Kevin von Duuglas-Ittu

It's Perfectly Fine to Look at Sumo as a Sport...BUT... and it too as a problem of gray-heads in the audience

The History of Japanese Sumo and What it Says for Thailand's Muay Thai above Akashi Shiganosuke, the legend of the 1st Yokozuna, perhaps in parallel to Muay Thai's Naikhanomtom Reading today into the history of Japanese Sumo. I've always felt like Sumo could shed an interesting light into aspects of Thailand's Muay Thai, because it is an ideologically intense, rite and tradition framed art/sport, which has resisted acute commercialization and globalization (retained its traditions), but also because it is known for its associations with urban mafia and gambling scandals. Books like: Japanese Sports: A History, Allen Guttmann -- 2001 -- University of Hawaii Press Sumo: from rite to sport, Weatherhill, 1st ed., New York, New York State, 1979 this book I cannot find (maybe its a dissertation?): Boyadjiev, Nickolay T. 1999. Sumo Exposed: The Invention of Tradition in Japan’s National Sport. Boston: Harvard University this book I ordered the paperback The Way of Salt: Sumo and the Culture of Japan Below is a section on Sumo's retraditionalization (invented traditions) from Guttmann's book. Sumo was strongly bonded to Shinto, and became retraditionalized with the rise of Japanese Ultranationalism (also bonded to Shinto). It's affiliation with Shinto aligned Yakuza mafia (like Japanese Kickboxing), put it in particular relationship to Japanese politics. Thailand's Muay Thai has its ideological dimension, with important links to Thai Royalty, and has a limited religious expression (in its relationship to Brahmin ritual and Thai magical rites), but it really lacks that cohesive fusion of politics and religion, in art and sport, that Sumo has, which may explain why nobody is calling for the "natural" evolution of Sumo into a globalized sport, breaking it away from its tradition and meaning (even an re-invented one), while in Muay Thai some are. Because my care for Muay Thai falls along two specific axes: #1 the maintenance of its efficacy which reached its apex in a historical period which is no longer, under social conditions which may not be desirable, #2 the preservation of its meaningfulness, including its cultural instruction upon the nature of violence, it makes sense to think of it in reflection of Japanese Sumo, at least in the sense that both became "modernized" in the 20th century in its engagement with the West, and both anchored themselves in preserved tradition.

Here is a description of the Chinese run tax-farming monopolies in the 1800s, from the work above...

These are photos of Sino-Thai gym owner and promoter Tankee, Chaiyut's father, in the 1940s (also via Lev)

The Development of Muay Thai in the Siamese Populace An interesting point about the corvee system of labor (established 1518) in the same work, is that it tied the population not only to the land, but also to the proto-state, in terms of movement. This rotation between one's land and state works, which included military service, would ostensibly train an outlying populace in warfare, circulating them back into their villages, so trained. This would work as a dissemination process of martial skills, as returning men themselves could train youth. If indeed (gambled) festival fighting throughout the village networks existed for centuries, developing a practice of inclusion/exclusion, this would account for a steady State driven effulgence that did not require a learning process of actual warfare (though slave labor capture campaigns were regular). It makes an interesting contrasted: a circulating farming populace continually training on rotation, and practicing that training in festival fighting, landed, and a far reaching and mobile non-Thai (Chinese, and others) merchant class, that transversed the region. The landed circulation of corvee work would augment my own thoughts that martial prowess also developed in general raiding patterns outside of the proto-states and their fortified capitals.

In the early 20th century there was concern over the "revolutionary" identity shift among Chinese in Phuket. Most of the Chinese had cut off their cues (long, traditional ponytail). Reading now The Crown and the Capitalists: The Ethnic Chinese and the Founding of the Thai Nation to get a better perspective on Siamese/Thai and Ethnic Chinese relations as they shifted through the decades of the 20th century. During WW2, when Thailand had allied itself with Japan (which had invaded China), there was still fear that China would use its rather vast nationalized Chinese education system (if I understand it right) within Thailand, to possibly turn Thailand into a Chinese colony. Chinese in Thailand were educated AS Chinese, and to some regard taken to be Chinese citizens, even though Thailand considered them Thai. Thailand in this case had a large number of transnational citizenry, whose alliance was not known.

