Tales from The Elbow Hunter 1 - Were You Always an Elbow Fighter?

Be sure to turn on English Subtitles (cc on screen bottom right), for the interview above. If you'd like to read the English transcript it is at the bottom of this article.

One of the special things we are doing out of patron support is interviewing legends of the sport and letting them tell their own stories. I've been sparring a lot with Yodkhunpon, The Elbow Hunter of 100 Stitches, so I thought it would be great to sit down with him in a series. Not one big interview, but over time just have conversations. This is Part 1 which covers a bit of how he became an elbow fighter and got his nickname, as well as how not having the resources of a gym when he was young led him to lots and lots of shadowboxing, which he credits with helping give him his fluid style. 

He's a very special teacher, the greatest elbow fighter in history, and you can feel how gentle a person he is, despite having a vicious, relentless fighting style. Because this is a running series and what we talk about isn't pre-determined feel free to throw your own ideas of what would be interesting to cover in the months ahead (post your thoughts in comments). 

Things I want to talk about are some technical aspects of his elbow style, why Thais traditionally have looked down on elbows, his fight in the United States (without elbows) when he was 19, what it is like teaching contemporary Thai fighters (he teaches the stadium fighters at PK Saenchai gym once a week), and much, much more. 

Thank you to everyone who is a patron. You not only support me as a fighter, and huge projects like the Muay Thai Library, but also free interviews that let the legends of the sport speak for themselves, and tell their own story. 

Ways to Study and Connect with Yodkhunpon

We made a shirt to support him. 100% of the profits from the sale of these shirts go right to him. They ship worldwide, pretty quickly, and within a day or two of purchase I've already transferred the profit him. Each shirt sold gives him a little boost. Shop them here. All the Sylvie apparel we make goes to support the legends, check that out here.

If you are interested in the fighting style of Yodkhupon the Muay Thai Library has already documented a huge portion of it. As a patron you can watch the full sessions below: 

#84 Yodkhunpon Special Intensive - The Whole Elbow Style (70 min) watch it here

No other fighter in all of Thailand has developed so complete and pressuring a style based on the weapon of elbows. In this session the Elbow Hunter of 100 Stitches presents his whole galloping style, revealing how he opens up windows for his elbows, and uses those windows to then open up attack with other weapons.

#15 Yodkhunpon "The Elbow Hunter" part 2 - Escapes  (48 min) watch it here

Part 2 of my session with one of the most feared elbow fighters of the Golden Age, Yodkhunpon Sitraipom, The Elbow Hunter of 100 Stitches. Lots of fine details in this one, escapes from clinch locks, turns and catches. Best is his floating, gentle style that also holds such violence.

#9 Yodkhunpon "The Elbow Hunter" pt 1  - Slicing Elbow (37 min) watch it here

Simultaneous Raja and Luminee title holder at 118 lbs, Yodkhunpon was one of the most feared elbow fighters in Thailand, and in this session he teaches the looseness and spacing that made his lead elbow such a viscious weapon. He also shuns the traditional rocking chair knee, and instead teaches a powerful stand-in crossing, open-hipped knee that compliments his elbows up top.

Bonus Session 9: Yodkhupon Sittraipum - Lethal Smoothness (73 min) watch it here

In this session Yodkhunpon really delves down into the smoothness of his style, with great emphasis on his galloping footwork towards the end. It's all about building a pressure style that does not strain, but rather exerts a constant music of forward attack.

You can also study the 7 days I spent with Yodkhunpon presented in the Sylvie Intensive. This series is separate from the Muay Thai Library and Patreon, but patrons do get a significant discount on downloads or subscriptions. The videos were shot and the site was set up with the support of patrons, and100% of the profit of sales of these intensive videos go to Karuhat and Yodkhunpon - go to the Sylvie Intensive now:

Legends Speak

The Legends Speak tag on Patreon is the series of interviews we've done with great fighters of the past. You can browse though these, just go to the tag at the bottom of this post, or click here. Screencaps from the interviews below:

Transcript of Part 1 of Tales from the Elbow Hunter:

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We'd like to know about your life before you

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became "The Elbow Hunter of 100 Stitches",

were you always an elbow fighter?

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At beginning, I fought with

kicks and knees, everything, not focused with elbows.

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I received the nickname

"Pran Sok Roi Kem" from

0:01:14.176,0:01:20.724

fans 30 years ago from Samrong

and Samut Prakhan boxing stadiums.

0:01:20.724,0:01:24.785

Mr.Anucha Watcharatungka was the

partner at Samrong stadium at that time.

0:01:25.530,0:01:27.782

Everyone I fought with, I cut.

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I started learning elbow techniques from

my seniors and friends at Sitdraipum.

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I went to watch fights and copy 

techniques from fighters I liked.

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I also watched the fights on TV.

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When I saw any fighter with good elbow

techniques, I watched and practiced.

