#136 Lamnammoon Sor. Sumalee | Relentless, Spearing, Ripping Muay Khao (92 mins) (Patreon)

Lamnammoon is a pure Muay Khao expression, starting at 14 years old and fighting until he was 30. That's a long career by any standards, but with his chaiya being "Mr. Vampire Knee," it feels even more fitting. After about 20 fights he entered into the Bangkok circuit, and by 20 years old he won his first Lumpinee title at 115 lbs. Ever 2 years or so he gained another title, moving up in weight to 126 lb, and 2x at 130 lbs. He shares the Hapalang lineage with Chamuakpet, Panamtuanlek and Dieselnoi (all in the Library) from having the same head trainer, and also (being much younger than those 3) was fortunate to have Panomtuanlek as a training partner at times, up in Ubon. He has his own gym in Ubon, deep in Isaan, and it's a beautiful space down a little residential road. For the past few years he's been full-time in Singapore but does have aspiration to come back and return to his own gym in the next year perhaps.

The Story of How This Session Came About

This session is a miracle. For the longest time we couldn't get Lamnammoon into the Library because, not only was he in Singapore all the time, but when he comes home it's for very short and even in that short time he's often busy with family. Not only that, it's a 10 hour drive in each direction from where we live in Pattaya. That said, when Lamnammoon said he'd be home and had an hour for me back in November, we got in the car and went to film with him. We also promising to bring Karuhat up with us, so they could hang out, having not seen each other in over a decade. It feels good when we can connect great fighters of the past. The first time we drove up in November it was brutal. We arrived in the evening and Kevin was under the weather; Karuhat got picked up and went out to dinner with Lamnamoon so they could catch up without us as a distraction. The next morning we filmed with Lamnamoon and I experienced his violent, explosive style first-hand. He took us to breakfast and then we drove the hard 10 hours home. 20 hours in the car for an hour and a half with a Legend. F***ing worth it, I tell you. Followers had asked for Lamnammoon for a very long time, and as a Muay Khao fighter it meant a lot to train with him, but it was a hard go with very little sleep. But in the chaos of that filming and that travel, a terrible thing happened. The footage was lost, I won't go into how devastating this was for me and Kevin, but Lamnammoon also (who'd made Karuhat put on a bellypad so he could rip him a little). This is one of the things we work very hard to guard against, creating backups and duplicates, always updating our technology so that we can provide better quality (but bigger files means less space to store them, which means swapping them around...somehow it was gone). Part of me tried to think of it as a special experience that was just for us, but no part of me has the "collector's heart" of hoarding and storing things away that only I can enjoy. I like to share; my joy is in being a conduit, a Librarian. So it was sad, and we didn't even know how to talk about it publicly because so many people were excited to get Lamnammoon into the Library and even though Kevin put up beautiful stills from the session now we didn't have it, afterall. We wanted to promise to film another one, but we we're even sure it was possible. But, when Lamnamoon texted me and said he'd be home for a couple weeks (this week!), we grabbed Karuhat and made the trip once more. As it turns out, I think this footage, everything we cover and capture is even better than what we got the first time. We go much further into his style and his techniques. I would, of course, prefer to have both, but sometimes the second draft is the more true form. We've had technical issues where I have to revoice an entire session and never once has it been inferior to the first try; I think this session is like that. And, it goes without saying, I am so happy to have Lamnammoon published for you all to see, to witness, to study and to carry forward. Thank you everyone who makes all of this, even the redo, possible.

What to Look Our For:

1) Muay Khao Knees on Pads: Lamnammoon corrects the trajectory of my knees into his pads. Trainers wear a bellypad and then hold a kickpad at the top, to kind of "cap" the knee. I thought of it as wanting to hit the bellypad and the kickpad just stops your knee from going where it shouldn't like a bumper, and often the padman slams down on your thigh as well. But Lamnammoon told me to aim at kneeing the top pad, the "capper," which means the bellypad is the incidental impact. I immediately understood this feeling as coming from the 3 Kings of Muay Khao: Dieselnoi, Chamuakpet, and Panomtuanlek, all of whom have rising knees and, when they're straight, the impact is just under your kneecap.

2) Swing Knees: these were taught to me by Kru Tak also, who steps outside the opponent's foot to land knees as well. Lamnammoon explains that because you've stepped past the opponent, if you knee straight, you'll glance past their torso. So he tucks his heel high up by his hip and raises up, so you kind of "kick/knee" into the target. It was tricky, but once I felt it, I understood. It swings, it's very fast, hard to block, and you land with your kneecap on that one.

3) Step out for Knees: this is really important for how Lamnammoon covers distance. You're walking past someone as you dern, there's no hesitation, no "reaching," you're mowing them over. So when you step for a long knee, you step not only to their foot, but outside and almost past it.

