Samson Isaan 2 - Muay Khao & Western Boxing Excellence (59 min)

you can get the audio podcast version of this session, which includes our Library Coffee discussion here.

For the first Muay Thai Library session with Samson Isaan (watch it here), he rolled up in the taxi he drives as his work and borrowed a pair of Muay Thai Shorts from Chatchai in order to teach me. He wasn't an instructor - maybe ever, he's a taxi driver now by trade - but the session quickly became one of my favorites, and maybe Kevin's favorite ever. He's just amazing. So, getting another session with him for the Muay Thai Library is a brilliant treat and I'm stoked that both he and I have grown in our ability to teach/learn together in order to get more of his forward-pressure, relentless style.

Photos from the session:

Things to look out for:

1) The Max Guard: Samson's fists-in guard and blocking with elbows and forearms allows him to come forward without breaking pace at all. He's very well protected and can elbow out of this (and hook/uppercut) very easily.

2) The Clinch Lift: this was cool, when someone gets a good lock on you in the clinch, you put your gloves under their armpits and lift. It breaks the power of their grip, even if you don't fully lift them up. If you do get their weight up off the ground a little bit, you can do a nice throw from there.

3) The Secret of the Shoulder: in all the bobbing and weaving of a boxer's roll, I never noticed how much the front shoulder simultaneously blocks and snuffs the opponent's strikes. This is brilliant and watching Samson do it is really instructive.

4) Low Leg Kick: he kicks so low. Like, behind the calf muscle. It's really painful and effective. If you're facing a puncher, their weight is on that leg and it hurts, interrupts their rhythm and ability to put weight on the leg, and if you're the one kicking you don't have to risk being on one leg for very long.

5) Uppercuts: Samson's uppercuts are glorious. You can see them in his old fight videos, they're really effective in Muay Thai because so many fighters are open up the middle. You have to step in really close and let the elbow align with the torso as the shoulder drops, then pops and you lift with your legs and hips to generate power.

You can watch Kevin and my Library Coffee discussion of this session, and get insight into some of the larger ideas it sparked in us here, on YouTube:

watch the Muay Thai Bones Library Coffee episode here. listen the Library Coffee discussion as a podcast here.

More stills from the session:

TIP BOX: if you are inspired by what you see and want to show added appreciation you can send gratuity directly to Samson, who is a taxi driver and would love the acknowledgement I'm very sure. Just message $5 or more via PayPal to the address sylvie@8limbs.us, please in the "add a note" section specify "for Samson". I will transfer the funds.

KRU FUND: additionally,  now 10% net of all Patreon pledges go into my Kru Fund, and is directed back to the Krus and ex-fighters who have helped make this documentary Library possible: http://8limbs.us/muay-thai-thailand/starting-the-kru-fund

Muay Thai and Boxing

If you enjoyed Samson's fusion of Muay Thai and western boxers there are several boxers in the Muay Thai Library who also had substantive and even elite Muay Thai carriers, check them out here to get ideas and versions of this fusion:

#71 Napapol Giatsakchokchai - Powerful Boxing For Muay Thai (81 min) watch it here 

Nothing is a better match than world class boxing added to fundamentally sound Muay Thai. Napadol was one of the best western boxers in all of Thailand, a WBC champion, and he teaches a gorgeous, powerful boxer's technique that is easily married to Muay Thai. 

#69 Sagat Petchyindee 3 - Muay Maat Tigers & Snakes (67 min) watch it here 

Sagat details his ferocious, hands-heavy style in this session, teaching perfect balance and very aggressive spacing. The secrets to his power, how everything flows out of his core and his organized stance are on full display. Nobody like him.

#64 Chatchai Sasakul - Elements of Boxing (72 min) watch it here 

Chatchai is not only a former WBC world champion, he also is the recipient of Thailand's Coach of the Year. He is one of the great striking coaches in the world, and in this session he breaks down all the basics from the footwork on up. Nobody has a more beautiful and potent hands foundation. Watch and learn from a master. 

#60 Sagat Petchindee Session 2 - All the Strikes Tuned and Dangerous (101 min) watch it here 

One of the great, legendary names of Thailand, Sagat Petchyindee the inspiration for the Street Fighter character, goes through his entire striking philosophy with lots of technical correction and fine tuning. See the secret to his creation of smooth, efficient, explosive power, and witness the amazing man himself.