Historical Spheres of Influence in 20th Century Muay Thai This is only a very rough sketch from compiled reading, but thinking about spheres of Muay Thai influence an historical trends. If I state things as fact this is only a parlance of my assumptions. On some topics I've read deeply into the history, in others I have only brushed over (for lack of English language record) and may make speculative leaps. It is hopeful that this informs, but not as an expert. Much more to set a broad picture, a framework, for real historical telling. It seems to me that any history of Muay Thai should include all 4 spheres. above, Chaiyut, a powerful Sino-Thai gym owner and promoter from the 1955-ish, son of Tankee who was the same before him (found via Lev). "The one on the left was an international boxing champion at Raja, on the right is Saipet the Chinese fighter who held the 126 title until he moved to boxing." Left: Sarika Yontharakit, Right: Saipet Yontharakit* Chinese The Chinese, who have been in Thailand close to 1,000 years, and perhaps even 2,000, at the turn of the 20th century were a huge political and economic influence upon Bangkok, and Siam in general. Chinese triads and secret societies (read here) ostensibly ran all gambling (which around 1900 made up 25% of the Siamese government's revenue around 1900 though vice tax farming), as well as large sectors of the economy such as the Chinese workforce on the docks of Bangkok, rice-mills, saw-mills, and tin mining in Phuket. Read Gambling, the State and Society in Siam, c. 1880-1945 here. When gambling was outlawed in a series of moralizing legal steps by King Vajiravudh in the 1910s, this was probably largely to fundamentally break off the government's dependency on Chinese financial power, or at least the secret society vice economy layer of that financial power. Notably, the King had to back off the outlawing of Bangkok Muay Thai gambling, as the sport's popularity took a nosedive. It was fundamentally a gambling sport even in 1920. The exception of Bangkok Muay Thai legal gambling goes back over 100 years to this time. The influence was not of Chinese fighting arts, as far as we can tell, though there were some Muay Boran vs Kung Fu fights back then (1921, below for instance), it was likely the consumate wholeness with the Chinese syndicates controlled parts of Bangkok economic culture. Even in today's Muay Thai almost all the large Bangkok promoters are Sino-Thai, and no doubt much of the "gangster" aura around Bangkok Muay Thai through the decades may have been due to this Sino-Thai lineage, tracing back well before 1900. Between these eras the Chinese population of Siam also underwent great discrimination, and there were immigration waves from China following the Japanese wars on China and China' own civil wars. I do not know enough of Siam-Thai history to follow the politics of the Chinese in Siam, but it would be worthwhile to trace this, from turn of the century secret societies and tax farms, to the Sino-Thai predominance in contemporary Bangkok Muay Thai. Was this development continuous, or did it suffer breaks in position and power within the culture? Most of the Western conception of Thailand's Muay Thai comes from the Bangkok Stadia, promotional scene, but almost none of this is understood through Thailand's Sino-Thai history. above, General Tunwakom, a naval general and teacher of military Muay Lertrit Military & Police Muay Thai and Boxing When King Vajiravudh, as prince, returned from his young-adulthood education in England at military college and other institutions, he was not alone in this trend of Siamese royalty and elites being educated in England in their youth, especially with a view towards military practice. King Vajiravudh's experience of British Boxing helped inspire him to reform Siam's Muay Boran upon the more "civilizing" practice of Boxing. This is to say, as part of a military education among the elite came the influence of Boxing. The organization of a National Police force brought with it a curriculum that included not only Muay Thai, but also Boxing and Judo. By the time Police run Rajadamnern Stadium opened Muay Thai had been reorganized to resemble Western Boxing in the Capital. Here, I'm not so much interested in detecting a direct influence of British Boxing on Thailand's Muay Thai, as to scope out a general sphere of influence that comes from military instruction (from foreign countries) and a certain relationship to Boxing. Boxing was taught in the academies, and prominent boxing leagues existed throughout the century, first probably on the British model, but then in the 1950s, under the influence of the US military which was taking an increased role in Thailand's military, aligning it within their own anti-Communism interests. In the 1950s the Siam Police force became incredibly well armed and trained