4) Jab, Jab-Cross, Step Knee: this is a bit of a "bread and butter" way for Lamnammoon to close distance. The jab or the 1-2 close the opponent's eyes and preferably raise their guard, so that the knee just slams right into and through them, uninterrupted.

5) Windshield Wipers.... but with Violence: I call this "windshield wipers" because that's what we first named them with Karuhat, but how Karuhat and Lamnammoon do it is quite different. Karuhat is a gentle, Quicksilver, "just get this out of my way and screw up your alignment," kind of move. Femeu, beautiful, effortless. Lamnammoon's is grabbing the steering wheel in a car on a highway and veering it right off into a ditch, while T-boning it with his knee for good measure. You don't "grab" the arm, you kind of hook it and redirect it, it's a bit more a "pull" than a push and it's more "over" than down or across.

6) "Approach the Elephant": dern is everything for a Muay Khao fighter. Lamnammoon's dern is quite relentless, but it's not rushed. He explodes out of it, but even when he pauses it still feels like he's pressuring you. I call it "approach the elephant" because the first time Kevin and I ever saw elephants in Thailand, we were instructed by the caretaker about how to approach such huge, intelligent creatures. You can't start to walk toward them, get scared and stop. This will startle or possibly annoy the elephant and can be dangerous. You decide to go and then, calmly, assertively, you go. That's Lamnammoon's dern; he's coming and you cannot stop him.

7) Fakes, Defense, "Look Num": in order to dern, you have to have ways to interrupt your opponent's rhythms or counters, otherwise you're just walking forward and getting tagged or matedored. Teep, fake the teep, close distance with strides; bat the teep away, block, jab. "Look Num" is Thai, the first part is a classifier for any weapon, any strike; the "num" part means to lead, so it's a bit like how in English we say "set up" another strike.

8) Dipthong Rhythm: in language, a dipthong is a sound that kind of slurs together. So two vowels said together to create a single syllable. In this Muay Thai analogy I think of it more as consonants, like "s" and "t" for story, not sa-to-ree. That's the rhythm that Lamnammoon's steps create when he steps and knees almost simultaneously, but it's not truly one movement, it just makes a single sound.

9) Accordion Knees: this rapid expansion/contraction is very violent. It off-balances the opponent in such a way that you minimize your own risk while creating space for knees, which is a risky, but necessary, thing to do.

10) Knee Step Down Turns: for clinch, you knee and then land with that same leg behind or around the opponent to create sharp turns and off-balances. It fits in with the long knee stepping outside, but much closer.

11) Creating Tension at Close Range: I compare this to Karuhat in the voiceover; he creates tension from afar, which makes his opponent much more readable. Lamnammoon does the exact same thing, but in the clinch. He forces you to be tense so he can read you, and then beats you to the turn or knee so that you are constantly catching up, trying to orient yourself. His violent pushing or pulling or allowing you to pull so he can let go and you go flying, all have to do with tension he purposefully created in you.

12) Arm Hooks: Dieselnoi is amazing at arm hooks, and Lamnammoon uses them in a similar way, switching sides as the opponent tries to free himself. Lamnammoon also has a wonderful pressure with his opposite side shoulder that chokes or pins his opponent, breaking their ruup and making it all much harder for them and much easier for himself.

Other MTL Sessions Referenced in my voiceover, for deeper study:

#72  YodPitak Cho. Nateetong 1 - Art of Femeu Interruptions and Balance (73 min) watch it here

#131 Panomtuanlek Hapalang - The Secret of Tidal Knees (100 min) watch it here

#45 Langsuan Panyutapum - Monster Muay Khao Training (66 min) watch it here

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

#104 Yodkhunpon Sittraipum 4 - The Art of Shadowboxing (64 min) watch it here

#59 Satanmuanglek Numpornthep - Beautiful Clinch Throws (65 min) watch it here

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

#99 Yodwicha Por Boonsit 3 - Spearing the Middle, Fighting With Rhythm (66 min) watch it here

#47 Silapathai Jockygym - Master of Teep Distance (64 min) watch it here

Photos from Lamnammoon's Career

Lamnamoon (blue) vs Samkor "Batman"

At about 16-17 years old, after winning 5-6 fights in Bangkok already.

Panomrunglek, Superlek, Jompoplek, and Lamnamoon; from Chor. Sawat and Sor. Sumalee

Lamnamoon (blue) vs Karuhat (pink)

Among the top fighters of 1994, Lamnamoon bottom row, 2nd from right.

This caption says that Lamnamoon uses his free time to be of benefit, helping clean the gym

Lamnamoon sweeping Karuhat

Lamnamoon's Sor. Sumalee Gym, before he moved to teaching in Singapore. The man with the Japanese flag headband is Daengnoi Chor. Thanasukarn, who trained both Hapalang and Lamnamoon.

