Sylvie von Duuglas-Ittu

I've definitely noted a very stark difference in appreciation for the dangers of head impacts between western perspective and Thai perspective (where I have experience watching, but likely similar to what you're seeing at your gym). There is an understanding of concussion, but it's kind of considered to be momentary, like something you "walk off." One of the fighters in my gym got hit hard in sparring and was definitely concussed (after he'd been KOd in a fight not too long before) and they just had him stretch his jaw out. So, your trainer might not have a full comprehensive understanding of what cognitive impacts there might be from such a kick to the face. Since your friend didn't lose consciousness, the trainer might think it's not even concussive. Kevin and I have largely relied on me to determine what the damage may or may not be from any head impacts. So, likewise your friend needs to pay attention to his own symptoms. As for the "walk it off" attitude of the trainer and the reckless sparring, I think this is simply a case of limited understanding and perspective. I don't think they're being dicks about it, not on purpose.

Awesome! Thanks for your support, as always, Jim!

Follow this thread, I'll be adding specific session links which would be great places to start.

Clinch is one of the hardest things to learn, both in and out of Thailand. In Thailand it's hard because it often doesn't involve lots of instruction. You get thrown in the water in long clinch sessions and you learn by experience and by watching. Outside of Thailand it can be even more difficult because you generally are not surrounded by high level clinch technique, so its hard to improve from basics. In any case the Muay Thai Library project can help because in many of the sessions a great variety of clinch techniques are shown. Just watching the videos can give you idea for positions or principles to try in your own training, and break you out of whatever you are already practicing. One of the best things about clinch in Thailand is how varied it is. Clinch in the Muay Thai Library You can find all the clinch-oriented sessions of the Muay Thai Library, or sessions that have some substantive clinch (you may have to skip around in the session), in this tag. Just scroll down and you'll find over 30 documented hours. What you'll see is that there is so much to learn from Thailand's clinch that isn't usually taught. You are learning from legends of the sport, and from great krus, and seeing how clinch fits together with various Muay Thai fighting styles. This kind of documentation is incredibly valuable: Clinch in the Muay Thai Library Muay Thai Clinch Playlist Also, I've made a YouTube Playlist of all the (free, public) videos covering clinch that I've done over the years. There are over 50 videos there that anyone can browse and learn from: watch the playlist here watch the clinch playlist here Muay Thai Clinch Basics If you are just starting out, or are experienced and would like to review basics, the above 1 hour seminar is my version of an introduction to clinch, from what I've learned, given to the team out of the SMAC gym. People really love it, and its free for everyone. Going beyond clinch You might also like to study my technique vlogs in the Library. Below is a list of those published up to this point in time. They share thoughts about techniques that I've learned from the Library itself, as I filmed it, and which I work on as a fighter. They can give ideas on how to approach techniques, aside from just trying to copy them: All my Technique Vlogs for Patrons If you enjoyed this technique vlog check out my other Patron-only technique vlogs: #21 Your Ambient Footwork (15 min) #20 Jang-wa, Rhythm and Timing (15 min) #19 Training Ruup & Composure (13 min) #18 Closing the Door in Long Guar (11 min) #17 Static Block for Balance (9 min) #16 The Diamond Guard (20 min) #15 Mental Gym, Beginning to Advanced Visualization (19 min) #14 Getting the Right Hand In (13 min) #13 Rising on Techniques (6 min) #12 Control of the Kick (6 min) #11 Body Position First (11 min) #10 All About How I Recover (12 min) #9 Creating Power and Distance At Close Range (9 min) #8 Where Are Your Feet? Foot Position (9 min) #7 Evolving in the Long Guard (10 min) #6 The Power of Eye Contact (10 min) #5 Dieselnoi's Lowkick in the Clinch (12 min) #4 Air Knees in the Corner (8 min) #3 Acceleration at the End of Strikes (10 min) #2 The Kem Pivot (12 min) #1 Dealing With Fear, How to Cut it Out (13 min)

My trainer insists that the "post fight medicine" needs to be taken to avoid abscesses/ Staph. If you don't fight, you have to take it every 2 months of training. Like a reset.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsN96OvHRSZWiecrdPvy5Wg This is also a good channel to watch, Petchyindee. You can see when the times are by the videos that are already up, but they tend to stream on Friday nights in Thailand.

A tire is more stiff, so you work harder on your legs as you bounce on it. But a trampoline is generally the same thing, so long as you keep your legs wide (like a stance) as you jump. Should be fine.

The 45 degree step is preferred by most trainers and gyms that I've experienced. When krus have you step straight forward, it's usually because they kick "through" the opponent more, but then your guard has to stay up pretty solid as a defense as you come in. Like the Arjan Surat arm, or "Pinsinchai Arm" as Kevin and I call it, to defend punches. This was never explicitly stated by Kongtoranee to me, but other krus who have taught to step right on or near an opponent's foot, it also allows your kick or knee to "track" them if they try to pivot off or move to the side. Rambaa, Karuhat, Yodkhunpon and Sagat all teach that elbow toward the center as a defense. It f***ing hurts if you punch an elbow. Can break someone's hand quite easily.

