Sylvie's Technique Vlog - Dieselnoi's Lowkick in the Clinch (12 min) (Patreon)

One of the biggest challenges I face as a Muay Khao fighter in Thailand is that every gym I fight against, and the stadia in which I fight, know that I'm going to clinch and knee. That's where I win.  I don't  know for sure if it stems from gambling interests or personal preference, but sometimes referees really break the clinch really fast on me in fights. Dieselnoi has complained about it multiple times. This is one reason why I prefer fighting in festival fights, because they really let the clinch go. They give you a chance to develop your position and dominance. Whereas in Chiang Mai, for instance, or on 3 round Bangkok-type promotions, the clinch can be an increasingly difficult way to win. This isn't so much a complaint, as the realization that the onus is on me, as the fighter, to impose myself on these trends. If the ref is going to break me fast, I have to be faster. I have to be more dynamic, and sooner. The way I clinch can have the positive effect of making the referee look bad for  breaking us. It's part of the Muay Khao stye to theatricize relentlessness. As a clinch fighter who faces very large opponents, sometimes giving up 20% of my body weight, and also training for many years against big male partners, I have developed a tendency to stagnate. I want to get my hold in, lock it, and then score with knees. Because I'm often so much smaller than whomever I'm clinching with, I've developed a hesitancy to let go of a good lock. While technically this might be correct, as the movement is preferred over a "hold," a good hold is where you can score from; however, the stagnation this can create stylistically can be a very difficult way to win if the ref (for whatever reason) is breaking the clinch quickly. Femeu style fighters just need to neutralize a forward-fighting clinch fighter like me, so every time the ref breaks the clinch he or she is saying to the other judges, "The Femeu fighter has this point". The referee isn't giving points, but he's shaping the scoring in a way. It can be a big problem.

When Dieselnoi watched my fight against Nong Benz in Chiang Mai in December, he was really upset how the ref was breaking the clinch. He was ringside, and he felt that they just were not even giving me the chance to win the fight, against a clearly bigger opponent. I had beat Nong Benz many times before, she was strongly connected to the promoter of the stadium, so it didn't surprise me that there could be some ref bias there. They really wanted her to beat me, and she did!  There were a lot of problems in that fight, including that I was seriously under the weather and stressed by co-promoting the event as part of the Queens of the North effort, but the breaks of the clinch were a significant part of it. I've been aware of this uphill battle in that stadium at times before. Its normal for me, but Dieselnoi's passion for how it felt unfair woke me up to it a bit.  The point being, you can't throw your hands up in the air and cry about how unfair it is, you have to see where you can take control in a situation that feels outside of your control. Clinch faster, make it harder to break you, etc.

So Dieselnoi when he came down to my gym, Petchrungruang in Pattaya, started teaching me a lowkick attack to be done in the clinch, as part of the continuity that Golden Age clinch and knee fighters fought with. More modern style Muay Khao fighters rely on the lock, like I do, but Golden Age Muay Khao fighters relied on continuity and dynamic transitions. As a smaller, locking fighter it isn't easy for me, but this is the direction I want to head in, more transitions, more dynamic clinch, especially so refs will have a harder time breaking clinch and shaping fights. It's on me to do this. 

You can explore my other technique vlogs so far:

#4 Sylvie's Technique Vlog - Dieselnoi Air Knees in the Corner (8 min)  

#3 Sylvie's Technique Vlog - Acceleration at the End of Strikes (10 min) 

#2 Sylvie's Technique Vlog - The Kem Pivot (12 min)  

#1 Sylvie's Technique Vlog - Dealing With Fear, How to Cut it Out (13 min) 

Browse the table of contents of all the articles and features beyond the Muay Thai Library that patrons have access to. 

If you enjoyed this vlog you might find these Muay Thai Library sessions interesting:

#52 Krongsak Prakong-Boranrat - That Shoving Energy (56 min) watch it here 

Legendary Krongsak, a man who beat Sagat 3x, and fought Dieselnoi to a draw, gives a session that is all about the right fight energy in training. He places great importance on eye-contact, and making sure your strikes really finish, as well as focusing on the back foot in stance, the rudder of the boat. 

#48 Dieselnoi Chor. Thanasukarn - Jam Session  (80 min) watch it here 

Possibly the greatest fighter who ever lived, Dieselnoi, teaches his fighting tactics and strategy, keys to winning as a Muay Khao fighter. He is accompanied by Rajadamnern Featherweight champion Nopidej Sor. Reodi, so you get to see see the interaction between two related philosophies of the Muay Khao style. This session could be watched and studied over and over.

#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. 

#42  Boraphet Pinsinchai - Muay Khao Fighting Techniques (50 min) watch it here 

Kru Ten is probably the best Muay Khao (knee fighting) private in Thailand, and one of the best in the Muay Thai Library. He not only is expert at clearly illustrating techniques, he has a perfect energy pace in his instruction.

Remember, you have a whole Library of incredible techniques and krus to study. If you already watched one, some of these could be watched 10 times and you'd get something more out of them. Browse the full Table of Contents of the Library here. You are a part of making this happen, and helping it grow.

#45 Langsuan Panyutapum - Monster Muay Khao Training (66 min) watch it here 

One of the greatest knee fighters who ever fought, 1987 Fighter of the Year Langsuan shows how an elite Muay Khao fighter of his day trained. This session is powerful on the basics that elevate the body and mind, at high repetition, allowing the relentless, pressing style that made Langsuan the fighter nobody wanted to fight.

Or check out the full Muay Thai Library archive of videos.