Pairojnoi Sor. Siamchai - Balance, Footwork & Intensity (61 min) (Patreon)

Pairojnoi has a very unassuming energy. He's lightly awkward but notably very sweet even in short exchanges. If given a hundred guesses, I'd likely not have connected him to his Golden Age self, where he was half of the 'Fight of the Century" against "Rambo," which is an all-you-can-eat buffet of two punchers, loading each other's plates until they spill over. It's incredible. He's not a brawler though - even though he's totally capable of relentless forward pressure - and demonstrates a great number of skills in this session that allow you to spoil a "dern" fighter's rhythms. His favorite fighters are almost all Femeu, with the exception of his number one spot being Chamuakpet Hapalang, "Mr. Computer Knee," and "Evergreen," but even to that end Chamuakpet was able to play the Femeu game at the same level as any of the top fighters who fit squarely in that style. To me, Pairojnoi's techniques fall into the "all around" elements of Femeu, but he's got power behind his finesse... which is dangerous and wonderful.

Happily, I reference a lot of other Legends and Library sessions in this voiceover, because there's cross-reference to what Pairojnoi is teaching me. Among those are "Rambaa" Somdet M-16 (Sit Or), Karuhat Sor. Supawan, Jaroensap Giatbaanchong, Charnchai Sor. Tammarangsri, Tak Na Teetong, Dieselnoi Chor. Tanasukarn, Chamuakpet Hapalang, Yodkhunpon Sitraipum, Wangchannoi Sor. Palangchai, and Sangtiennoi Sor. Rungroj. You can find links to all these fighter's session in the Table of Content here. Just search for their names.

What to look out for: 

1) Long Knees: Pairojnoi shares Karuhat's technique for a long, spearing  knee, leaning back to keep your face away from counter punches. Keep your standing foot forward and don't twist on it, but point your toe on the leg that's folded for the knee and keep the heel of that foot slightly outside the hip to angle the kneecap into the opponent's center. 

2) Lock and Hook: When a kick is caught, Pairojnoi locks his leg straight first, then turns his knee to the side and either hooks his foot around the back of his opponent to harpoon them toward him, or turns the knee straight down to slip out.

3) Push and Pull: Pairojnoi runs me through the grinder by having me push him and then do a flying kick as he stumbles back. This is so, so good for Golden Age flare, but it's also his style in the power plus finesse. He also has amazing pulls in the clinch that spoil an opponent's knees and rhythm.

4) Shadow Clinch Training: this is my favorite, because you can do it anywhere but, additionally, anywhere you do it is exactly the same. There's no "gym version" that must be adjusted to the standing-in-the-kitchen version. That's awesome. Basically you pivot on the standing foot and either rip your elbow straight down toward your hip for a pull, then knee with the leg that stepped back; or you can use the forearm to push the opponent with a deep pivot.

5) The Grappling Hook Forearm: Rambaa also teaches this and it's awesome. You time the opponent coming toward you and nail the back of their neck with your forearm while pivoting hard to the side, essentially a violent Matador action.

6) Diagonal Pull Down on Knees: this is something Sangtiennoi really emphasizes as well, but you grab across an opponent and rip them down into your knee on a spear knee. Importantly, you do this all the time, in shadow, on the bag... it becomes your whole motion of knees. I'd caution you to really picture the opponent, regardless of whether it's with someone in front of you, a bag, or nobody at all as you shadow, so you really understand what that motion is for. Otherwise the arms become a meaningless movement. But actually grabbing across an opponent on these knees is brutal. 

Stills from the session:

photographs from the sesion:

My Pairojnoi Interview (English Subtitles)

We also interviewed him a bit after the session, talking about the Golden Age, and differences in Muay Thai now, and had it translated with English subtitles. Be sure to turn on (CC) closed captions to watch this:

watch the interview here on YouTube 

Pairojnoi's Top 5

And we got Pairojnoi to pick his Top 5 greatest fighters, part of a project we have letting fighters of the past tell us who the best who fought were. Check out his top 5 here:

see Pairojnoi's Top 5 here on YouTube 

If you enjoyed this session, these are sessions in the Library with similar themes:

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

The Golden Age Lumpinee and Rajadamnern Champion, a legendary Muay Khao fighter who fought all the greats instructs on the finer points of clinch technique. Small differences that make big differences. Advanced tips on the swim-in and turn, and the importance of going from long distance techniques to short distance grab and lock.

#21 Rambaa Somdet - Clinch Trips & Throws | Session 1 (34 min) watch it here

Thailand's first MMA World Champion, and one of the most aggressive, stinging fighters to grace the ring shows his philosophy on how to handle the clinch, using quick attacks, lifts, body-weight shifts to upend an opponent often before they are set. Some of my favorite trips are in this.

#72  Tak Cho. Nateetong - Art of Femeu Interruptions and Balance (73 min) watch it here

One of the most difficult things is to teach Muay Femeu timing and distance control, but Kru Tak is one of the great femeu instructors in Thailand. In this beautiful session he opens up his technique of tricks, feints and shifting deceptions, even in the clinch.

#49 Chamuakpet Hapalang - Devastating Knee in Combination  (66 min) watch it here

The most decorated fighter of the Golden Age with 4 Lumpinee Belts and 5 Rajadamnern Belts, and the Fighter of the Year award (1985), Chamuakpet, a gym-mate of Dieselnoi, teaches his beautiful and devastating Southpaw knee to the open side, in combination. His fast, powerful knee was practically unstoppable and in this session you can see why.

#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.

#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.

#94 Wangchannoi Palangchai - Deadly Step Counter Fighting (70 min) - watch it here

One of the all-time greats, 118 lb and 4x 122 lb Lumpinee Champion, 1993 Fighter of the Year Wangchannoi was one of the most feared fighters who ever fought, patrolling the Golden Age with fierce violence. In this session he teaches the keys to his aggressive, forward pressure counter fighting style.