The response to my Saonaklengkhao (Miss Gangster Knee) shirt, tanks and hoodies has been incredible, and I’ve been so moved by the photos everyone is posting it just seemed right to do something as a thank you. So I’m putting together a raffle – randomly generated digital drawing via random.org, but who wants to call it that – including all the people who post a photo of themselves with their Saonaklengkhao shirt (tank or hoodie). The vlog below details the things I’m giving away in the raffle:
above, my video of the giveaway
The Prizes
At the end of February [updated: at the end of March!] I’ll take the names of everyone who has posted a photo on Instagram, Facebook or even sent to me privately (sylvie@8limbs.us), and tagged me so that I know and included the hashtag #naklengkhao, just to make it official. I’ll run them through the random.org generator and produce a 1-10 list of winners. There will be 5 prizes and 5 alternates. If you don’t want to be entered, and still want to post a photo of you in your shirt, let me know. The first place winner will have 1st choice of prize, second place 2nd, and so forth. If I fail to contact anyone within 3 days, I’ll move to the alternates in order.
My Signed Cleto Reyes Gloves
These are the very first gloves I had when I moved to Thailand, brought with me from the US. Cleto is a very high-grade glove and these have lots of miles left in them if you want to bang the pads and bags, but you can also hang them up if you like. The left glove is signed with my name, and the right with Saonaklengkhao in Thai, the nickname given to me by the Thai press. Which is also found on the back of each of the shirts. For me these gloves represent my dream, at the time of fighting 50 fights, and just taking a big risk and moving to Thailand to train and fight as much as I possibly could. They are great gloves and I’d love for one of my supporters to have them. You can see me signing them in the video below:
My ‘Broken Hand’ Fight Mongkol
This is a mongkol that I fought with for 5 months, right in the middle of a very hard stretch. In July of 2015 I lost my black mongkol after a fight with “The Farang Smasher” Nong Ning Pettonpung. I got pretty beat up, she is very big and super aggressive, and post-fight was a stressful moment with stitches and a quickly swelling eye. I had broken my hand 2 nights before in Hua Hin, in a win against Kradaitong Por. Promin, and Nong Ning really put it on me. I purchased this mongkol in Pattaya, as a replacement for that black one I lost, and for the next 4 months I would train and fight with that broken hand (probably refracturing it here and there). I suffered a losing streak after beating Jomkwan, a huge name in Isaan at the time, and then had a subsequent winning streak:
my 11 fights with a broken hand in 2015
I fought a few more fights, my hand finally healed, and then received my custom mongkol made from my mother’s skirt, replacing the mongkol I’m giving away here. This was a mongkol of perseverance, going through a time of transition, fighting through and with a significant injury.
This mongkol was blessed by my sak yant master Arjan Pi Bangkating, and also is bound at the tail with a charged string from his Wai Kru ceremony, about a month and a half after I received my two tigers and takroh sak yant. You can read about that sak yant and that ceremony here. This string was part of a network of prayer and chanting. You can see that network in this photo:
So this mongkol is bound together for me with my sak yant, that ceremony, and the entire experience of those months. I’m very happy for a supporter to have it, to send that karma forward.
Photo: Fighting For a World Title With Legends In My Corner
This photo was taken by the incredible Lordk2 – you can find him on Instagram here: Lordk2 and Muay_Thai_Photography one of the best MT photographers there is. This is an indelible moment. To my right, outside the ropes, is Dieselnoi, one of the all time greats, and Karuhat, an equal legend, as my piliang standing in the ring. I could never even dream of such a moment and Lordk2 captured it beautifully. I was fighting for the 52 kg WMC world title (despite only weighing in at 47.7 kg) facing huge odds, and nearly pulled it off. This photo is about that remarkable day, some of which I talk about in this rambling vlog. I will sign 3 of these photos, and if you like I can personalize the signature.
This Really is Just a Thank You
None of these “prizes” really mean much if you aren’t a fan, but it’s my hope that if you are a supporter they will mean as much to you as they each do to me. My fans, readers and supporters are just amazing to me. They are the ones who make even staying here and fighting as much as I do a possibility (through pledges on Patreon). Everyone who has bought a Saonaklengkhao shirt, tank or hoodie so far, and who will buy one, is just sending a huge boost to me; so this is my attempt to meet you with a big thank you. I wish I could give something to each of you.
The Saonaklengkhao Shirt and Sharing
You can read about the Miss Gangster Knee Shirt here. $2 from each shirt goes to help the orphan work of the Golden Horse Monastery in the North of Thailand, and the rest goes to help support the fighting, writing and filming I’m doing here. Below are some of the versions and colors of the shirt you can get:
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So, when you get your shirt – or if you already have one! – be sure to post a photo of you with it. Each time I see one of these photos my heart leaps. If you are shy, and I’m pretty shy myself believe it or not, you can post a photo of the shirt itself alone, or even email me a photo at sylvie@8limbs.us – below are some of the wonderful pics I’ve already received. Be sure to tag me on Facebook or Instagram so I don’t miss it. Or you can tweet me a photo too: @_ittu. Entries will be open until [updated:] March 31st.