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Then I became good and cut everyone.

Not many people could avoid my elbow.

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That's the origin of my nickname

- Pran Sok Roi Kem. (Elbow Hunter of 100 Stitches)

0:01:58.009,0:02:01.163

You trained with elbow techniques.

0:02:02.488,0:02:08.642

But you can only really hone them in real fights, cutting people, right?

0:02:08.642,0:02:10.545

You didn't train this way.

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Correct. I always created my own rhythm.

0:02:14.128,0:02:16.012

There are many types of elbow techniques.

0:02:16.012,0:02:19.144

To make a cut,

you have to slice with your elbow.

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You can also stab or if it doesn't cut it will knock out.

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There are so many styles -

rising, angled, pull and twitch.

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It depends on the rhythm of the

moment that you will need to create yourself.

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You have to train diligently.

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You have to make your own opportunity to strike.

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For the entire career,

how many stitches did you give out?

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- certainly more than 100...

- more than 500!

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For real.  It's not bragging.

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For Samrong stadium only,

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it was probably more than

50 stitches for 10 fights.

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That was for Samrong stadium

before I even fought at Lumpini stadium.

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Antacil would give a bonus for the fighter who received stitches, not who gave them, right?

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Right, the stitch bonus was for who got stitches.

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If you got paid for giving the stitches, you would be rich!

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- for sure

- yes yes

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Antacil gave  for every fight.

It was 500 baht per stitch.

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- too bad it was the other way

- yes, too bad.

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Thank you.

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At Roi-et,

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when you started boxing,

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did you have heavy bags and

other equipment at the gym?

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Nothing at all. We trained in a courtyard.

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There was no boxing ring,

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or heavy bags like today.

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We had to use the

fertilizer sacks.

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Do you know the vinyl bags for fertilizer?

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Farmers bought the fertilizer in a sack.

They used up the fertilizer.

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The empty sacks were left behind.

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We took them,

added sand and used them for training.

0:04:03.975,0:04:08.909

For you, shadow boxing

0:04:08.909,0:04:11.419

is very important.

0:04:11.419,0:04:14.038

You emphasize shadow boxing a lot, right?

0:04:14.038,0:04:18.123

Yes. It helps improve

 speed and agility.

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You have to do it hard.

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When you fight,

you will be fast and agile.

0:04:24.958,0:04:30.492

If you don't train with shadow boxing,

you will be stiff and slow to strike.

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How old were you when you joined

the gym with a lot of equipment

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with bags and pads, everything? What gym was it?

0:04:41.659,0:04:47.004

I went to Roi-et with

Mr.Anucha Insree Isaan.

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I finished 12th Grade around 20 years old.

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I stayed in Roi-Et around 10 years.

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There were bags, pads, gloves, etc.

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That's when I learned how

people actually trained.

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Before that, I didn't know.

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I thought...

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I observed and practiced by

myself all the time before that.

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I understood better how

actual boxing was later on.

0:05:13.508,0:05:18.067

When you train without equipment, just shadowing, if you don't have experience hitting things

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does it hurt more when you actually make contact in a fight?

0:05:22.624,0:05:24.579

No it won't hurt.

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Shadow boxing helps your speed

and precision of your strike

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because you move all the time.

0:05:32.799,0:05:34.494

- improve skills, right?

- Yes

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Improve your skills and move, everything.

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It will become automatic. You will be

natural when you move in and out.

0:05:42.316,0:05:47.040

When you moved to the gym,

did you still do the shadow boxing?

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Yes

0:05:48.049,0:05:50.694

At Roi-Et, after running,

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I did shadow boxing before

training with bags or pads.

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around 5 - 7 rounds

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Shadow boxing before training

bagwork and padwork.

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It's not the same nowdays, right? Nobody likes shadowboxing anymore

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People use shortcuts these days.

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just clinching only

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When you have your own students,

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you teach them to shadowbox 5-6 rounds every session, right?

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Yes something like that.

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In fact, they are pretty lazy.

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I told them if they wanted to be

good, they should do it.

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I can't force them.

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Why are we lazy to shadow, it's about feeling, right?

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It's not the same.

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Some want to fight to show off.

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Some want to learn.

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They are not serious.

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They also have to work to earn money.

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Most fighters come from poor families.

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They come to fight to earn money

and help their families.

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Rich people don't do

Muay Thai because it hurts.

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They think, fight for what?

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It hurts and it's exhausting.

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I have money already.

0:07:00.405,0:07:04.386

Most people come from upcountry because

0:07:04.386,0:07:09.309

they are mostly farmers.

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Farming can be done once a year only.

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There are 5-7 kids in a family.

They need money for school.

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All kids have to help the family.

0:07:16.702,0:07:20.191

Some people fight to earn money

and help their parents.

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A lot of fighters come from Isaan.

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They have to be strong since birth.

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Thank you very much.