#160 SiKing "Don King" Giatpayatai - The S. Ploenjit Chop Kick, with rhythm & distance control (1hr, 20min)

What is so incredible about this session is really two things. It is a documentation of an Old School very effective kick (which itself is SiKing's own synthesis of two classic styles), a masterful kick I've started putting into my training as a fighter, and that Kru SiKing teaches some of the hardest things to teach in Muay Tha, rhythm, timing and distance control, and does so very effectively. These are ground work basics, but they inform everything that separates Muay Thai out from many other fighting styles, and structure its traditional excellence.

SiKing began his career at the famed Sor. Ploenjit gym, arriving right around Kaensak's first Fighter of the Year award. In the late 90s he became a fighter at Dejrat under Arjan Surat, where he became Omnoi Champion at 126 lbs. His name means "4 kings," a reference Thailand's monarchy. His nickname became "Don King" due to the prominance of the promoter, who was well known in Thailand during the 90s, due to the popularity of Western Boxing in Thailand, covered by magazine publishers and televised fights. Other than the name, I don't think there was any direct association.

We filmed with Don King at the Chor. Hapayak gym just north of Bangkok, a true kaimuay that has a massive stable of fighters, growing them from young kinds to stadium names, and really no Westerners that know of. I believe Don King had been there for less than a year by the time we met with him, but he's a fantastic addition to the gym, as he's been teaching since probably before he even retired from Muay Thai. We'd first encountered him at Dejrat, where he was clearly an experienced and confident Kru, but when I mentioned filming with him to my padman back in Pattaya, he nodded and said that Don King had been the trainer of coworker - a man who I know must be not much younger than Don King, meaning he's been teaching for a very long time. It was also delightful to send some photos of our filming to Arjan Gimyu, who teaches me now and was Don King's trainer at Sor. Ploenjit, when he was probably only 14 years old, and Arjan remembered him immediately. Probably my favorite moment from the session was, unfortunatley not caugh on film, but it was the realization that SiKing's style is an amalgam of both Sor. Ploenjit's kick, with Dejrat's guard disciplined on top of it.

What to Look Out For:

1) Knees Like Repelling Magnets: the shape of his kick is so amazing. It's a very wide-knee separation to allow the leg to whip very fast and land with the shin into the body like a 45 degree baseball bat across the guts. You can really see the shape of it when he first takes me over to the tear-drop bag. It isn't until the end that he explains why he prefers this kick, but basically it solves all the potential tradeoffs of being a kicker, by evading blocks and dodges alike.

2) Jang-wa and Speed: I had a hard time with the rhythm of blocking and kicking back before the opponent's leg is even back on the ground, but that's great for learning purposes. My leg comes down too slow, and the rhythm of your counter is what dictates the speed of it. 1...1-2 is different from 1-1-2 or 1-1....2.

3) Kicking Against Punches: SiKing is definitely a kicker. He's fast, he can fire many at a time, and he knows that a natural enemy is a bold puncher. He solves this by timing his kicks to land under punches, or to kick hard enough at the body and arms to take away any of their power.

4) Separating Into 2 Beats for Distance and Balance: this was interesting to me, personally, as a dern fighter. Many entries into the Library have dealt with striking while landing off of a strike. It makes sense, you're close, you're using the power of landing down as increased power behind the strike. Think a knee that, as your foot is coming back down, an elbow comes with it. For Don King, he wants to come back to neutral before covering space to land an elbow. This is interesting because there's a reason for it - just as there's a reason for the alternate. His distance is kicking distance, and because he would very likely fire more than one kick at a time, coming back down to the position he'd throw another kick from allows him to decide to go ahead and throw that kick, or let the landing back be a fake in and of itself, making the opponent anticipate another strike from that distance, but then he shoots forward with the short-range elbow instead; even potentially stepping inside the opponent's counter-kick. He chooses this back-to-neutral because that's his distance. A knee fighter chooses the elbow-on-the-way-down because that's his distance. An added bonus for Don King's style is it's very, very balanced.

5) Jolting Teeps and Long Hooks: teeps are interruptive, so speed is the main factor in their effectiveness, but he also wants them to hurt. His jabs are long, lancing. But his hook is long in a different way, which is very effective in being hard to read. He keeps his arm out from his face and jabs the guard, making the opponen double-down on keeping their right hand in front of their face. Then he goes around it, but from the same long starting point, so it looks the same as a jab, turning it only at the last moment. It's hard enough to knock out, but it's not wound up - it's accurate and relies on the rotation of the shoulder to get its power.

