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Just dropping this here: I'm kind of mesmerized by this photo. I knew I had it the moment I hit the shutter. I took several more to be sure, but sometimes the subject and the device just connect. You can see a higher res version of the photo here: https://www.muaynoir.com/Prints/i-z63TzJ3/A What I wanted to think about in this post though was the way that black and white, and that old school luminescence can bring an incredible throwback feeling that feels important with older legends of the sport. Muay Thai is, in the end, in Thailand a performance and capture of masculinity. As Muay Thai changes and bows to the pressures of the the west/global aggro fighting, so does the masculinity being portrayed. This photo just seems to throw me back into another time. Pudpadnoi fought his first fight in 1965. He assumes this aura even at the age of 70. The things we can bring about in our edits have huge aesthetic ramifications, because they help us see things in a different way. The men, the sport.

For me one of the most interesting dimensions of fighter photography is found in all the in-between moments. So much is focus on The Clash. These for me, even when executed beautifully, are boring. I've read some photographers feel that when they are photographing a fight they really want to capture that decisive moment, the clash that tips the scales. These are Sweat Spray moments, often. The gunned shutter that blurs through an action peak, and then is edited out. Hey, these can be cool, very cool, but...when taken as a whole, as a genre, they are numbing, at least to me. I'm really interested in the human feeling within fighting, those fallen moments, those re-gathering moments, when duress strips away the pretense, and the fighter calculates up. These compass headings are spiritual. The above really is on reflection on this "Ripley" photo I took last week of Sylvie between rounds going up against the impossible hill of Yodkhunpon: Which called to mind my photo of Sawsing Sor Sopit between rounds in a fight (you can find that photo here: https://www.muaynoir.com/Prints/i-2Nn5Svg/A ): Why are these photos so satisfying? At least to me. They reach into what really matters in fighting, and therefore of fighter photography. I see so much difference in the humanity of these two legendary fighting women, the ways in which they summon themselves, a great reserve truly more beautiful than a perfectly landed cross or head kick. This is what is spectacular in fighting.

Ooooh what an interesting topic, grow through adversity. I've had meniscus tears on both knees, I am almost fully healed and they have helped me get better footwork, stronger kicks and I'm more versatile. Footwork: agility drills are great knee strengthening exercises so I've been doing countless drills (walking backwards also helps) which has also given me lighter and faster feet. Stronger kicks: I've been doing low squat jumps, duck walks, single-leg balance drills to strengthen my knees. This has also given me a lot more kick power. Versatility: To avoid putting too much stress on one knee I've practiced switching stances a lot which has helped me improve my southpaw stance. In sparring, if I feel any discomfort in one knee I simply switch stance. I've healed my knees through my own research and help from trainers, traditional and new knowledge.