by the US, and I believe by the 1960s Army and Police trained boxers filled out amateur and pro ranks in the region (Pone Kingpetch winning the first World Boxing title in the early 1960s). The Thai army ran Lumpinee and the Thai Police ran Rajadamnern, and by the late 1960s there were pro boxing fights on every card, something that continued until until sometime in the 2000s. This is only to say that there is a rather large, and also Boxing-infused, Military and Police Force sphere of Muay Thai influence which very few Westerners think about, or even have knowledge of. It's very hard to quantify or even imagine just how thoroughly this influence pervaded, as both the Army and Police are extremely esteemed, run the two National Stadia, and set a standard of excellence throughout the country. Even such things as very long running regimes for Muay Thai, one could speculate, likely came out of military training, on both the British and then American examples. (In fact it seems probable that in the American tradition of Boxing, long runs may have come out of US military practice.) Many of the biggest Bangkok kaimuay camps were headed by Police officers. The Police in Thailand for some time developed into its own border-policing paramilitary group, it is not quite how the civic Police may be in your own country. At times it has been like a branch of the Thai military. Royal Muay Thai This is not an insignificant sphere, though I won't sketch out much of it here - academic Peter Vail does a good job of outlining the discussion. Muay Thai holds a very prominent role in its political ideology, from its characterization as the force of the people that prevented colonization (unlike neighboring countries), to foundational stories of Royal martial prowess. Muay Thai has a very strong Royal history, and during the very long reign of King Rama IX his patronage of the sport helped lift it symbolically in terms of social esteem. This stands apart from, though no doubt also is braided with Military and Police patronage and development, in that this helps compose its signification in the culture, and grants to Muay Thai in the Capital a level of social importance that rises above the gambling stadia dynamics. The Capital of Thailand (and Siam) is a North Star of value, and Muay Thai has been embraced ideologically, likely for centuries. Provincial Muay Thai This is a Muay Thai that, in part, develops a far from the Royal, Military & Police and Sino-Thai Gambling cultures, in festival fights, themselves organized through gambling. Provincial fighting also culminated in indepdent major city fighting scenes, especially around the Golden Age. I write in some detail about the structure of this development, at least from my speculative view: How Thailand's Muay Thai Has Been Collectively Created Through the Wisdom of Local Markets and Gambling. Because provincial fighters fought in the Bangkok scene, and train both as Thai military and police, and even fought in the military boxing leagues, this provincial development did not occur in isolation (though it was likely highly accelerated with the building of railroad lines in the 1905-1930s, for the first time connecting populaces quickly over distance). Over the last century there was a flux of Capital and Military Muay Thai experiences and pedagogies fed back into the provinces as fighters returned to their homes. But, in thinking about the large spheres of influence on Muay Thai's development and practice there can be no doubt that a major one is provincial Muay Thai, not only in terms of Boran styles which may have reflected local, antique knowledges, but also in the very large number of fights, 10,000s that have occurred every year, going back more than 100 years, if not quite a bit much longer, the skill-tested, fitness landscape "laboratory" of its evolution. Included in this provincial history, though this would be its own branch of historical study, one would find the Muay Wat legacy of Muay Thai knowledge, the manor in which fighting techniques were taught in Thai temples, and still to this day are. Historically, there is likely a pre-modern legacy of magical practices and technical fighting practices that were braided together and preserved within the Wat. One could argue that the religious reforms that came with the fashioning of Siam into a modern Nation State, including the transformation of Muay Boran into a Boxing-influenced modernized sport, were in part to secularize the fighting capacities of Siamese subjects, moving away from the political power of regional Wats, and into a Nationalized Police and military force. The Wat connection to contemporary Muay Thai remain strong at the provincial, festival level. I discuss a bit of their relation to Muay Thai in this article: The 3 Circulations of Thailand's Rural Muay Thai - Buddhism, Rice & Masculinity .

