#156 Yodkhunpon "The Elbow Hunter" Sittraipum - 5 | offensive teeping, clinch reversals, elbow defense (1 hr, 28 min)

Learning from the greatest elbow fighter in Thai history.

Those of you who have been patrons for many years will already be somewhat familiar with Yodkhunpon and his terrifyingly smooth Muay Sok style. But even if you've seen his previous entries, this one is definitely an andvancement on what we've learned from him already, bracketing both in detail, as well as realizing how important the more gross-motor practice of footwork and coordination are in his overall style.

If you're new to Yodkhunpon, he is a Golden Age fighter from the Roi Et province of Isaan. He grew up training at a temple (Traipum, where the "Sit-(student of) Traipum name comes from) with no floor, no ring, no equipment. When he already had many fights under his belt, he was invited to train at a gym a little farther from his home, where he was gymmates with Samson Isaan (Saenmuangnoi as a MT fighter) and the two of them entered the rings of Bangkok together, often on the same cards. Yodkhunpon was loved by crowds and gamblers for his relentless forward pressure and cutting elbows, but he didn't get the respect that he deserved by the sports writers and keepers of history, as the elbow was seen somewhat as a "low" weapon on the scale of things (despite what some believe, it is traditionally not a high scoring strike unless it cuts or rocks), and like Samson his relentless style hid a lot of the deep, technical skill and timing he had developed. Near the end of a shortened career Yodkhunpon won the Rajadamnern and Lumpinee title at 118 lbs, held them simultaneously (very rare), and for a time fought for the Pinsinchai gym in Bangkok.

This session is also special in that when I film for the Library it's often the very first time working with a kru, but my relationship to Yodkhunpon is long standing and full of history. In the decade that I've known Yodkhunpon (his playname is "Khun," which doesn't mean "you" as some familiar with Thai language might assume, but is similar to the title "Sir," like a knight, and is associated with local chiefs or military leaders) he has changed. When the Library began he was not well-known to the West and only taught sparsely, as a side income. He has grown into championing and sharing his own legacy in a truly beautiful way, and thankfully the larger world has been able to experience him like this as well. His prominance as one of the notable names of the Golden Age is one of the great successes of the Muay Thai Library itself, which raises fighters up and illuminates legacy, sometimes fighters who history may not have fully herolded, and everyone who has contributed to the Library has added to that. As Westerners have embraced him, with a passion for his style he has in Thailand carved out his rightful place as a legend in the sport, becoming a very astute, respected teacher, working both freelance and as a regular guest kru, training both stadium Thais and Westerners, as well as giving seminars internationally.

This session is special because I have grown a lot in my work with him, so I can understand and feel what he's teaching so much better than in the past. But also he has grown as a teacher, reflecting on his style and how to communicate it to others in all its subtlty, and I think in teaching so much more now rediscovered even more of his own fight movement and strategy, for us to understand. And lastly, uniquely to the Library, we've been sparring together daily for the past 5 years or so, meaning he and I have developed together in the kind of accidental, informal dialogue that happens in sparring, he has even taken in things I've learned from other legends in the Library as I experiment with them, incorporating them into his own perspective; the Library feeding back to legends - it's not unusual for him to stop me and ask, "what was that? Show me," so he can incorperate and work on his own version of a technique I use with him. Like Legends in dialogue with other Legends through the vector point of me, as a student. He has a very active, creative, curious mind and is always thinking about how to explain or do something.

In this session what I'm asking him to elaborate on and teach me for us is mostly some of what I've observed or been learning from him throughout that process together. You are watching the learning wave in progress. Some of what we are going over in this session probably even grew out of this fight of his, which I sent to him a short while ago, asking him if we could work on those dern elements of his style together.

This session is jammed full of good stuff, and probably is worth watching multiple times. I'm already incorporating the things I loved about it in my padwork, sparring and clinch training.

If you are new to Yodkhunpon and his style, please watch our slow motion capture of his elbow shadowing to see what he's all about:

if you haven't seen it, it's one of the most beautiful combat sport videos you'll ever see: watch it here

What to Look Out For:

1. The Offensive, Stalking Teep: most people, Thais included, think of the teep as a defensive weapon and best utilized by Femeu styles to thwart forward fighters. But the best dern fighters (Dieselnoi, Langsuan, Chamuakpet) insist that the teep is very important as an offensive, stalking weapon as well. It useful in all styles. But the execution is different depending on offense or defense, if you are moving forward or back. Yodkhunpon likes a short, powerful teep because he's a dern (forward pressing) fighter. It can be tricky to figure out how to teep while coming forward, but the first 30 minutes of this session really get into it: balance, footwork, how to generate power, and the purpose being covering distance and setting up other weapons in the process. Key is, head over foot, "trigger" the teep, snap hard, don't fall forward. In some sense its not unlike Chatchai Sasakul's jab, for those that have been using Chatchai's weight transfer.

2. Soft Guard/Flexible Guard for Elbows: we've included "elbow sparring" in previous sessions, but this is the first time that he's ever taught me how to "receive," or block during this. You need a softer guard than what I have been doing; you don't want to brace, you want to kind of "roll" with the impact. I don't really start to get this until we revisit it at the end of the session, so make sure you watch all the way through to the end if you are interested in this detail.

3. Side Escape + Clinch Reversal: the posture and "designated tension" (to use my invented term - you can find what that is in my "Every Secon Counts" and "Sylvie's Technique Vlog" series) of this move is tricky to figure out but the absolute key to executing it properly. It's not a power driven movement, it's a graceful pirouette-like pivot, but the impact it has on the opponent feels like being knocked over and whiplashed. Once you cooridinate your hands and feet on the pivot you should leave your opponent unexpectedly exposed and yourself in a dominant position. (photo example)

4. Overturning + Free Kicks: Yodkhunpon uses the word "free," to mean loose and relaxed. His hands are "free" when he's clinching and elbowing. His hip and waist are "free" when he's kicking. For the lead side kick, you need to focus on the twist of the standing foot, for speed and whip; but for the rear kick, he really just wants an upward baseball bat swing... but, like, loose and relaxed.

5. Strong, Fast Legs are Everything: throughout this whole session, you can see how Yodkhunpon's footwork is key to everything he does. It's his ambient movement, his angles, his idle, how he covers distance, how he fakes, how he delivers every single strike he throws. I suspect he's doing this in all his sessions, although maybe less efficiently or persistently as he does it now, so it would be interesting to watch his previous sessions after this one, when that important lesson is already revealed/understood. In every previous point in this what to look out for, watch his feet. It's how he delivers power, speed, and how he keeps his movements "soft," or "free," even though their powerful and have impact.

Other Sessions Referenced:

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

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

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

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

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

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

#24 Kaensak Sor. Ploenjit - Explosive Defense (55 min) watch it here

#11 Karuhat Sor. Supawan 2 - Float and Shock (82 min) watch it here

#150 Lamnammoon Sor Sumalee #2 - Muay Khao Timing (!), Space & Structure (1 hr, 42 min) watch it here

Yodkhunpon in pink

In blue, eye contact as he gets up

Red shorts, probably the Isuzu Cup tournament

On the right, probably in his teens

With both his 118 lb titles (Lumpinee on his waist, Raja on the shoulder); bloody elbow, of course.

With his daughter in Pattaya, many years ago

As a teen, probably a regional belt

Kevin's Photographs from the session

If you enjoyed this session these are others in the Muay Thai Library on similiar theme:

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

Some have said this is one of the favorite sessions in all the Library. It's very rare to get detailed instruction and advice on How to Shadowboxing, let alone from a great fighter fo the past. This is a FULL hour of how to shadowbox, learn with me as I learn from The Elbow Hunter of 100 Stitches Yodkhunpon, the greatest Elbow Fighter in Thai history.

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

No other fighter in all of Thailand has developed so complete and pressuring a style based on the weapon of elbows. In this session the Elbow Hunter of 100 Stitches presents his whole galloping style, revealing how he opens up windows for his elbows, and uses those windows to then open up attack with other weapons.

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

Part 2 of my session with one of the most feared elbow fighters of the Golden Age, Yodkhunpon Sitraipom, The Elbow Hunter of 100 Stitches. Lots of fine details in this one, escapes from clinch locks, turns and catches. Best is his floating, gentle style that also holds such violence.

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

Simultaneous Raja and Luminee title holder at 118 lbs, Yodkhunpon was one of the most feared elbow fighters in Thailand, and in this session he teaches the looseness and spacing that made his lead elbow such a viscious weapon. He also shuns the traditional rocking chair knee, and instead teaches a powerful stand-in crossing, open-hipped knee that compliments his elbows up top.

Bonus Session 9: Yodkhupon Sittraipum - Lethal Smoothness (73 min) watch it here

In this session Yodkhunpon really delves down into the smoothness of his style, with great emphasis on his galloping footwork towards the end. It's all about building a pressure style that does not strain, but rather exerts a constant music of forward attack.

Bonus Session 8: Yodkhunpon Sittraipum - Scissoring Elbows & Knees | 68 min watch it here

This is a great session with The Elbow Hunter, teaching his incredible Elbow and Knee Muay Khao pressure style. There is tons in this session, but a big part of it is watching how as a southpaw fighter you use the lead closed-side elbow and then the open side knee (or cross) in tandem.

#148 Anantasak Panyuthapum | Boxing, Elbows and The Feet (80 min) watch it here

One of the great elbow and great hands fighters of Muay Thai's Golden Era has been the boxing coach of the Thai National Boxing team for years. We learn from him the foundations of how boxing & elbow attacks go together in Thailand's Muay Thai, and his secrets to his dynamic, aggressive fighting style.

#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.

#16 Thailand Pinsinchai 1 - Attacking Shell (62 min) watch it here

Former Lumpinee and Rajadamnern champion Thailand Pinsinchai teaches the beautiful framework for his attacking, elbowing style. Lots of minute corrections, small vital details that turn working techniques into dominance. You get the entire picture of a Muay Buek fighter out of the legendary Pinsinchai gym .

The Modern Martial Artist Breakdown of Yodkhunpon's Style

If you'd like another point of view on Yodkhunpon's elbow style, this 18 minute video is a good source, looking at him through his fight video and some of the Library. watch it here

The Intensive Series

If that's not enough Yodkhunpon, there are 7 hours more in the Sylvie Intensive series on Vimeo. 100% of the profits from this series go to Karuhat and Yodkhunpon:

You can find the Patreon promocodes for 50% and 15% discounts to the Sylvie Intensive series in this post here (scroll down).