Yodkhunpon Special Intensive - The Whole Elbow Style (70 min) (Patreon)

The Yodkhupon Intensive

First a little detour giving the context for this session. If you'd like you can skip to the next section and get right to. it. Above is a special entry into the Library. It's Yodkhunpon, who is always incredible and whose technique and style are just seemingly endless, and yet highly unique to him. So he's always wonderful to study. But this is a special session in that it's a glimpse into the "Intensive" series, which is a very in-depth look at the style and vocabulary of legendary fighters, a series that was created through Patreon support. This is Day 7 of a week with Yodkhunpon, drawing out timing, weight transfer, movements, tactics, "game" (as he calls it), and the steady-yet-relentless pacing of his elbows and knees. This is a special voice-over recording for my patrons and an introduction to the "Intensive" series, which is On Demand on Vimeo. If you like this, go check out the other 6 days (there are discounts for my patrons at the $5 and $15 tiers.

You can find and subscribe or rent/purchase any of these sessions  (link: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/sylviestudy ). As a patron, depending on your tier you can be eligible for discounts on these purchases. $5 patrons get 15% (link: https://www.patreon.com/posts/17837199 ) of these purchases, and $15 patrons get 50% (link: https://www.patreon.com/posts/17837342 ) of of these purchases. The intensive series is supported by patrons. 

Not only does the intensive series hold the 7 days of Yodkhunpon commentary video, of which this is the final entry, it also has 30+ hours of with the legend Karuhat Sor. Supawan, likely the most detailed commentary documentation of a single, elite combat sport fighter. Both fighters are a part of this series. Note: this session, for patrons, as a contemporary voice over, done now by me. The series version of this session has the voice-over I recorded on the same day we filmed the session, a couple of years ago. 

Go to the Sylvie Intensive series here: Sylvie Intensive 

[During the Covid-19 crisis 100% of profit from sales of the "Intensive" will go directly to the Kru in the video you purchase, rent, or subscribe to; a means to increase their financial stability when teaching and work are not available. All sales go to support Karuhat and Yodkhunpon.]

Yodkhupnon The Elbow Hunter of 100 Stitches 

Yodkhunpon is the greatest elbow fighter in Thailand history. Because high volume elbow strikes were frowned upon in traditional Muay Thai, elbows often seen as too brute a weapon, to be used sparingly, and artfully, elbow fighting largely remained underdeveloped as a full style. Yodkhunpon found himself overcoming this unwritten bias against elbows, and worked to create a sophisticated, pressure elbow style, the great themes of which can be found in this session. 

Kevin and I just recently did a "Watch With Me" of Yodkhunpon's title fights at Rajadamnern and Lumpinee (you can see that linked at the bottom of this article, I recommend watching it). In the Rajadamnern fight, Yodkhunpon's style comes out with such precision and clarity, it's like he put on a demonstration of his overall conception of Muay Thai - against a top level opponent with incredibly high pressure. 

In that fight, and in this session, you'll see elements of Yodkhunpon's style that are uniquely his (to the extent that he expresses them), like the "galloping" footwork and the use of "Whack-a-Mole" elbows and knees. You see how it all fits together, but requires proper distancing, tracking, pacing and relentlessness. Unique to him, but not exclusive to him, as it's me carrying out these strategies and techniques against the master himself.

What To Look Out For : 

1) Lightness and Explosiveness: in order to be so unrelenting, you have to preserve energy. You don't do this by stopping and coming up for air, you do it by remaining steady, picking your moments for kill shots, and dragging your opponent into the deep end. Watch Yodkhunpon's footwork, his distancing, his lightness, and how explosive his strikes are.

2) "Be Like Ants": if Bruce Lee's concept is being like water, the path of least resistance, Yodkhunpon's version is being like a stream of ants - just go over it or under it. If someone floats their leg in a block, elbow over it. If they guard their head and tuck, knee their guts out under it.

3) Galloping: this is Yodkhunpon's footwork. It allows you to cover great distance more quickly, lightly, easily, and change direction to corral your opponent. He does it going forward as well as kind of melting backwards and sideways.

4) Creating Space Out of Nowhere: this is a big thing for small fighters. If someone locks your neck or hooks your arm, there's not a lot you can do to create space with your upper body. This probably happened to him a lot, being that the biggest fear was elbows from him, so the aim was likely to tie him up. So the solution is to forego any issue with the upper body and just step close to the opponent's foot, pivot, and bring the kneeing leg far back to create lower body distance for killer knees.

