Khunpinit Giattawan Freestyle: Southern Power Femeu Style (71 min) (Patreon)

Khunpinit trained at and fought out of the Kaewsamrit Gym, alongside Anuwat; Khunpinit fought Saenchai (4x) during the time that Saenchai was a formidable stadium fighter, and he gave up weight against Attachai (2x), which is just crazy to me. He was 112 lb and 122 lb Lumpinee Stadium Champion and, to me, he fits neatly in the school of Karuhat, Attachai, and Namsaknoi in terms of style. But he seems to embody a kind of Southern version of Muay Femeu, one typified by Namsaknoi, a style which combines femeu timing and evasion and interruption, with power.. That is what is documented here. This was filmed at his gym called Baan Muay Thai in Phatthalung, Southern Thailand, one of the most beautiful places I've ever been in my life.

This is a super unique session for a number of reasons, even though it falls into the teaching styles of the same Legends I listed above as being in the same "school" of style, in that each of those Legends also uses sparring as a main tool in instruction. You have to learn how to feel. You have to feel by doing. What's unique about Khunpinit is that he was perfectly ready to just spar with me for an hour straight without stopping to instruct. I just went with it because the Library is about documenting all the forms of Thailand's Muay Thai, it's techniques and the men who own them. Truly the river shaping the stone by simply running over it and letting time do the shaping. I don't mean this to imply he's not instructive - he is - but he doesn't stop to instruct. Maybe like how mother animals don't break down how to stand and walk for newborn deer, horses, giraffes, etc. They just move and encourage the newborn to keep up. This is beautiful in many ways, not the least of which is that this is very much how the Thai pedagogy works - it's a very patient process. In many of the sessions in the Muay Thai Library that I categorize as focusing on "basics," there will be a highlighted element of high repetition drills, which is how little kids first start training in Muay Thai in Thailand. Months of just marching knees, or 1-2 punches, or blocking, or footwork. This kind of un-interrupted sparring is a more elaborate version of the same process. Figure it out while moving; play.

Because this session is something of an "ode to uninterrupted sparring," it's a little tricky to give the classic "What to Look Out For" that I usually include for what techniques or strategies are taught in a session. Don't misunderstand, tons is being taught through this sparring, but it's not being directly instructed so much as how a mother animal would "instruct" its baby on how to walk and stay close to her by walking and only pausing when the baby isn't keeping up to the point that it's dangerous.

So, Some Things to Geek Out On:

1) Front Side and Crowding: Khunpinit is classic in that he uses his front side (he's Orthodox, so this is his left hand and leg) to jab and teep, interrupt and break the opponent's rhythm in order to set up for his power side. What's interesting to me about his style though is that, as a pretty firmly Femeu fighter, he's crowding me almost all the time. Even though I'm the dern fighter, the one coming forward, somehow he's in my space all the time instead of just running backwards to make me catch him.

2) The Jab and the Teep are the Same: Khunpinit does actually stop at one point to instruct about how the jab and the teep (front side) both are used pretty much identically, to interrupt and annoy, but at slightly different ranges.

3) Jumping Knee Against the Ropes: this is just incredible, this to me is his "Finish him!" Mortal Kombat move, for sure. He pressures the opponent back, then full on pushes them into the ropes and lands an open side (left knee against an Orthodox fighter) knee high up on the chest or face. I'm short, so he doesn't have to jump that high, but he does anyway.

4) Drama vs Personal: most of Khunpinit's moves are very dramatic. Femeu fighters are the "stage actors" of the Muay Thai world, in that they make sure that the back row can see every single trick they do. He dramatizes his knees, his kicks, his big points. But he also has some small things that are just between him and his opponent. The effect looks like a magic trick because you didn't quite see it, but the opponent felt it. Kick outs, hooking the bottom of the leg as he's being swept so he doesn't go, little inside knees and elbows to block knees, etc.

5) Pain to Control: a lot of what Khunpinit was doing to me was using pain, or the threat of pain, in his punishing counters to get me to pull my own punches and kicks. It ruins your timing, it tightens you up and that makes you more visible and predictable, and it makes you strike less, which makes him look even more in control.

