#117 Kru Kin Por Promin - Muay Boran Precision, Balance & Flow (93 min) (Patreon)

Kru Kin is amazing. He's so clean, so precise, so fast and smooth and on balance. All of these things would make an incredible ring fighter, which he was in his youth, but all those elements are also necessary - and probably exaggerated - for Muay Boran. 

Some of you have asked specifically for Muay Boran in the Muay Thai Library, and I hear you. True masters of it are difficult to access, but Kru Kin is definitely high on that chart of experts. What I like about this session so much, however, is that it bridges the often choreography/presentation aspects of Boran with the practical/aesthetics of ring Muay Thai seamlessly. The really important underpinnings of Thailand's Muay Thai are in this session. In ring Muay Thai, balance, ruup, composure and ning are of utmost importance, as they are in Boran as well. So while the execution of these movements are highly articulate, because they're taking place in space, they are all 100% applicable to ring Muay Thai and, in fact, many of them have been taught to me by Krus who teach for fighting. The lines get blurred a bit in the ring, but the foundational elements are exactly the same. In fact I felt like I understood many things that legends I have filmed with over the years better after this session with Kru Kin. I hope you do do!

What to Look Out For: 

1) I geeked out on the footwork grid on the floor and in fact made a technique vlog on it shortly after. You can watch that here. What's really great about it is that you never accidentally lose ground and maintain balance so efficiently that you're able to counter very quickly.

2) King and Army: Kru Kin says your head is the King, your arms are the army. Always protect the King, so every movement, every strike, every angle has a defense built into it.

3) 7 Elbows: this is a choreographed sequence of elbows that I truly appreciate because my first Arjan, Master K, had a sequence of 13 elbows that I had to learn and master as part of his curriculum. Especially great is that I used one of these elbows, which I'd never used before this session, in sparring a few days later and it was immediately available and effective.

4) Soft Hands: like Karuhat and Yodkhunpon, Kru Kin is in the school of thought where you don't use a lot of pressure on the opponent's guard to move it, so they don't know you're coming.

5) Breaking Impact: Kru Kin uses his hands/palm like bumpers to catch kicks and break the impact. This can be dome in a few different ways but it allows you to achieve balance and ning even when taking strikes.

 These are all the sessions I've reference in the voice over:

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

#50 Karuhat Sor. Supawan 5 - Serpentine Knees & Flow  (62 min) 

#9 Yodkhunpon Sittaipum "The Elbow Hunter" 1  - Slicing Elbow (37 min) 

#54 The Late Sirimongkol and Lertrit Master General Tunwakom 2 (81 min) 

#39 Khorat Saknarin - Precise Tensions (97 min) 

Bonus Session 4: Hippy Singmanee Ultra Violence | 30 min 

#69 Sagat Petchyindee 4 - Muay Maat Tigers & Snakes (67 min) 

If you enjoyed this session, you might like these sessions in the Library on similar themes:

#36 General Tunwakom 1 - 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.

#107 Pudpadnoi Worawut - The Basics from the Legend (72 min) watch it here

Silver Age legend Pudpadnoi is by all accounts one of the best who ever fought. In this great Muay Thai Library session you get to know him, still with beautiful Muay at 70 years of age. He teaches all the core basics of what makes Muay Thai in Thailand what it is.

#96 Hippy Singmanee 3 - Basics of Balance, Rhythm & Footwork (75 min) watch it here

When a legend of the sport teaches you the core basics of Golden Age Muay Thai you stop and listen. These movements are essential for reaching higher levels of fighting, and Hippy - who was probably the best small fighter of his time, always fighting up - teaches these movements to his own young fighters. Build from the ground up.

#89 Arjan Pipa JockyGym - The Roots of Femeu (77 min) watch it here

Arajan Pipa was the guiding force in the famed Jocky Gym, which produced elite GOAT-like fighters like Saenchai, Somrak, Sillapathai and so many others. It's a real pleasure to have him in the Library showing his philosophy guided around the teep, off-balances, and taking angles. One of the true Masters.

#70 Kru Mou Ban Muay Thai - The Art of Counters (73 min) watch it here

Kru Mou's Muay Thai is Muay Boran influenced and is based on counter striking with beautiful efficacy. Learn the advantages of fighting in space, and answering strikes with well timed and pointed attacks that discourage and dispirit your opponent.

#22 Singdam Kiatmoo9 - Making the Basics Beautiful (71 min) watch it here

Singdam provides perhaps the best progression through the basics I've yet filmed, the blueprint of his beautiful, effective style. This instruction is bottomless. Even after 5 years in Thailand there is a ton for me in this very close examination of powerful technique essentials.