5) Upper Body Space: if you've landed a knee and loosen the opponent up a bit, you can then make your escape up top for a side slip from the clinch. Kind of like casually slipping off a sweater, the way it looks when Yodkhunpon does it.

6) The Punch Pop: this is a way to pop your opponent off of you when they have a double lock on your neck. You can't swim inside, so you accept the outside position and basically throw a punch with your forearm already touching their lat. Time it with their knee, when they're on one leg, and they'll pop off. It's like flicking a bug off the other side of a screen door.

Stills from the Session

Understanding Yodkhunpon's Style

If you are new to his style which has been detailed a few times in this Patreon, there are two public videos which can help understanding of what he is doing. The two pubic excerpts show his knees technique, and his gallop. Unlike other fighters, but like many Muay Khao fighters, he does not lean back on his knees. This keep you upright, square, and ready to throw weapons from either side.

you can watch this video publicly on YouTube there: Don't Lean Back 

This knee style is an important part of his philosophy of pressure. It allows him to chain weapons, and lead to high and low pressure that eventually overwhelms his opponent. The other part that is really important is his gallop footwork. Often he is just walking in fights, but the gallop is how he can skip to cover great distance fast, cutting off the ring as he goes. Here, in this public video, he teaches it to me:

Watch him teach the Galloping footwork, publicly on YouTube: The Gallop 

Combining his knee style and his gallop can help you get more out of this particular Muay Thai Library entry.

If you enjoyed this session, these are others you may like in the Library

#15 Yodkhunpon "The Elbow Hunter" part 2 - Escapes  (48 min) watch it here 

Part 2 of my session with one of the most feared elbow fighters of the Golden Age, Yodkhunpon Sitraipom, The Elbow Hunter of 100 Stitches. Lots of fine details in this one, escapes from clinch locks, turns and catches. Best is his floating, gentle style that also holds such violence.

#9 Yodkhunpon "The Elbow Hunter" pt 1  - Slicing Elbow (37 min) watch it here 

Simultaneous Raja and Luminee title holder at 118 lbs, Yodkhunpon was one of the most feared elbow fighters in Thailand, and in this session he teaches the looseness and spacing that made his lead elbow such a viscious weapon. He also shuns the traditional rocking chair knee, and instead teaches a powerful stand-in crossing, open-hipped knee that compliments his elbows up top.

Bonus Session 9: Yodkhupon Sittraipum - Lethal Smoothness (73 min) watch it here 

In this session Yodkhunpon really delves down into the smoothness of his style, with great emphasis on his galloping footwork towards the end. It's all about building a pressure style that does not strain, but rather exerts a constant music of forward attack.

#81  Chamuakpet Hapalang 2 - Muay Khao Internal Attacks (65 min) watch it here 

One of the all time greats gives his 2nd session of the Library. 9x Lumpinee and Rajadamnern champion, 1985 Fighter of the Year, a man who took belts from both Samart and his brother Kongtoranee, his Muay Thai has been lauded as one of the best that have ever been. In this session he teaches his rising KO out knee, straight up the center, his philosophy of grips, pulls and elbows in the clinch, and just in punching range. Not to be missed.

#62 Rambaa Somdet M16 - The Stinging Attack (83 min) watch it here 

Rambaa known for his stinging attack, teaches speed and precision in this more than hour long session. Thailand's first MMA world champion, Rambaa draws from various disciplines, fusing techniques together is still a very traditional, stadium-oriented Muay Thai. Here elbows from various angles, switching attacks, and balanced energy come together to produce high-tempo pressure on an opponent.

#46 Bluksek "Kru Noi" Sityodtong - Internal Knees & Elbows (59 min) watch it here

Learn techniques that go all the way back to Old School Sityodtong, some of these I've not seen before. Kru Noi has a system of internal elbows and knees that work offense and defense together. And don't miss what I'm calling the Low Kick Destroyer, sure to end your opponent low kicking you.

#23 Boraphet Pinsinchai - Muay Khao Mastery (64 min) watch it here 

Kru Ten (Boraphet Pinsinchai) lives and breathes the Muay Khao fight style, and in this session just unfolds a treasure of interlocking techniques, all of which express what I would call his "sticky" style. Trips, counters, locks, elbows the list is extensive, almost too much to fit into an hour.

#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.

Watching Yodkhunpon Fights

Here is a playlist of some of Yodkhunpon's fights 

If there is one fight to watch, it's his Rajadamnern Title fight. It typifies many of the things he teaches in this session. This is our watch with me: