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Yup, completely allowed. It's also how Manny Pacquaio got a lot of his knockdowns. It's quite hard to do though. When you get it down though it's very effective.

Definitely allowed in Thailand Muay Thai. You see in western boxing, especially in mixed stance crowding.

I was rewatching the library session "Yodkhunpon "The Elbow Hunter" pt 1 | Slicing Elbow 37 min" and was wondering something: Yodkhunpon tries to get Sylvie to step in towards the opponent very deeply and very close to their front foot for a horizontal, slicing "fan sok" elbow. Since I had the experience in Kali training years back that stepping ON an opponents foot seriously messes with their movement and ability to execute whatever they're trying to do I was wondering if that was an option in Muay Thai. I don't think I've actually seen Muay Thai fighters do that so I wonder if it is even allowed in fights. In Kali I got to the point where stepping precisely on an opponents foot when closing distance became pretty much natural and automatic for me and it seemed very effective but this is in a martial art that does not have a ring-fighting variant or rules at all, so...

Sagat did exactly this yesterday. He stepped on my foot to pin me to the spot and then yanked me toward him and killed me.

That's what I was thinking. Yodkhunpon put such great emphasis on stepping very close to the opponents foot and it made me think "if we're getting this close, why not step ON the foot?" Guess I'll start practicing that again when I have the opportunity. Can only really practice that with a partner.

Intradasting.... I didn't know that was an accepted technique. Seems super handy for elbows!

Not just for shadow but also good for those hand weight things. Only doing 1, 2s but not in your stance, just neutral and flat, so only looking for upper body to fix this, the thing where the punch comes back in straight and quick to protect the head as the other one goes out to hit, back and forth etc, and check both sides for constant protection. Because punching was always my weakest thing. So nothing but weighted 1 2s for 5 min straight and make sure my sketchy punch comes back to sender. Every day, added up, it kinda helps.

This is very true. My first fight got canceled 4-5 times and then I got one the next evening. Fight arrangements are generally a total shit show for everyone out here lol. Another option here might just be to straight up lie about your fight experience lol. Just tell them you have like 5-10 fights and go with it. That might help motivate a trainer or gym to find you a fight as it is typically a little more work for them to find someone in your weight class who is very inexperienced or brand new. I don't know if that is good or bad advice lol, but it's an idea!

Oooh I feel for you! I'm so sorry about this experience. Recently at my gym we had a guy who is clearly more than middle aged, not very fit, not that experienced, tall and heavy and not a long time customer. He got a fight within 2 weeks. Which he won and he was very friendly but still it feels unfair. These things happen. I've also met a very experienced female fighter tall and around 65-70kilo. In Thailand longtime. She told me she gave up on fighting because a fight would be announced get postponed and in the end taking 6 months...to her not worth that hassle. It's so hard advocating for yourself and as a woman there's so much bullshit on top of everything else. And displaying any kind of negative emotion about it will only break down communication completely. To me only thing that has worked is being patient, friendly and trying to get sympathy. Showing you are sad without blaming anyone has proved to be useful. But it's not easy.

Ah to respond to everyone: My age. I'm older but no lie, nobody has a clue until I tell them and I show them my passport. They peg me for 10 years younger than I am- and they've seen me in the ring so they know I don't move like I'm about to die in the nursing home. Yes, I pay fees, promised to fight then they they don't do it. Always wait until last min to try to find an opponent if at all.. but hey let me pay to go to the stadium so I can "meet" the promoter who I never meet but I just paid $1300 BHT to watch fights I really don't care about and wouldn't pay to go see. My age has never come up. My size has but there is Thai girl in that area who is actually bigger than I am in addition to the fact that where I was is mostly farang anyway. I have no problem fighting a westerner- I figured I'd have to anyway. I save up my money then come for a few months to train and hopefully fight. I've done that three times now. This last time really hurt as I was gone three months and wasn't working- I had finished my contract. So I blew my savings to go to Thailand because I was told THIS time I would fight and it didn't happen. I was told I would be taken care of and that absolutely didn't happen. I was basically ignored. If I were to read this and not know me or see me in the ring I would think "well she must be terrible then". Let me play devil's advocate on that one for a moment. If that is the case, let me fight and get KO'd and that would end me bitching about wanting to fight. I have to find a job now (I came home on Monday) and try to pay off my bills, save up again, and try to come back. That means another year here in the states before I can attempt Thailand again. I AM NOT GETTING ANY YOUNGER. Not going to lie- I'm livid, I'm pissed, and I'm hurt. I know because I know my body better than anyone, I still have been gifted with a little more time than most people. I have adjust my training accordingly. I am tough as nails and I have no fear. But I am realistic... if it doesn't happen in the next two years, then my clock really is up. I'm not trying to be some regional champion or anything like that. I just want a fight or two. I've trained for over 7 years and never fought- I was supposed to but I tore my ACL. It's been a battle to get in that ring and so frustrating. I could go on and on and whine but I don't want to. I just know the only way it will happen is if I take care of myself because I cannot trust gyms/trainers. I have been told to look at Chang Mai or Bangkok. All I want to do is spend a few months training hard, a fight or three come home and it will be out of my system (maybe). But at this point I am beyond frustrated... and I need to find a job as this last big mistake cost me financially quite badly. I would have been happy to eat it if I had crossed off something on my list but my last trip to Thailand was a NIGHTMARE which hurts me because I was so in love with it there. I just feel... abused. LOL. But... the fighter in me doesn't want to quit or let this go. I train hard. I do the work. I deserve to get KO'd if that is what they think is going to happen. Sorry for the long windedness. I just don't know how to express how disappointed, hurt and broken I felt/feel about this whole experience.

This is very, very difficult to do. Really almost impossible among the promoters and stadia we know, because it is not encouraged. Things may have changed since we first became familiar with the situation, I know several people have tried based on what Sylvie has described for herself, I haven't heard of one regularly successful person. A primary reason for this difficulty is that promoters count on the dependability of gyms and their liaisons. Gyms let them know how skilled a fighter is so there can be a good match (something they assess as you train with them), and then maybe even more importantly, gyms filter out undependable people. The promoter needs people to show up on cards. And lastly, and most importantly, these are very enduring relationships between gyms and promoters. The people involved have known each other for a decade or two usually. These are foundational bonds. In Thailand it's very unusual to go outside of these kinds of channels. The only reason why Sylvie was able to break out of this was a kind of perfect storm situation. She had already established herself as incredibly dependable as a fighter in Chiang Mai. I think she had already fought maybe 70 fights in the city. So when we moved to Pattaya, far from Chiang Mai, the trust issue was already there. Everyone knew her skill level, and everyone knew she was extremely dependable. On top of that Sylvie's Thai got really good, which greased the communication wheels. There may have been people who have found their way around the usual channels, but in Thailand you really need to have someone speaking for you, vouching for you. Sylvie's kind of a unicorn in this because she has created her own very solid reputation, something she could never have done without the help of her gym in Chiang Mai for the first several years.

Vicky said this is his son, it's probably the best way to get in contact with him as I don't think Ajarn Peng has his own FB page.

I trained in Lanna from 95 to 98 off and on. I thought someone may be interested in what Lanna first looked like. This was right after Andy (RIP) opened the gym (if I recall he was involved with another gym in the city "Joe's Gym", I don't remember the name). As for the Thai's there, Khom (see pic) RIP, and Taywin were doing most of the training. Kem and Mike were the main Thai fighters and Boon was maybe 12? I remember his first fight. So here's a couple pics of that era.

Here's Taywin with Pom from maybe 96 or 97? Ignore all the goofy white guys.

Dieselnoi's favorite fighter. He raves about him.

Yes, he's been around our filming several times, and we definitely would like to film with him. He was there at our 4 Legend's seminar just watching it all, and he's close with Dieselnoi, Karuhat, etc. He seems hesitant, maybe because he has not trained for a very long time, but we are slowly working on getting him in the Library. He has a wonderful gentlemanliness about him.

This is awesome! I remember seeing pictures of Taywin from not event that long before I met him, and he looked SO different.

So cool that you put this up! Will throw this in there from the early 2000s for those that don't know about Lanna history, Brave Dave's documentary: This is all well, well before Sylvie arrived, before she ever heard of Lanna. It was a transformative gym that had a huge impact on the history of westerners in Muay Thai in Thailand.

As a clinician who specializes in upper quadrant orthopedic rehab, I've found that one of the best tools for tennis elbow is the Flexbar by a company called Theraband. Here is a link that shows its creator demonstrating the use of the tool: In addition to having your coach re-evaluate your technique (as was suggested by above posters) I would question what brand and what ounce gloves you use to train. As a bit of a gear-slut. I've bought all kinds of gloves over the years and I think that the quality and type of gear you use absolutely has an impact on your joints and muscles. I've had issues of my own with cheaper (i.e., Everlast) and harder, "puncher" style gloves like Cleto Reyes (not cheap, and I'm sad I can't use them bc they are gorgeous gloves). In contrast, I've found that Twins (and the oft celebrated Winnings) are very forgiving and help with people who do a lot of volume training and/or are prone to impact related strain and pain. Hope that helps. You might also want to see a physical or occupational therapist and make sure it's actually tennis elbow as it could be something else.

One boxing coach I had in my teens used a dry-erase marker to draw a grid (think a tic-tac-toe game) in front of me. He instructed me to use it to help with slipping and rolling as well as pick targets other than just the head (i.e., liver, solar plexus, etc) during shadow. I felt it really helped.

I agree with what has been said above. Just to add a few things. Prices in Bangkok can be roughly compared to Cape Town, but more expensive than Pretoria for example. International food and wine being more expensive than SA, especially wine (bottle of 2 oceans is like 230 rand, insane). In Bangkok you have to factor in transportation, it is getting a bit cooler at the moment due to the rains but the humidity simply makes you sweat a lot. A single journey with the skytrain or metro is around 15 rand. 15 minute walk would cost around 10 rand if you hop on a bike taxi. Cheapest option is regular taxi, however can get a bit tricky if you do not speak any thai and do not know the city very well. The second cheapest option is Grab motorbike (Asia's Uber). I use it everyday and it works fine, I pay around 45 rand (3.50USD) for a 15-20 minute ride. If you live elsewhere, for example on an island or in the north, renting a motorbike would be a good option and usually pretty affordable. Traffic in Bangkok can be a bit hectic. All in all, best option is to live within walking distance of the gym if possible. In Thailand it is very easy to go for the budget option. Cheap food from food stalls is delicious and the best option in case you do not care about msg or sugar in your food. The same with accommodation, plenty decent options available in all price ranges and more luxurious options will also be cheaper than SA. You do not have to be too concerned with safety when choosing a place to live. Obviously, do not be stupid, but Thailand is way safer than SA. For example, the taxis do not even lock the car doors while they drive you and nothing will happen to you while waiting for the robot to turn green other than that you either get super sweaty on the back of a bike or you stress out because traffic soooooo slow during peak hours. Thailand feels very cheap, but at the same time you find yourself constantly spending money as you depend on others for daily services and food. Especially in Bangkok where you will be in and out of 7/11s most of the time. To have a more controlled budget it might be a good idea to choose a gym package with training, accommodation and food. However, this will also likely be more expensive than arrange everything while in Thailand. Training fees and a place to live will be your biggest expenses. Training 2 sessions a day will cost you around 300-500 USD/month. Regarding earning some extra money by working. I have friends who have been able to increase their travel budget by working extra as a PT or some kind of fitness instructor gig or getting free training by helping out at the gym with social media or admin or similar. But this is not an option I would count on. There's a Thai Embassy in Pretoria and their visa clerk has been very helpful to me in the past. Happy to DM her contact details in case you need.

That whole post was a killer post Tyler.

Cost of living and training are HIGHLY variable. Thailand is a big country and different camps have different priorities (some are purely commercial, others are a little more traditional). Just living in different cities is going to skew your budget in large directions. I tell people that if you can't afford $1,200-$1,400 USD a month without including your airfare then don't bother to come long term. You can absolutely get by on less money, but life happens so it is better to be prepared. Here's what I would suggest: Figure out your exact time available to be in Thailand (i.e. 3 months/6 months/etc.), then look at the visa information available for South Africa and figure out which visa will work for you or if you will need to modify your trip time to match up with your visa (you might be able to afford a year here but your visa may only allow 3 months). Once you know how long you can legally stay in Thailand, figure out which area you would like to be in or if you would like to hop around. If you are going to be in Chiang Mai, Phuket, or Isaan I would recommend living at the camp just to make things easy for yourself though this will likely be more expensive than finding housing yourself. If you are going to be in Bangkok then either stay at the camp or find housing nearby using renthub, facebook, craigslist, etc. Food costs are going to vary depending if you eat street food, cook at home, or go to restaurants. Restaurants are typically about 3-4 times the price of street food in Bangkok and will likely be higher if you are in a touristy area like Phuket. That may be fine for a short term stay but will add up over time. You may be able to cook at home if you have a kitchen but I wouldn't count on that. Here's my minimum cost guess if you are going to be in BKK (I do not recommend this, but will lay it out as a starting point just for reference): Rent - 5,500 baht per month (you will also need 2 months deposit, 11,000 baht which you will likely never see again) Electricity (no aircon) - 1,300 baht per month + 700 baht to buy a fan Water - 300 baht per month Food (eating only 40 baht noodles, assuming you find a noodle cart nearby) - 120 baht per day x 31 days = 3,720 baht per month Drinking water (from street dispensers which require your own bottles) - 14 baht x 4 bottles for initial cost, then 4 baht a day to refill = 180 baht Transportation - 80 baht roundtrip motorbike ride to top of the street for food x 31 days = 2,480 baht (this is a very low estimate, I would honestly account for 4,000 at a bare minimum) Phone service - 499 baht a month (10gb data) Training cost - 7,000 baht a month Visa extension - 1,900 baht + 600 baht round trip taxi to immigration (assuming you don't need to have passport photos taken) Total estimate - 23,479 baht per month or $765 not including initial "start up" costs for your deposit, buying a fan, etc. Again, this is MINIMUM cost, I cannot stress that enough. I would not consider this a safe budget because things out of your control WILL come up (your gear might break/go missing, you'll get ripped off by a taxi driver, you can't find food for 40 baht, immigration will want some additional paperwork which means an extra trip, etc.) not to mention you'll be bored out of your mind after a month. Keep in mind that training cost is going to be a big part of this as well since most gyms charge 15,000-25,000 for a month of training. I have lived off 28,000 baht a month for about a year and I was getting down to less than 600 baht by the end of the month almost every time. That was living at the gym and never really going out anywhere. I currently live off approximately 40,000 baht a month and its fairly tight though comfortable (costs have gone up in Bangkok and I live in a more affluent area now). I have some additional emergency reserve and budget 5k a month for unexpected costs which I always always run through in some way or another. I could bring that cost down with some better financial tracking or if I lived in a different area, but I would consider this to be near the minimum if you are going to be training daily, taking care of your body properly as an athlete, and don't want to survive off rice and water. I hope this helps

Thank you Kevin, I truly appreciate all that you and Sylvie do for the culture. You both have dedicated your lives to help share and inspire this amazing place and people! With my site I try to just give people a little insight into training here and the amazing culture in order to spark that interest for others to take that step to start their own journey and experience everything that Thailand is.

+1 for Boon and Super Export Shop here as well. The Top King store isn't too far from Super Export Shop either. They only open Monday to Friday, though. I really like the Twins shop in Suanluang Square (if you like Twins gear, definitely head there). There's a Fairtex store close by, haven't been in there though. Action Zone is pretty close to Suanluang Square as well, they offer pretty good discounts. There's a good guide to the different Muay Thai stores around Bangkok on Muay Thai Citizen: http://www.muaythaicitizen.com/where-to-buy-muay-thai-gear-in-bangkok/