#143 Takrowlek Dejrat - Master of the Low Kick (90 min) (Patreon)

Takrowlek comes from the lineage of Arjan Surat and the Dejrat Gym. Arjan Surat has had innumerable great fighters under his care, but almost none of them carried the Dejrat name; for me, the fact that Takrowlek did is very special. He's the younger brother of Chatchainoi Chaoraioi, also in the Muay Thai Library, and is a Muay Beuk style (invasive, forward, firing first and lots of KOs). He fought in Western Boxing a little bit, but ultimately had much more opportunity and success in Muay Thai where his toughness and Low Kick style made him a difficult to handle. After he retired he went on to earn a law degree, but remains a teacher to his nephews (Chatchainoi's sons), raised his own daughter in Muay Thai, and has been teaching out of his home gym for many years.

This is a really special session, and seems like it's part of an informal short series of focusing on styles of the Low Kick in the Golden Age. The last session was Arjan Metprik 2, whose twisting, pressuring style reaches back into the 1960s. We have a session with his famed student Thongchai coming up soon, but Takrowlek has a different use of the Low Kick. He called himself the best Low Kick fighter of the Golden Age, and you'll see why. It's a squared up, hands-heavy, advancing (Muay Buek) style out of the Dejrat gym. 

His Low Kick is extremely economical and rises straight up. It's fast and painful and is used to corral his opponent keeping them off balance and right in front of him for punishing hands. It's part of a family of Muay Khao, Muay Beuk Golden Age styles that remain quite square to keep all the weapons available and close-pressed defense a priority.  It's absolutely beautiful to have it archived in the Muay Thai Library. He usually does not turn over the hip, twist or pivot as many other accomplished low kickers do. (The Western fighter Liam Harrison uses a kick somewhat similar now.) This is the Golden Age blueprint of the use of that quick, rising Low Kick.  He is quite thorough in his fight philosophy and an incredible teacher.

The technique and style is so beautiful, and somewhat uncommon, if you are in Bangkok you really should consider going to visit his family home gym in the North of Bangkok (its not far from Samart's gym) and taking a few privates with him. You'd be learning first hand a significant piece of Muay Thai's technique that deserves to be preserved, and also is incredibly effective. Takrowlek's facebook is here.  This is his Instagram page. The Google Map link to the location is here.

Watch my interview with Takrowlek here, where he discusses the difference between today's Entertainment Muay Thai and the more aggressive fighting styles of the Golden Age like his own. It will help you understand more where he is coming from and the principles behind his style: watch it here.

What To Look Out For in this session:

1) How to Spar Without Gear: I think it's pretty "legendary" by now that Thais can spar without gear, but how exactly that's accomplished without hurting your partner was never spelled out for me. You'll see this in "show fights" as well, but it's hitting with the fleshy parts of the body, rather than the harder parts, in order to be able to maintain a good amount of power and not hurt your partner. Like hitting with the flat side of a blade instead of the edge.

2) Keeping Your Target at the Center: Takrowlek is not a "winding" fighter. His power does come across with the rotation of power shots, but the way he corrals his opponents is all to do with keeping them at the center of his body. He accomplishes this by kicking the legs, punching, kicking the body, basically knocking the opponent into the middle and then the power shots ("kill shots") are executed there. His power is less of a rotational force, and more of a pendulum.

3) Timing Leg Kicks: I love how Takrowlek goes about his leg kicks. A lot of folks with great low kicks set them up with punches, but Takrowlek is all about the simultaneous punishment. If the opponent is on one leg, he's nailing it with a low kick. He says if you try to land them when someone is standing on both legs, they can block, so instead he just always targets the standing leg when it's the only one down. My favorite new idea he gave me from this was to kick the standing leg after I've kneed, knowing the opponent will knee back and then just punishing that idea.

4) Distance: This is the quote of the whole lesson, "Whoever controls the distance, controls the fight." This is so important; this is everything. How you go about doing that is the entire lesson and it starts with Defense.

5) Defense Supremacy: If you're going to be an advancing fighter, a close range fighter, you have to have incredible defense. It's how you stay in the pocket, it's how you close distance, it's how you land anything of significance. I loved the Muay Beuk rhythm that he emphasized at the end, "safe, safe, strike; safe, safe, strike." As a Femeu fighter, you're strike, defend, strike defend.

6) Teeps are a Break: Takrowlek's teeps are very fast, very short, very accurate. They're punishing and take the breath out of you, but he's not using power on them. 

Other Sessions Referenced in my commentary, for in depth study:

#112 Chatchainoi Chaoraioi - The Best Padman in Thailand (64 min) watch it here

#90 Arjan Surat 2 - His Old School Tough & Defensive Style (94 min) watch it here

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

#27 Karuhat Sor. Supawan 4 - Tension & Kicking Dynamics (104 min) watch it here

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

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

Photos from Takrowlek's career

Tongchai Tor. Silachai (left) defending his 105 lb title vs Takrowlek. The two fought 2 times, Takrowlek was able to give Tongchai an 8 count in one of them, but still lost both.

Takrowlek, far left, was able to fight on the same card as Chatchai Sasakul in a Western Boxing match.

A newpaper bio, calling Takrowlek "Man of Stone, Junior," after his older brother.

Rankings for Lumpini's Miniflyweight division (not exceeding 105 lb); the champion is Neungubon, Takrowlek is ranked #3.

Takrowlek vs Samson. The headkick photo is hanging high in Takrowlek's gym, over the ring; the two are good friends and visit together frequently.

Pimaran is the older brother of Somrak (Pimaranlek).

Takrowlek and Samson.

Morakot Sor. Tammaransri is also in the MTL.

Takrowlek, Samart, and Samson at the Nai Khanomtom organization in Ayutthaya.

Western Boxing fight.

Takrowlek, Arjan Surat, and Chatchainoi (Chatchainoi's university graduation). All 3 in the Muay Thai Library.

Takrowlek vs Payaklek, bottom left square (Takrowlek on the right) for an upcoming Lumpinee fight card.

At Dejrat Gym, preparing for a match against Singdam (in the magazine cover above, top right square).

Training at the Dejrat Gym, Takrowlek at center, Rotnarong in the red shorts at the front.

A promo before his fight versus Reutidej (find the photo of Takrowlek knocking him out, above).

A more recent photo, with Arjan Surat.

Backstage at a fight, Chatchainoi at the center, Takrowlek in the white shirt to the left.

Profile in a magazine.

A newspaper clipping of Takrowlek and Chatchainoi at the temporary ordination of Chatchainoi's two sons (Takrowlek's nephews), both also fighters of Muay Thai and Western Boxing.

Takrowlek in Red (incidentally, the shorts for this promotion have the word for Takrowlek's style, "Beuk," written in red (there are a few spellings).

Takrowlek with his two nephews, Chatchinoi and Petchatchai.

Kevin's Photographs from the session - you can see the entire photo album of them here 

If you enjoyed this session these are sessions in the Muay Thai Library on similar themes:

#112 Chatchainoi Chaoraioi - The Best Padman in Thailand (64 min) watch it here

Called The Man of Stone when he was a Golden Age fighter at the Derjat Gym, today he is the best padman in Thailand, as far as we have experienced. Learn what makes his padwork so effective, and the forward, hardnosed Muay Thai style that he teaches.

#90 Arjan Surat 2 - His Old School Tough & Defensive Style (94 min) watch it here

A legend of Bangkok and coach of the Thai National Team, Arjan Surat has a toughened, defense oriented, forward style. In this session he builds it from the ground up, starting with his old school arm swing on the kick (no swing, instead using it to simultaneously block), emphasizing balance and solid framing. Watch and learn!

#61 Arjan Surat 1 - Old School Master (37 min) watch it here

Arjan Surat stands as a tower in the pantheon of great coaches of Thailand. Coach of the Thai National Team, Kru of legends since the Golden Age, there is nobody like him. Learn the basics of his technique, but what is more look into the eyes of the one of the great coaches ever, training legends in his garage for decades.

#142 Arjan Metprik Silachai 2 - Relentless Pace & Low Kick Attack (69 min)  watch it here

This is really an invaluable session as it really captures one of the oldest, most effective branches of Thailand's Muay Thai. Arjan Metprik of Khorat, who was Lumpinee Champion in 1970, and kru of the famed Thongchai Tor Silachai (FOTY 2001), really goes through all the elements of his advancing, pressuring, highly defended Muay Maat and lowkick style. One of the great coaches in Thai history.

#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.

#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.

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

There was nobody tougher and more relentless than Samson Isaan in the Golden Age. Winner of the 1991 Muay Thai Fighter of the Year, undefeated as a World Champion boxer, he was famed for his pressure fighting. But beneath all that heart were the techniques that make it happen. Here he shows how he likes to pressure, his footwork, the keys to balance, and how hands and knees work together. This is his 3rd session in the Library.

#74 Samson Isaan 2 - Muay Khao & Western Boxing Excellence (59 min) watch it here

In 1991 there was no fighter more of a force than Samson Isaan, who took Fighter of the Year then. His relentless style combining Muay Maat punching aggression with Knee Fighting pressure and clinch made him a wrecking ball. In this session discover what made this little fighter so impossible to handle.

#75 Lakhin Wasantasit - Boxing & Muay Thai Organized Destruction (76 min) watch it here

Lakhin was a beast, to stand in front of him was to invite disaster. Perhaps no fighter of the Golden Age was more feared for his hands. In this session he shows just what made him so intimidating, and how he developed a style predicated on inflicting maximum damage.

#29 Pornsanae Sitmonchai - The Power of Hooks & Low Kicks (74 min) watch it here

A whole system of low kick and hook attacks is taught in this one session. Rajadamnren and 2x Lumpinee Champion Pornsanae is known for his brutal power fighting and this is how he gets it done. Cutting angles, lead arm control, invading space. Pornsanae teaches his philosophy.