Thai Boxing legend Khaosai Galaxy. Again, so much that gets beneath the surface of one of the greats.

This is very cool beautiful stuff, because athletes are always wrestling with the narrative of who they are, what they achieved, and the biggest story is the one you tell yourself. Kwame afraid because he didn't make the most of himself. Everyone's story is a real and beautiful one, make it real.

Enjoyed watching Petchneung's grit. First fight of his I've enjoyed (not everyone's style is for everyone). Went to another country, walked through all the beatings. I could feel his heart. Hard to absorb that kind of loss at 19, but his toughness means a lot. Kinda ridiculous that the Raja belt lives in Japan, or even that non-Thais fight each other for the belt, but we are in a new era of promotional Muay Thai.

It was a pretty beautiful thing to watch Sylvie box yesterday, learning how to chase the Thai femeu fighter (something she's mastered in Muay Thai), at a completely different distance, under different rules. Unable to close and clinch she actually ended up getting caught in a defensive clinch, not having the Duran techniques of punching with arm control, it was just such a special thing. When you isolate like this, holes come to the fore. Everything is that 6-18 inches that pretty much every female (and many male) Muay Thai fighters ignore. Some combo through them, but its just a huge blindspot in everyone. Boxing happens in that blindspot, which is why (if you aren't just memorized combo-ing), you need eyes, and feeling feet. Sylvie has spent so much time fighting huge opponents, multiple weight classes up, she has a very strong instinct to brace for shots, to freeze. Boxing does not allow this, which is beautiful. The sport opens up, like an analytic, upon female Muay Thai, and for Sylvie origami unfolds a huge potential of being able to see and feel in those 6'-18", unlike almost every other fighter. It was very cool to see up on the rope. And, it was very cool to see her putting it on her in the 3rd and 4th rounds, her fighter's instinct coming on.

This point I was making about big gyms in Thailand with top active names, was also recently made by Gilbert Areanas when talking about Bronny (LeBron's son) training with LeBron. ""I don't wanna learn from a 40-year-old... I'm not learning what got the 40-year-old to his 40th year. I wanna see what LeBron was doing his first year." Even Thais at 23-25 are very developed and experienced "vets" of the sport, and are likely training very differently than how they trained as rising fighters, becoming the fighters they are. Also of note, a lot of older Thais are very drawn to Western "modern" training, if only because it is so different from what they have been doing for years, which frankly they see as boring. It also can keep them from having to grind, which mentally can be fatiguing. "Modernity" as its own allure in Thailand gyms, but does not necessarily make the best fighters.

The Origins of Muay Thai Clinch Fighting Through Indianization Bookmarking for later. Southeast Asia went through an extensive Indianization period, a 1,000 years (?), in which much of the royal court structure of governance, and Hinduism (the Buddhism) established itself in mainland SEA. It has been broadly likened to perhaps the Romanization of Europe. Aspects of the Indian caste system also established themselves. What has been little discussed (that I have seen) is the likely martial arts influence from India. Things like Thailand's Muay Thai and its Khmer and South China precursors are not really discussed, historically, in the contest of an Indianizing influence (even though quite late in this), in Ayuthaya, the Siam King had a personal guard of 200 Persian/Indian warriors. I don't have much to say on that, but for a while now I imagined that the wrestling portion of Siam's Muay Thai likely came from this very old influence from India. The oldest sport versions of Muay Thai (gambled) include the mention of wrestling. Things of note: Hanuman was famed for being a great wrestler in the Ramayana, and was even homaged to by wrestlers of India. The Indianized orgins of Thailand's royal structure, the sacred gods of Hinduism, if wrestling too was part of this cultural heritage, puts Thai clinch/wrestling in line with some of the highest forms of Siamese/Thai culture. There is a Burmese Indian form of wrestling (which more clearly marks out this influence). One wonders if some of the anti-wrestling Muay Thai rulesets that are often (rightly) described as anti-Judo (Japanese), could also be anti-Burmese in origin (a traditionally hated National enemy). Wikis to look up: In the Burmese state of Rhakine a form wrestling that is traditionally practices in the rural villages, and fought in festivals (sounds familiar). It has long been my thesis that sport Muay Thai developed in parallel lineages, one at the level of the Capital or civic centers of Kingdoms, with royal (and formal martial) auspices, but another at the level of the populaces, in festival rites of contest and social organization (gambled).