I've been asking myself that a lot lately, as I keep working on it. I think we all have a 2.0, 3.0, 4.0... onward. It's a way to find a direction you want to develop and just f***ing go for it. For me, the "Sylvie 3.0" model is largely about feeling and the kinds of freedoms and lack of fear/tensions I want as a fighter. Those are really, really hard to accomplish. And there's no blueprint. It's a re-invention but also fixing a lot of bugs, making more efficient, offering better features, etc. to borrow from computer and application terminology. In the process of working toward Sylvie 3.0, I hit up against a lot of the old grooves and habits I have. Those are "bugs" in my system, to me.

I've never seen that bent elbow thing purposefully trained. I think there's a tendency toward it because of how pads are held, lots of fighters probably imitate each other, and then it's never corrected. When I see corrections in Muay Thai, it's always toward straighter punches. I've never, ever seen that weird chicken wing punch taught, instructed, or praised. It's just tolerated... a lot.

Angles and leverage definitely favor the tall in clinch. That said, as a shorter fighter if you can get a taller fighter down to your angles and height - breaking theor posture and destroying their leverage - the advantage is huge. Tall fighters are also more susceptible to trips, as the center of gravity is higher. The lower base of short fighters makes us harder to off-balance.

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Kem's is a good option because he's also very adroit in boxing, so you wouldn't have to leave your strengths behind in order to get good clinch work in and develop areas you're not yet strong in.

Wow, that's beautiful. Thank you l love your reminders of what you're working on as well.

Nothing is certain in Thailand right now. There's a promotion that I might be on next month, but I never count my chickens before they hatch, as they say. My focus right now is Sylvie 3.0, which doesn't revolve around fighting. It's a HUGE change for me, but it's good.

Almost all Thai men will ordain at one point in their lives. When a relative dies, when they are of a particular age, etc. This is a temporary ordination, lasting from a single day (for a funeral) to a few years. The longer you ordain, the more you are seen as having good qualities. But you're not looked down on for not staying in the Sangha, just revered if you do. If you are disrobed, obviously there's some stigma to that. But I've never come upon any kind of misgivings or side eyes or gossip about anyone leaving the monkhood after having spent time, even significant time, in it.

Hi Jorge, I can't comment on what the people at Sangtiennoi's gym are like, as I've not ever trained there in a regular session and the last time I was there was many years ago. However, Sangtiennoi himself is a wonderful man and I've heard many good things about training at his gym. Hopefully somebody who has spent some time there, or has been there recently, can give a better idea of what the daily experience is like. I did see the fighter's dorms. They have air con, they're small, and if I remember correctly they are flush toilets, not squat toilets.

@LengLeng people's misunderstanding or confusion is what leads folks to fret over whether they can wear something they purchased, but that's not a bad thing. Their concern is a good thing. And a lot of times wearing it is fine. The important part of the whole concept of Cultural Appropriate is the "appropriation" part. Yoga in the west is a great example, although it feels more like "reappopropriation" in that context because it's mostly just white-washed. It's a not a clear-cut thing (the legal licensing of Lethwei is 100% clear cut bullshit), but a very good guide is to look to the culture that one is borrowing from to see whether one's usage is appropriate or not. You don't get to tell someone whether or not their offended, you ask, or listen when they tell you. It's pretty simple.

Tattoos are quite personal, so whatever brings you association to your experiences with Muay Thai is appropriate. You could chose a word written in Thai, or an image (the things to consider here are if you get a mongkol, for example, placement has to be high on your body).

The Bangkok location of Fairtex has been closed for a number of years now, they're only in Pattaya. Master Toddy's has a Muay Thai visa, WKO in Pattaya has one that can go for 5 years, The Camp in Chiang Mai offers one but it's technically an ED visa for Thai Language, but arranged through the gym.

Thanks for linking the thread @LengLeng. Definitely check that out for answers, but the shortest version is that I think concussions should be taken quite seriously and I've been lucky to not have experienced them (to my knowledge) frequently. I had one really bad one and took a full 10 days (I think... check the thread) rest. And I was recently concussed again and took less rest, but my diet is very different now and I think that makes a huge difference.

It's from his fight against Jaroensak Giatnakhonchon, which I believe was his Lumpinee title.

I've never been injured by my trainers, but I've had this shit-just-got-very-real experience of emotional rise and physical amplification to drive/meet it. It's scary. I'm sorry for your experience of it, but I've also learned from the experience and it's not all mistakes and terror. I don't know the culture where you are now, but in Thailand (where you know the culture) talking about it isn't a thing. There was a kind of acknowledgment of it, a few words to make sure that we both understood what happened, and that was that. Being bashed in the head like that is much worse than I've ever experienced, but learning to control emotion - including someone else's emotion - is part of the whole game, unfortunately... and fortunately. I hope your head is okay and that the relationship in the gym space is manageable.

Like most things, it's imitative until it's natural. Maybe mimic someone you like for a bit until something clicks, but then just find your beat and go with it. It's like dancing. You can steal choreography for a while, but then you have to actually hit the beats and feel the music for yourself. I find tire bouncing and shadow most helpful for this, personally.

I'm so glad you enjoyed that session. I adore Kaensak so much and it was really a huge and meaningful thing for me personally to be able to get him in the library. He's kind of a bridge between Yodmuay and the West, because he was such a great fighter but has spent so much time teaching in the US by now that he has altered how he explains or teaches (or at least I imagine it's been hugely influenced), so it's digestible for us in this format.