTube playlist of everyone's votes and their reasons for why: All Time GOATs As Voted On By Fighters

Photographs from Nungubon's career

Nungubon vs Langsuan as the Main Event, 112 lb Lumpinee title in 1991

 Nungubon (blue) vs Sittichai (red) at Channel 7 Stadium

 Nungobon in black shorts

 Backstage after defeating Khunpinit (in the MTL)

 With his Flyweight Lumpinee belt

 Nungubon (blue) vs Karuhat (red)

 Muay TV magazine

Yodmuayek magazine (red shorts)

 Back cover of Muay Siam 1994

Nungubon (standing) vs Kaensak

 Nungubon (red) throwing Samkor

Kevin's Photographs from the Session

you can find the whole album of them here: Filming With The Legend Nungubon

If you enjoyed this session here are others in the MTL you may also like studying. Similar fighters, or styles as Nungubon:

#5 Hippy Singmanee 1 - Developing Power (69 min) - watch it here

Two-time Lumpinee champion Golden Age legend Hippy Singmanee takes me though one of the most unique and valuable hours I've spent with a top trainer. He is building ground up how power and relaxation are related to each other. This session has been highly influential upon my own training. Learn how spacing+timing+relaxation produces dynamic power.

Bonus Session 4: Hippy Singmanee Ultra Violence | 30 min - watch it here

Hippy is all about building power and aggression in strikes. In this session he really tries to create a conversation of violence in our padwork, and then in our light sparring he teaches elbows with incredible fluidity and invasive power.

#96 Hippy Singmanee 3 - Basics of Balance, Rhythm & Footwork (75 min) watch it here

When a legend of the sport teaches you the core basics of Golden Age Muay Thai you stop and listen. These movements are essential for reaching higher levels of fighting, and Hippy - who was probably the best small fighter of his time, always fighting up - teaches these movements to his own young fighters. Build from the ground up.

#138 Detduang Por Pongsawang - Close Range Counter Power (91 mins) watch it here or podcast here 

A stand-in, closing pressure style that anyone can benefit from is what Detduang is all about. He was a shorter fighter so if you want that low-kick, punishing energy this is the session for you. One of the top fighters at his weight in the Golden Age, discover what made him so difficult to face.

#133 Bangsaen Tor. Kotsan - Central Core, Boxing & Muay Thai (85 min) watch it here, podcast here

Just a tremendous session with a great kru of Chor. Hapayak gym, teaching core principles of staying in your frame, fighting and defending out of your center, bringing together the forms of Western Boxing and Thailand's Muay Thai.

#91 Jaroensap Kiatbanchong - Silky Power (63 min) watch it here

The 1992 Fighter of the Year Jaroensap had an elegant Muay Thai that was full of hidden power. He shares his unique teeping style, how he employed parries and switches and elbows to control the space in an elite Muay Femeu fighter.

Muay Thai synthesis.

-