Lamnamoon (blue) vs Kaensak (red)

Classic Muay Khao

Lamnamoon with one of his 4 Lumpinee titles.

After defeating 1992's "Fighter of the Year" Jaroensap and taking his title.

Lamnamoon is 175 cm (5ft 9) and this trophy is nearly as tall.

Some of Kevin's Photos from our Session, you can see the rest of the photos from this session and the lost first session here.

Photos from the first "Lost" session

see all of those photos here

Lamnammoon's session adds to the Muay Thai Library's Archive of the Muay Khao (Knee Fighting) style of Muay Thai. If you enjoyed this session you may love these as well:

#131 Panomtuanlek Hapalang - The Secret of Tidal Knees (100 min) watch it here

Called Mr. Tidal Knees, Panomtuanlek completes the trinity of Muay Khao greatness documented from the famed Hapalang gym. This is such a rare and beautiful session, perhaps Top 10 in the entire Library. Panomtuanlek teaches his base of movement and postures which allowed him to become one of the most dominant Muay Khao fighters of the Golden Age.

#129 Cherry Sor Wanich - Unbreakable Lock Muay Thai (50 min) watch it here

This session captures the disappearing locking and Muay Khao techniques of the Golden Age legend Cherry Sor Wanich. As Muay Thai changes these beautiful, incredibly effective techniques do not get passed down to future generations, and we were incredibly lucky to film with Cherry. His constrictor-like lock and chokes are part of a heavy, draping style of Muay Thai from the greatest era.

#123 Samson Isaan 4 - Secrets Of His Pressure Fighting (122 min) watch it here

Our most extensive documentation yet of one of the most relentless pressure fighters of the Golden Age of Muay Thai. 2 hours of work on all the small things, the weight transfers, angles, tempos and techniques that made the 1991 Fighter of the Year such a wrecking ball with heavy hands and endless clinch.

#114 Kru Diesel 2 - The Beauty of Building a Muay Khao Fighter (1 hr, 16 min) watch it here

Kru Diesel is one of the greatest Muay Khao krus in all of Thailand. This is the second session with him in the Library. In it we dive deep into clinch as I'm able to train with one of his top fighters Sirichai (Tanadet: who also is in the Library with his Long Clinch). This is just a great session full of the small details which make a top clinch fighter.

#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.

#79  "Kru Pot" Bunpot Sor. Boonyaa - Muay Khao Depth (63 min) watch it here

Kru Pot is a Muay Khao master. He gained some internet fame from a video when he ragdolled Saenchai in a sharktank session (much larger) some years ago, but here you get to learn the whole system. The setups for clinch entries, the form and turns of his beautiful but relentless knees.

#77  Kru Diesel F.A. Group 1 - The Art of Knees (84 min) watch it here

Perhaps no single kru has had more success teaching the Muay Khao style than Kru Diesel. From Fighter of the Year Yodwicha, to the most decorated fighter Petchboonchu, his students disabled the elite Muay Femeu tacticians with ease. In this special session you learn the secrets of his knees and clinch, in real time breakdowns and elucidation.

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

There several sessions with the King of Knees in the Muay Thai Library, this is the fourth, but this is the first one where he gets the chance to teach a tall, long fighter like he was. If you are a tall fighter this is the session you don't want to miss. He is arguably the GOAT, an in this session he unfolds his entire fighting system of knee fighting pressure and distance control.

#56 Tanadet Tor. Pran49 - Mastering Long Clinch (63 min) watch it here

This is one of the most interesting and, if mastered, dominant clinch positions one can use, and the entire session is devoted to it. I filmed with young Long Clinch master Tanadet, and discover all the small refinements he created that turned what for many fighters is just a transitional position, into an entire system of attack. This is a rare session, capturing a little known and used clinch system.

#49 Chamuakpet Hapalang 1 - 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.

#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.

#41 Samson Isaan 1 - The Art of Dern Fighting (64 min) watch it here

To "dern" in Thai is to "walk", which means basically to just come forward no matter what, to create a relentlessness. Voted Fighter of the Year in 1991, Samson Isaan was one of the great Dern Fighters of the Golden Age, and in this session he shows his forward pulsing techniques which are meant to just overwhelm his opponent. Also a great session for pressure Southpaw fighters.

#30 Dieselnoi Chor Thanasukarn 1 - Muay Khao Craft  (42 min) watch it here

The greatest knee fighter who ever lived not only shares his secrets in ring tactics - how to draw out your opponent and then ultimately hem them in - and various closing and tripping techniques, he also shows his amazing heart. He's a Legend among Legends, the fighter without equal in the history of the sport.