6) How to Use Bagwork to Build speed, Timing, and Distance Control: I love when sessions include bagwork. The reason I love it so much is that it's something that can be brought into your (you, viewer) life with great immediacy. You don't need a teacher who knows what you're trying to do; you don't need a friend to agree to work with you. You don't even need an actual bag for this one, just something you're willing to put your shin on. SiKing teaches how to start with burn drills (anything high repetition is burn) at a close distance, to work on speed; then you drag yourself back to a distance that you have to step on each kick to learn distance control; and then you break up the strikes with rhythm and fakes, teeps, angles, to be able to hide when you're going to take that step for the kick.

Other Sessions Referenced:

Dejrat:

#90 Arjan Surat 2 - His Old School Tough & Defensive Style (94 min) watch it here

#112 Chatchainoi Chaoraioi - The Best Padman in Thailand (64 min) watch it here

#143 Takrowlek Dejrat - Master of the Low Kick (90 min) watch it here 

#154 Hemrat Chaoraioi at TDet99 | Infinite Training, How To Train in Thailand (1 hr, 24 min) watch it here

#152 Bangsaen Tor. Kotsan #2 | High Level Ruup & Control Over Space (Boxing & Muay Thai) (57 min) watch it here

#158 Chatpon Dejrat - The Art of Relentless Mid-Clinch & Muay Khao Persistence (62 min) watch it here

Sor. Ploenjit

#24 Kaensak Sor. Ploenjit - Explosive Defense (55 min) watch it here

#137 Kem Sitsongpeenong 3 - Balance, Fakes and Calm (102 mins) watch it here or podcast here 

#113 Arjan Yai Muangsupan - Golden Age Forms & Dynamics (119 min) watch it here

Arjan Gimyu (coming soon)

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#95 Wangchannoi Sor. Palangchai #2 - The Secret Powers of a Cool Heart (77 min) watch it here

#34 Samart Payakaroon - Balance, Balance, Balance! (81 min) watch it here

#125 Therdkiat Sittepitak - Aggressive Femeu (61 min) watch it here

#27 Karuhat Sor. Supawan 4 - Tension & Kicking Dynamics (104 min) watch it here

See SiKing pick his 5 Greatest Muay Thai Fighters of All Time

watch it here

Photos from SiKing's career

Arjan Surat and Don King, 1999, below

lower half, Don King wins by KO at Lumpinee, 1998

18 year old SiKing (blue), probably still at Sor. Ploenjit

Omnoi Champion

Don King (blue) at Lumpinee

8 man tournament for 1 million baht, Don King upper right in red shorts

Some of Kevin's Photographs from the Session

If you enjoyed this session here are others on similar themes

#153 Noppadet Sor. Rewadee | Muay Dtae, precision femeur kicker (1 hr, 9 min) watch it here

Largely unknown to the West Noppadet has a who's who of defeated opponents, including Somrak, Dokmaipaa, Wangchannoi, Langsuan and Weerapol. We're very luck to film with him to bring awareness of his beautiful muay and his career as a fighter. In this session we learn how his unique kicking, timing style can create such artful, but powerful fighting.

#139 Chamuakpet Hapalang 3 - Vertical Attack, Control of Space (95 min) watch it here or podcast here 

If you speak of only Lumpinee & Rajadamnern National Stadium titles Chamuakpet is the most decorated Muay Thai fighter in history, with 9 belts to his name (5 Rajadamnern, 4 Lumpinee). He fought for 17 years, preceding and encompassing the Golden Age of Muay Thai, and had one of the most accomplished fighting styles of Muay Thai, combining Muay Khao greatness with high IQ weapon use. In this session learn secret keys to his success. His teep, his vertical knee, his elbow, and the bi-directional dynamics that made him so balanced & so controlled.

#132 Matee Jedeepitak - The Keys To Femeu Timing & Distance (66 min) watch it here

Some of the most difficult - but vital - things to learn in traditional Muay Thai is the trinity of Timing, Distance and how to incorporate the Basics. These form the core of what made Golden Age Muay Thai so very special as a fighting style. Lumpinee Champion Matee Jedeepitak has spent two decades perfecting his communication of these femeu qualities, unlocking them for everyone from beginning student to advanced fighter.

#90 Arjan Surat 2 - His Old School Tough & Defensive Style (94 min) watch it here

A legend of Bangkok and coach of the Thai National Team, Arjan Surat has a toughened, defense oriented, forward style. In this session he builds it from the ground up, starting with his old school arm swing on the kick (no swing, instead using it to simultaneously block), emphasizing balance and solid framing. Watch and learn!

#47 Silapathai Jockygym - Master of Teep Distance (64 min) watch it here

One of the great femeu fighters of the Golden Age unlocks the secret of his teep oriented dominance which made him one of the most difficult fighters to face in his day. The lessons here are precious as he unfolds the details of how to use the teep and tempo to always put the fight where you want it.

Remember you can browse the entire Library here.