6) Teep First, Teep Often, Teep as Offense and Defense: this is early in the session, even though I'm listing it last. But it's something that all the greats have emphasized to me. Whether you're coming forward or going backward, the Teep is the first and best weapon to set up your own strikes, juggle your opponent, or keep them off-balance. As the dern fighter, if I just come forward I'll get kicked to death. A good Teep as I'm closing in will interrupt those defensive kicks. As the retreating fighter, your Teep keeps your opponent at a range they're trying to close, like juggling, until you're ready to give them a real punishing strike. My favorite little tip from his Teep lesson was a reversal of what I've already known and used: teep, teep, fake the teep and knee or kick. Faking a teep to strike is classic. But Khunpinit has a special version in which he takes a few teeps, dramatizing their effects, in order to bait the opponent into more of them and the he catches and counters the teep. Faking the effect of the teep, not faking the teep itself. I loved that.

Referenced Library Entries:

This is such a special session because it brings together things found all over the Library, so you can do a really deep dive in the references I made my commentary. Things in the sessions below are in the hour with Khunpinit. These are all the footnotes. 

#66 Kru Gai Petchrungruang - Proper Dern and the Impossible Trip (63 min) watch it here

One of the great Muay Khao padmen of Thailand, Kru Gai teaches the proper, unabated but unhurried Dern (walking) attack of Muay Khao, and don't miss his incredible trip that feels almost impossible to defend. Not easy to master, but if you do it could make you unstoppable.

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

All of Karuhat Sor. Supawan: You can find all the sessions linked here 

#19 Attachai Fairtex - Timing and IQ (72 min) watch it here

2x Lumpinee Champion Attachai Fairtex is one of the great femeu fighters of Thailand. Namsaknoi, himself an elite femeu fighter of legendary status called him his most difficult fight as he just was too hard to read. This is a window into that quality, and how to build it.

#65 Namsaknoi Yudthagarngamtorn - Sharking The Angles (67 min) watch it here

The Emperor. Fighter of the Year in 1996 and 6 years undefeated as Lumpinee Champion, one of the greatest fighters ever teaches his incredible edge-attacking style. He shows how he is always one step ahead of his opponent, setting them up in a constantly evolving attack.

#73  Namsaknoi Yudthagarngamtorn 2 - Overcoming Distance (61 min) watch it here

The incredible Namsaknoi was one of the rare fighters who melded sheer physical power with femeu touch. In this session you learn how he exploited and explored angles, owned the edge, in a way that left him the king of Lumpinee at his weight in his day.

#5 Hippy Singmanee - 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.

#39  Khorat Saknarin - Precise Tensions (97 min) watch it here

The muay of Kru Khorat is kind of incredible. I've been in front of a lot of legends and krus but this hidden gem kru was just bristling with techniques and a dynamic, violent Muay Thai. And it felt like it could go on for hours. He's a kru who has thought a lot about his Muay Thai and probably sharpened it even after his retirement from fighting. This session is a treasure trove.

#17 Burklerk PInsinchai - Dynamic Symmetry (82 min) watch it here

Arjan Burklerk is a unique master of Muay Thai from the Golden Age, boasting one the highest win percentages in Thai history, and possessing a beautiful craft that harkens back to older styles of fighting with powerful, dynamic symmetry and control of space.

Pairojnoi Sor. Siamchai - Balance, Footwork & Intensity (61 min) watch it here 

Dieselnoi Chor Thanasukarn:  

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

#30 Dieselnoi Chor Thanasukarn 2 - Muay Khao Craft  (42 min) watch it here  

#3 Dieselnoi  Chor Thanasukarn  - The King of Knees (54 min) - watch it here 

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

#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.

#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.

#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.

#82 Charnchai Sor. Tummarungsri - The King of Teeps (54 min) watch it here

Perhaps in all the Library there is no session more devoted to, and detailing of the art of the teep. Chanchai is a Golden Age legend known for his undefeatable teep, and clearly has spent many years dissecting all the small parts that make his teep so incredible, so students can learn it for themselves. Dive into the art of the teep in this one!

Stills from the Session

Khunpinit's 5 Greatest Fighters of All Time

I also interviewed Kunpinit after the session about Muay Thai, his career and how he views things, I'll be publishing that soon once the English translation is finished. Below though is his picks for the 5 best fighters who ever fought. Take a look at where he puts Karuhat:

Watch it here on YouTube