Saying a thing or two about the Patong Fight Night promotion. This is the creation of Num Noi who owns Singpatong gym in Phuket, and who has been behind some of the bigger high-profile farang wins at Lumpinee (before the rise of Entertainment Muay Thai), with both Damian Almos and Rafi in his stable of fighters. He has created a wonderful traditional promotion with strong production values, broadcast on YouTube. All the fighters (on this card) fought in the trad style, always with a distinct effort toward Thai techniques, even when their skills were not of the highest caliber. You felt like you were watching actual Muay Thai, and not some Western mashup. This was forwarding Muay Thai. Even at the bigger weights, in farang vs farang matchups, it made a huge difference in enjoyment. Instead of fighters holding their breath and letting go with clashing combos, they were trying to figure each other out, find advantages and solve disadvantages. There was actual narrative structure. In the fight before Dangkonfah's a Libyan fighter (I believe), in a close fight the 3rd round switched to Southpaw and discovered his American opponent had real trouble blocking kicks to the open side. It was a great adjustment, he found a weakness. Then the American (sorry, I don't remember anyone's names) started teeping his opponent's groin, repeatedly. Someone must have told him that this was legal (which it is), and may have even encouraged him (its poor sportsmanship, but hey, it can be done). It was something to watch the Libyan fighter fighter deal with this once he realized it was intentional. He got mad, switched out of Southpaw so he could go hard in his more comfortable orthodox. In a way, it had worked. The kicking advantage was lost. Between rounds, going into the 5th, he must have been told to go back to Southpaw and he did, and he regained his advantage. With some excitement he finally had pinned his somewhat enraging opponent in the corner with leg kicks, and you just held your breath. Would it keep kicking? Would this be a leg kick KO? The whole thing had tremendous narrative, even with the somewhat dirty play, because this is traditional Muay Thai, and fighters are forced to solve each other. It doesn't matter that the fight wasn't at some elite level. The fighters were well-matched, they were bringing the weapons they knew well, it was a wonderful dialogue of combat. If it had been Entertainment combo-ing over and over it would have been unwatchable (for me personally). Instead, it was a joy to watch. Muay Thai when it is properly fought has something to say at all levels.

Sangmanee at 15... the graphic from Sylvie's excellent 2015 article on the trajectories of young Thai female and male fighters: "Judging Youth – Young, Great Male (and Female) Thai Fighters"

We first met Dangkongfah 7 years ago, when she was on a festival card in Nongbuacoke (Isaan) that Sylvie was on. Her name is Nong Ploy (play name), she was 15 and came out of the crowd to spontaneously help corner for Sylvie. That is her in the Hawaiian print shirt, giving Sylvie advice in the fight. We watched her fight that night too. She was dynamic, and masterful at turning the fight at the right moment.

