#139 Chamuakpet Hapalang 3 - Vertical Attack, Control of Space (95 min) (Patreon)

Truly one of the greatest fighters who ever fought. Not only did Chamuakpet fight at a very high level for 17 years in the National Stadia, he encompassed the Golden Age, fighting at some of the deepest weight classes. He was one of the 3 Kings of Muay Khao from the Hapalang Gym (Dieselnoi and Panomtuanlek also in the MTL), but his style was more complex than just being a stalking fighter. He fought forwards and back, used knees with great IQ (called Mr. Computer Knee for that), and all the other weapons. Just an incredible fighter and in this session he teaches foundational principles and techniques that made him truly unique. This is our 3rd session in the Library with him, be sure to watch the first two. He lives and teaches in Japan so it is rare that we get a chance to document his amazing style.

What To Look Out For:

1) Teep is for All Styles: I think there is a tendency for people to associate teep as a Femeu weapon, but it really is the equalizer. It fits with all styles and is used for much the same purposes, whether offensive or defensive, as a method for off-balancing and juggling to control timing and distance. Chamuakpet's teep is short, powerful, and like a piston.

2) Bi-Directional Power: this is, for me, a total epiphany. As much as Chatchai Sasakul's weight transfer changed how I think and feel everything, Chamuakpet's bi-directional power is as impactful. What I mean, in short, is that the charge of power for any strike shoots down, into the ground, with the standing foot, and simultaneously shoots up or out (depending on weapon), like a lightning strike connecting sky to earth. Once you feel it, you know.

3) Standing Leg and Ruup: because of the above, the standing leg becomes of paramount importance, and is a pillar to both power and balance. If you watch Chamuakpet's alignment, his Ruup, from foot to knee, to hip to shoulder to head when he's on one foot, you'll see perfect balance and a pillar of power.

4) Up the Middle: because of his balance, Chamuakpet can come up the middle with amazing speed and power. He has an economy of movement that makes him almost invisible, he doesn't betray his movements via visible rotation of the hips or shoulders, at all. Even his back and forth movements are largely invisible, but his strikes are all up the middle: teep, knee straight up, elbows on the inside of the opponent's guard or strikes.

5) Forcefield and Not Reaching: this one, also, comes down to balance. I noticed how much my balance was thrown by my unconscious desire to "reach" for my target. My teeps are reaching, my knees are going forward, elbows, even my chest-jab to stop a puncher was reaching out to meet the target at a range that was slightly farther than my own perfect balance. The way Chamuakpet avoids this is like a mime inside an invisible box, never breaking it. He is within a forcefield, where he is perfectly balanced, and never reaches beyond its limit and never allows the opponent to cross it.

6) Jangwa 2 and Chon: in Thai, a counter fighter is called the "second rhythm," or jangwa song. This means you let the opponent go first, rather than initiating attacks, you interrupt theirs or block and counter. It is very much the preferred rhythm for nearly every great fighter, which makes the trick how you get your opponent going first (generally that's pressure and faking). What's interesting about Chamukpet's version is that he is barely a half-beat behind the opponent, meaning he's striking and interrupting nearly simultaneous to their strike, but beating them but just a little bit. This creates chon, the Thai word for a clash or crash (like a car crash, or how animals fight). The forcefield he creates with his perfect balance range is what opponents run into as they try to reach him.

7) Clinch Immediacy: even though Chamuakpet is an adroit knee fighter, and one of the 3 Kings of Muay Khao, he doesn't like to grab or lock so much in the clinch. He'd much rather strike at grabbing range and rips or pulls or trips right as the grab is happening. There's an immediacy to his clinch, it's very fast and decisive, that isn't a changing of positions or gaining of dominant positions, but rather a kind of "striking" within grappling, where everything is a spoiling or counter upon contact. It's difficult to deal with.

Other Sessions Referenced:

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

#84 Yodkhunpon Special Intensive 3 - The Whole Elbow Style (70 min) watch it here

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

#5 Hippy Singmanee 1 - Developing Power (69 min) - watch it here

#138 Detduang Por Pongsawang - Close Range Counter Power (91 mins) watch it here

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

#116 Samson Isaan 3 - Dern Pressure Fighting & Defense (44 min)

#14 Chatchai Sasakul 1 - Perfecting Hands (106 min) watch it here

With 5 of what would become 9 title belts, between Rajadamnern (5) and Lumpinee (4), in 8 weight classes.

Before fighting Jack Giatniwat.

A group of western students (French) at Hapalang Gym, far left is Panomtuanlek, Chamuakpet to the right.

Calendars and greeting cards with fighters were a thing; I assume this was for Valentine's Day.

In 1994, Chamuakpet picks up his 9th title belt, at 32 years old, against an opponent 12 years his junior. "Evergreen," indeed.

During his Ram Muay.

With all 9 of his title belts, in 8 weight classes. On the left, with the green and red strap, are Lumpinee titles; on the right with the blue, yellow and red strap (and on his waist) is Rajadamnern.

Chamuakpet fighting up 2 weight classes against Sangtiennoi. The pair fought 5 times, Chamuakpet won 4, they drew once.

Some of Kevin's Photographs from the Session

see the entire instructive photo album of Kevin's beautiful photos here.

see the entire instructive photo album of Kevin's beautiful photos here. In photo stills you can capture aspects of instruction or technique that are hard to glimpse in video movement.

If you enjoyed this session these are similar themed sessions in the Library:

#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 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.

#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.

#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.

#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.

#64 Chatchai Sasakul 2 - Elements of Boxing (72 min) watch it here

Chatchai is not only a former WBC world champion, he also is the recipient of Thailand's Coach of the Year. He is one of the great striking coaches in the world, and in this session he breaks down all the basics from the footwork on up. Nobody has a more beautiful and potent hands foundation. Watch and learn from a master.

#103 Metprik Silachai - Lost Techniques of Old School Muay Maat Lowkick Pressure (81 min) watch it here

Wow what a session. Arjan Metprik was not only a great fighter of the Silver Age of Muay Thai, he created the relentless fighting style of 2001 Fighter of the Year Thongchai Tor. Silachai. It's just an amazing lowkick, knee and Muay Maat style full of pressure and toughness. See how he trains his fighters in this Old School Khorat gym.

#113 Arjan Yai Muangsupan - Golden Age Forms & Dynamics (119 min) watch it here

Arjan Yai gives a keyhole into basic Golden Age forms of Muay Thai that have not all been preserved over time. He was a padman and trainer in the famed Sor. Ploenjit gym when the great Kaensak was Fighter of Year twice. He still trains stadium Muay Thai fighters. In this session he starts from the ground up in a beautiful documentation.