The Late Legend Sirimongkol + General Tunwakom (82 min) (Patreon)

This is a very special entry into the Muay Thai Library, as it is very probably the last recording of Sirimongkol before his unexpected death last year. The session involves time with him explaining his fighting style, a 20 minute interview about his life. Sirimongkol was Fighter of the Year in 1972 but his road to that honor was trying, to say the least.  In the interview with him about his fight career – his opponent died on the ring in his second fight, ever – a story which still gives him goosebumps to this day. He became known as “The Executioner” after that fight (again, only his second fight) and in his debut at Rajadamnern in Bangkok he was accused of throwing the fight because his reputation as having KO’d and killed his opponent was greater than the fact of his inexperience. But he just kept fighting. I was able to get some demonstrations and instruction on his Southpaw fighting style, a style which lead him to be honored by the King and granted the Fighter of the Year award. He favors staying close to counter attack an opponent’s weapons and has some beautiful kicks to the standing leg to knock an opponent down. He explains that his knockout power was due to his accuracy. Always clip the chin. 

UPDATE NOTE: The full 26 minute interview has now been translated into English with CC subtitles. You can watch that interview here as a patron. 

For the last years of his life, Sirimongkol was working as an assistant to General Tunwakom at the Thailand Culteral Center, teaching the Lertrit style of Muay Thai. General Tunwakom is the last surviving direct-student of the man who invented Lertrit, and he’s trying hard to pass on that heritage to sincere students. We have General Tunwakom in the Muay Thai Library (Sirimongkol appears in that footage as well, but not teaching his own style) and he shows more techniques in this session as well, with Sirimongkol popping in here and there to help demonstrate or add a note on how much damage a counter can do. Their relationship was pretty wonderful and in doing the voice over for this session, I was reaffirmed in the sense of urgency in the Preserve the Legacy Project – not only in archiving the techniques and styles which are disappearing from Thailand, but also documenting the men who carry and express those techniques. General Tunwakom is looking for serious students to carry on the legacy of the Lertrit style. If you or someone you know is interested, please click on this link and contact the WMA. Some things to look out for in this video:

1. In Orthodox vs Southpaw stance, as the opponent is kicking you take a deep step away from the kick and at the same time land your own kick to the standing leg of the opponent. Sirimongkol says that it’s about who can withstand better, and with a kind of glimmer in his eyes says that it hurts the standing leg way more than the opponent’s middle kick can hurt you, since the impact to their leg takes out some of the power anyway.
2. Accuracy: in our interview, Sirimongkol notes that the secret to his punches were their accuracy. He said everyone likes to punch the face and the head, but he hit the button on the jaw every time. He’d punch the body to open the chin, punch at the chin to open the body, etc.
3. “Do Naa”: Sirimongkol is one of these fighters who demands you look in your opponent’s face. He says you have a complete sight picture, but also that you can read someone’s intentions from their eyes.
4. Kicking out the standing leg on a knee. This requires a nice step over, more so than kicking out the leg on a kick, because you pivot outside of the knee and kick out the standing leg from behind.
5. Parrying in the clinch: Sirimongkol said he wasn’t afraid of Muay Khao at all because he never let them lock him in the clinch. He shows me how to parry and disturb every attempt at grabbing his neck.
6. Sirimongkol insists that counter-attacking is his favored method. He never went first, but instead let the opponent strike and then he’d snuff, dodge and counter. This is the same method for Lertrit, which uses a lot of bone-on-bone blocking to do damage to muscles and joints in the block, which then flows directly into the counter.
7. General Tanwakom’s reversals: General shows me how to reverse direction quickly, whether you make contact on the first direction or not. First he shows me with elbows, cutting on a regular “fan sok” horizontal elbow, but opening the cut further on the way back. I also struggle with a missed kick that then gets reversed to another kick or teep on the way back.
8. But all of this is a matter of using economical, balanced footwork and weight transfer, which we work on at the end of the session. It’s simple, but not intuitive. It requires a great deal of practice to make it automatic, but the rationale behind keeping everything grounded works wonderfully well for such a solid, defensive and simultaneously offensive style.

Kevin's film 

In memory of Sirimongkol my husband and I were honored to attend his cremation ceremony, marking the passing of this remarkable man. Kevin made a short, beautiful film of the event, that we posted on Patreon. There are some remarkable moments in it, including Sagat's Ram Muay tribute before Sirimongkol's casket.  

watch the 20 minute film here 

Thank you to everyone who helps make this kind of documentation possible. Usually there is an explanation here to how you can send tips or thank you donations from Krus and Legends that you have learned something from and appreciate. If you would like to send a donation to Sirimongkol's family I'd be glad to send it onto them.  Just message $5 or more via PayPal to the address sylvie@8limbs.us, please in the "add a note" section specify "for Sirimongkol". I will transfer the funds and cover the transfer fees on my end.

KRU FUND: additionally, 5% of all Patreon pledges go into my Kru Fund, and is directed back to the Krus and ex-fighters who have helped make this documentary Library possible: http://8limbs.us/muay-thai-thailand/starting-the-kru-fund

Some stills from the session:

If you enjoyed this session you might enjoy these Muay Thai Sessions as well:

#36 General Tunwakom - Lertrit Military Muay (46 min) watch it here 

General Tunwakom is the last living direct student of the grandmaster who developed this Lertrit/Muay Khorat military style of fighting, designed to end exchanges quickly. Much can be learned from the foundations of these techniques, and these are definitely techniques that could be effective in the ring with proper timing.

#32 Visiting with Arjan Prahmod and Golden Age Nongkipahuyut Gym  (26 min) watch it here 

Not the usual Muay Thai Library session, but a treat for those who love historic Muay Thai. Arjan Prahmod created the 2nd most champions in the Golden Age after Arjan Yodtong, and all of them came out of the famed Nongkipahuyut gym in Nongki, Thailand. In this session Arjan along with a prized student shows techniques that not only won big stadium belt, but are more more rare these days. I also walk through the gym's Hall of Fame room. 

#26 Sagat Petchyindee - Explosive Power (57 min) watch it here 

One of the great fighters in the history of Thailand, and the inspiration of the "Street Fighter" video game character, Sagat is like no other. Here he teaches how power has to come out of the ribs, and your frame, taking the shortest distance to your target, making sure your feet are constantly "organized".

#47 Silapathai Jockygym - Master of Teep Distance (64 min) watch it here

One of the great femeu fighters of the Golden Age unlocks the secret of his teep oriented dominance which made him one of the most difficult fighters to face in his day. The lessons here are precious as he unfolds the details of how to use the teep and tempo to always put the fight where you want it.

 click here to see the full contents of the Muay Thai Library