#125 Therdkiat Sittepitak - Aggressive Femeu (61 min) (Patreon)

Getting Therdkiat into the same breathing space as us was hard, but filming with him was so enjoyable and I've really loved being in touch with him since. He sends me photos I've never seen, links to his fights, talks about his daughter who he trained to have a modest but adventurous career in both Muay Thai and a bit of Western Boxing. Therdkiat is one of these Legends who is no longer involved in Muay Thai, outside of training his kids, but the moment he started moving more freely with the improvisation of sparring and clinch, you could just see the fighter in him resurrecting. He was also one of the best of his generation, so it means a great deal to have his muay documented in our project.

One of the more famous aspects of Therdkiat's career is that he was very successful as a Onesongchai fighter, even winning the 122 lb and 126 lb Lumpinee title, while training more or less by himself in his hometown. He was gifted, but inconsistent in the eyes of Mr. Songchai, so the promoter sent Therdkiat to the Nongkipahuyut Gym to train under Arjan Pramod - and alongside fellow champions Namkabuan and Nampol, whom Therdkiat had already fought a few times. He excelled under Arjan Pramod and won the 126 lb title 2 more times, earning him the nickname "The King of Lumpinee." Another fight alias, which I had to ask him about to understand, is "Disk Brake Teep." I was googling disk brakes and how they're superior to other kinds of brakes and had no idea - like, "Mr. Horsepower Knee," for Jocky was kind of self-explanatory - so I asked Therdkiat and he said his teep stopped the rhythm of his opponents; basically, he put the brakes on their attacks and skills. I love this name.

What to Look Out For: 

1) The Dodge Back: this was much more common in the Golden Age than you see now, but it's a beautiful and effective way to defend and dodge a kick without losing ground. The back leg is the key. Therdkiat also shows a hip pop-back to dodge teeps, with the arms outstretched, which gives a greater impression of standing right where you are and the opponent missing.

2) Stick and Move: this is a huge part of Therdkiat's overall style. He's always changing angles, but very subtly, and he chastised me for drifting without striking a few times within the session. Drifting left or right to the outside of the opponent's guard is pretty standard, as going straight forward or back is just ineffective in most cases, but Therdkiat takes his angles after a strike. He'll teep and bring his foot down to the side so he can pivot out. Or kick and change angles to the side. He does this in clinch as well, but he's moving his opponent on the spot while he slips out the side door.

3) Mai Dokjai, Mai Reep, Mai Mua: these three phrases are so, so important in all of Muay Thai, but they become more and more important the smoother you become. The first means not to be startled, or not to flinch. Anticipate everything and carry out both blocks and counters with nonchalance.  The second is not to rush. Being fast and rushing are different things and rushing means you're not prepared or in control, so you'll find yourself moving without distinction or purpose, much like flinching. And the last is in line with the other two in that it's messy, indistinct, unpurposeful; if you're rushing or flinching or throwing without purpose and not anticipating or blocking, you're a mess.

4) The "jang-wa" of Sparring: We sparred in a slow, light, controlled pace. At this pace you can see very clearly the way in which Therdkiat anticipates my move, baits it, or even if he didn't know what was coming he knows immediately what is made open by that strike and he counters or punishes. 

5) Anti-Clinching That is Still Clinching: Therdkiat isn't a clincher in that it's not his strength, but it's not a weakness either. He likes to change angles, either himself or turning his opponent as their closing in. He slips the arm out, breaks their grip and slings them sideways, and after a bit when he's getting more tired and I'm getting a bit more dominant, he takes just a little more space away from me and you see where his strength with an aggressive clinching opponent really lies.

watch it here, one of my favorite Therdkiat fights: Therdkiat vs Namkabuan fight 

Other Sessions Referenced:

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

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

"A Day With Sangtiennoi" free on Youtube 

#32 Visiting with Arjan Prahmod and Golden Age Nongkipahuyut Gym  (26 min) watch it here

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

#28 Jaroenthong Kiatbanchong - Femeu Muay Thai Hands (50 min) watch it here

With his 4 Lumpinee belts, 122 lb and 3x at 126 lb

Therdkiat (red) vs Sanit (blue)

IMTC Junior Welterweight champion

Therdkiat on the left

Legends of Nongkipahuyut: Hanseuk, Therdkiat, Arjan Pramod, Nampol, Namkabuan

If you enjoyed this session these are others on a similar theme, or style of fighting:

#94 Wangchannoi Palangchai 1 - 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.

#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.

#68 Arjan Net Saknarong - The Art of Proximity (47 min) watch it here

Arjan Net is a legendary fighter of the 1970s who beat all the huge names of his era. Potsai, Pudpadnoi, Wichannoi, Pudlorlek. It's very special to have him in the Library. At 64, with decades of teaching the importance of spatial proximity become clear in this session. This session is full of wisdom and gems.

#65 Namsaknoi Yudthagarngamtorn 1 - 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.