This is Dangkongfah in her Banchamek, Entertainment stretch, 2 years ago

What a Fight. One of Most Personally Enjoyable Female Fights I've Seen in a Long Time I may not expect others to thrill at this fight as much as Sylvie and I did, but Dangkongfah vs Karolina Lisowska of Poland was just quite an experience for us to watch. A big part of that joy was being so familiar with Thai female fighters in Thailand (Sylvie has fought nearly 150 Thais, easily the most any Westerner has fought), so in explaining what made this fight so awesome for us I get to tell the story of Thai female fighters in general, over the past 10 years or so, so I can point out just how good Dangkongfah's performance was. As a sidenote, none of what I write is significant commentary on Karonlina, a fighter I do not know. Appreciating That Female Fighters, Understanding Their Development The best Thai female fighters, historically, but also still, develop their skills in the side bet circuits where local fight scenes in the provinces produce top fighters in a gambling milieu. The female fighters fight a lot, and the fights are very traditional in style (which is to say, narratively driven, balance, control and dominance being major scoring factors, purity of technique rewarded, and with clinch a significant part of all cards). Local top fighters travel around to other local top fighters in festivals, and the bet sizes go up. This prize-fighting scene produces highly skilled, complex fighters...but they tend to hit their apex around 14-15. That's when they are fighting the most frequently, training hard, and are actively being sharpened by the gambling. Once they get around that age they stop fighting so much (often because it is harder to find opponents, but also in terms of just the changing social status of young women). They can still be very, very good fighters, but they usually flatten out. In the past great fighters like Chomanee, Lomannee, Sawsing, Loma, and Phetjee Jaa came out like this. These are the yodmuay of Thai female fighting. In their later teens they might fight on the Thai National Team (amateur), but really in terms of development by 16 the peak of sidebet skill driving is missing (this side bet process is what traditionally drives the skills of male Thai fighters, well into their late 20s or even 30s, in the National Stadia. The next gen after the one mentioned above, because the side bet scenes have been eroding, haven't really produced the classic female "yodmuay", the one who takes on all comers, and has reached the apex level in the traditional way. Potential side bet yodmuay came through like Nongbiew and Pornphan, pretty strong fighters at 15 or so, but nobody reaching those past levels (Sylvie fought both of these fighters when they were at their apex, giving up significant weight). What ended up happening in this gen is that with the rise of Entertainment Muay Thai mid-level Thai female fighters, and some top level, from the side bet circuit were brought into Entertainment oriented training. A lot of these fighters who had developed a timing and narrative prize fighting game were newly taught bite-down and combo fighting (which is pretty foreign to them). Entertainment Muay Thai wanted clashing, so female Thai fighters (who were timing fighters) learned instead how to just come in with memorized strikes. Some, got good at this, and did well in Entertainment Muay Thai, but most floundered a bit. They were fighting out of their element, away from their skill set. Always the Underdog The interesting thing about Dangkongfah is that she rode this wave of opportunity in Entertainment Muay Thai, she began using combos and clashing, becoming recognized on (televised) Super Champ, which was somewhat promoting her as a Thai story, but she really wasn't pretty with it at all. She in fact had been in the Fairtex stable around with Stamp was taken in and began being fashioned into an Entertainment star, but Dangkongfah was not taken seriously, perhaps viewed somewhat as a backwardish Isaan fighter, from the countryside. What people didn't appreciate, and what Entertainment Muay Thai didn't really care about, about Dangkongfah is that she's a highly developed prize-fighter, she is really, really, REALLY good at managing a fight, in the traditional sense. She doesn't usually LOOK like she's doing much, but she is really good. So Dangkongfah was something of the Cinderella step-sister to Stamp at Fairtex. She left Fairtex, had some recognition on Hard Core (an Entertainment, small-glove show), and then got some revenge on Entertainment Muay Thai. The excellent Allycia Rodrigues beat Stamp for the ONE World Muay Thai title in August of 2020, and then one month later Dangkongfah faced Allycia for the Thailand belt (trad Muay Thai). She beat the ONE World Champion for the belt, not looking pretty at all in her combo-ish strking, but managing the fight with the brilliance of a fighter who had been fighting for prizes since a kid. It must have been a tremendously satisfying win. Allycia would then defend her ONE belt vs Janet Todd 6 months later. Around this time Dangkongfah also took the 112 lb WBC World title vs Souris Manfredi, in a fight set up basically with the aim of giving Souris the opportunity for the much desired title shot - there had been many roadblocks. Again, in a way that was probably frustrating to her opponent, Dangkongfah controlled time and distance, walking away with the belt. She's just such an interesting fighter, but to see it, to feel it, you have to have her in the traditional ruleset. When she fought Meksen in ONE Entertainment Muay Thai, fish out of water trying to trade wonky combos in that style with an experienced fighter, with some visible size, who will just combo cleaning up the middle. It was a blowout. Dangkongfah had gone up to Buakaw's Banchamek gym, which had worked with talented trad female fighters trying to help them fight in the Entertainment, Kickboxing style. Sylvie's long time opponent Nanghong Liangprasert (now using the fighter name: Nong Faasai PK Saenchai) was up there. Again, this seems to largely be trad teaching timing, narrative Muay Thai fighters how to throw Entertainment combos, so they can get fight opportunities in the growing Entertainment versions of the sport. There is another element to this story, and the appreciation of this beautiful fight (on Patong Fight Night) which is that some young Thai side bet fighters end up on commercialized gyms like Banchamek or Fairtex and start weight training and drilling combinations, but many others move out of their teen situations and stop training hard at all. They will be adding combos so they can fight and clash in Entertainment Muay Thai vs Westerners, but they will gain weight pretty quickly. By the time they are 18 or so a 51 kg fighter can easily be a 60+ kg fighter, facing Westerners. They will have added a bite-down style for Entertainment, but many are outside of the rigorous training that made them quite good when they were 14-15. This is enough to say, when we see a Thai female fighter on television, who was once pretty skilled and sharp, often someone Sylvie has fought when they were apex, and they have gained a lot of weight, the first thought is: Are they training hard? Are they running? Will they gas? And, will they just be throwing combos (which really isn't their deeper skill set)? The expectation is that they no longer are peak. This is what made Dangkongfah's performance so stunning, and so enjoyable...so admirable. She has gained a substantial amount of weight. She's only 22, but the guess would be that she was quite far from her peak as a fighter. She was NOT far from her peak...in fact this is probably the best I've ever seen her fight. We've seen maybe 5 fights of hers, including when she was maybe 13 in Isaan, we know her arc really well. She was so good. I feel bad for her opponent Karonlina because there is no way she could know how good Dangkongfah is. And looking at her she might have thought she'd have it easy. This was a late replacement fight. It was NOT easy. This is what I LOVED about Dangkongfah's performance. First, she was able to fight in the traditional style, which is HER art. So much praise for Num Noi (the promoter) for creating a REAL traditional show, right in the heart of Phuket tourism. You need a properly reffed, full-rules setting to see what Dangkongfah is, since a kid. But, what is even more cool is that wherever Dangkongfah is training they gave her a wicked jab. In fact she worked almost the entire fight through one of my favorite inner games for a fighter, Jap-Teep in combination. But these are not memorized combinations, this is using them in a creative game of timing, changing levels, intensity, feints. Entire fights can be fought through just these two strikes, and Dangkongfah is doing it at a very high level. She actually isn't teeping much, but her teep-fake is so hard (with the knee bounce) it makes the opponent bite. The form of that feignt is almost as good as a teep itself, changing levels. Just watching these two lead attacks, and the sharp quality of her jab was a thing of beauty. She had practically given up all together the wild combos she had taken up for Entertainment Muay Thai, she had returned to her timing art. This was very moving for me. By the 3rd round her jab and teep had subtly managed to change Karolina's fight distance, putting her "on the porch" as Sylvie and I like to say, exactly where Dangkongfah wanted her, so she could control, negate and counter. In the 4th Karolina figured it out, her distance was wrong, and she tried to walk through the porch, but it was too late. Dangkonfah is very experienced with this. She just muddied up the 4th with clashes and more jabs and teeps, (a big teep to the ground to establish stylistic dominance) denying any change in the fight. She is expert at spoiling the clinch, and it served her very well, draining away any chance for a change. It had already been decided in the 3rd, in terms of style and narrative, and she just used the 4th to lock it away. Then in the 5th it was a walk home with the lead in the trad style. This is how I like to watch fights. I don't really watch strikes. I see them like anything else, but I like to watch distance control and timing, the way the fighter manages these things. Also, even though she had put on significant weight, she looked FANTASTIC. She wasn't winded at all (maybe a little in the 4th round some of the edge came off?), she was incredibly light on her feet (lighter than in many of her past fights), she moved like an optical illusion, subtly shifting, driving, changing angles. As a basketball fan I have a certain weakness for very light-footed, super skilled big boys like Charles Barkley or Big Baby Davis (above). When athletes are big bodied, but display finesses, touch, speed and agility, its just plain stunning. And looking at her, it even seem possible that even though she's much bigger than even a year ago, she may be power lifting? She just looked fantastic, like even though this isn't a normie body, this is HER body, and she looked totally at home in it, even maybe apex in it. All these things together just made the fight unbelievably joyous to watch (nothing against Karolina who fought admirably). Dankongfah as the continual underdog, from Fairtex dropout to wild Entertainment combo-ist, here getting to do HER art, and with these beautiful new tools, tools of real Muay Thai, in a promotion that favors the trad art. And that she's found a place in her body where she just is being her, being free in the ring, in a non-trad body, using all her skills and instinct. Seeing this wonderful fighter having a place, a trajectory. It meant a lot.

I wonder if that is Nungubon's gym. Nungubon does have transfer over to Hongtong (the Hongtong boys are from Ubon), in fact I believe that farang who handles Nungubon's IG trains at Hongtong at times, if I'm not mistaken. More broadly though, thanks for such an informative, and personally grounded post to help others out Joseph, good stuff!

Orachunnoi interview (all in Thai), upon his Hall of Fame election, he goes through his fight book:

You could try Silk Muay Thai in Pattaya, which has a very openminded attitude, is organized around serious training, combines Thai style training with more Western concepts, the vibe is good, its a new facility, and there are Westerners there (which means bigger body-types). Daniel the owner is a straight up, positive guy. The fighters fight a lot, the excellent pad man Chicken Man (Kru Gai) can handle size. I don't think its a pricey gym. https://www.instagram.com/silkmuaythai/

Watching Orachunnoi vs Phetpayao (Phayao) from 1977 today. Phetpayao is "Phayao" the first Thai to win an Olympic medal, a Bronze at the 1976 Olympics in Boxing. Orachunnoi is in darker shorts. Phayao was trained by Arjan Surat (legend and friend, of Dejrat). He would win the WBC World Boxing title in 1983. Orachunnoi is 6 years or so his senior. Two legends of the sport. Orachannoi also was a boxer, though in the amateur Asian scene, nicknamed Golden Fist. Because both fighters are known for their hands, and involved in boxing I really was interested in how they would face each other. Phayao's lead fan-sok elbow, and even elbow combinations were pretty surprising, elbows flowing in his boxer's set. Orachunnoi just a wider tool box. The wide-sweeping low-kick and teep working combination. Lots of Smart side teep, and even a kind of sweep-back teep to the face (twice at least), and then in the 4th round he comes inside to do the dirty work with his hands. What a beautiful fight.

It's pretty awesome and amazing to be having the trainer of the legend Orachannoi, a now past legend of the sport, called The Poor Man's Champion, 60 years later Arjan Gimyu, who trained Orachannoi watching Sylvie's boxing at Rambaa's and saying that it reminds him of Orachunnoi, who was known as "Golden Fist", if only to be the reason that his memory came back to him. Orachunnaoi Hor Mahachai Arjan Gimyu holding for Kaensak back in the FOTY days Gimyu was a top Thai Boxer before he became a trainer, and was a stadium Muay Thai fighter as well. He retired from fighting at 44. He now hangs out at Rambaa's just watching the Muay. This post is just an appreciation of being in contact with these memories, and also something of the belief that Western Boxing has had a profound impact on Thailand's Muay Thai, and that Sylvie in boxing her first "official" boxing fight on Saturday, and training up for it, it touching those historical threads. Arjan Gimyu looking back on his own life, and those he trained, and kind of getting excited is pretty cool for what it is.

The World Broken up into its Muay Thai and BJJ parts:

I feel like I've kind of resigned myself to realizing that I lived through the last of maybe classical Muay Thai, the Muay Thai of Rama IX, and it is just passing into another phase. Maybe it will bend back at some point, the country is incredibly resilient to foreign influence (though very open to it, as if it has developed an immunity over the centuries through that contact and impulse). I feel maybe less like we have to struggle to pull it all back into the other direction, away from its commodification, and more that I'm just so joyed to have experienced its final decade, to have seen it, and be living in that afterglow. I still hope to preserve as much from those final generations, hoping the seeds of that beautiful art are thrown forward...but at least today I'm more in a state of appreciation and thankfulness.