#43  Kongsamut Sor. Thanikul - Muay Mat Style (74 min) watch it here

This Lumpinee champion is perhaps most notable for when he lost a fight for the 102 lb Lumpinee belt, against famed Samart. Samart winning his first belt of many. Kongsamut has a beautiful Muay Mat (punchers) style that he mixes with low kicks, very differently than the Pornsanae style. He fights in close, and is constantly twisting, hitting high and low. Any Muay Thai puncher would benefit from the principles in his style.  

#41  Samson Isaan - The Art of Dern Fighting (64 min) watch it here 

To "dern" in Thai is to "walk", which means basically to just come forward no matter what, to create a relentlessness. Voted Fighter of the Year in 1991, Samson Isaan was one of the great Dern Fighters of the Golden Age, and in this session he shows his forward pulsing techniques which are meant to just overwhelm his opponent. Also a great session for pressure Southpaw fighters. 

#38 Sagat Petchyindee (part 2) - Maximum Damage (61 min) watch it here 

Such an anticipated session, part 2 of Sagat Petchyindee, the inspiration of the Sagat Street Fighter character. It's hard to believe, but he's even better in real life. In this session his continues to teach his "stay in your frame" method of bringing maximum efficiency and damage to striking. 

#35 Yodsanan Sityodtong - Southpaw Tactics & Power (86 min) watch it here 

One of the biggest Knock Out artists Thailand has ever produced (46 KOs in 57 boxing wins), PABA and WBA World Champion Yodsanan teaches both the secrets to his devastating hook and a slick Muay Thai style from the left side.

#37 Kongtoranee Payakaroon - Power In The Hands (89 min) watch it here 

5x Lumpinee Champion, 2x Fighter of the Year, Kongtoranee teaches the fundamental grounding of strikes that made him one of the most feared heavy-handed fighters in Thailand. Such economy of movement expresses the true beauty in his style, quite different than - but no less admirable - that of his young brother Samart. 

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

Atop the tower of Muay Thai legends probably stands Samart. 3x Fighter of the Year, 4x Lumpinee Champion and WBC World Boxing Champion, no fighter more brilliantly showed what femeu fighting could do. In this session he shows the foundations of how to build true balance, the ultimate key to his fighting style.  

#28 Jaroenthong Kiatbanchong - Femeu Muay Thai Hands (50 min) watch it here 

Super slick, 3x Lumpinee Champion Jaroenthong is considered one of the Yodmuay of the Golden Age, often pictured with Samart and Somrak as killers from that day. In this session he teaches how he marries great boxing hands with femeu footwork. 

#26 Sagat Petchyindee - Explosive Power (57 min) watch it here 

One of the great fighters in the history of Thailand, and the inspiration of the "Street Fighter" video game character, Sagat is like no other. Here he teaches how power has to come out of the ribs, and your frame, taking the shortest distance to your target, making sure your feet are constantly "organized".

#18 Kru Wihok Skarbowsky Gym - Old School Flex (49 min) watch it here 

Kru Wihok is an old school femeu style trainer out of the Skarbowsky Gym in Bangkok (Jocky Gym). He's a former all-Asia boxing champion and teaches a brilliant flexing style that hearkens back to a Muay Thai before the Golden Age. 

#14 Chatchai Sasakul - Perfecting Hands (106 min) watch it here 

Former WBC world boxing champion at Flyweight, and winner of Best Coach of the Year in Thailand, Chatchai in this nearly 2 hours of video makes micro adjustment after micro adjustment, honing in pristine technique in the basic strikes of boxing, for use in Muay Thai. It's all about weight transfer.

Bonus Session 5: Chatchai Sasakul Southpaw Hands | 52 min - watch it here 

Chatchai's stance and striking system is not only ideal for boxing - he was  the WBC Flyweight World Champion in 1997 - it instills a basic weight transfer balance that can dramatically improve your Muay Thai. Watch it being installed on me for the first time from the Southpaw stance. 

9 Fighters of the Year in the Library

Samson Isaan is one of 9 Fighters of the Year thus far, check out all the FoTY winners in the Library:

Naksaknoi (1996):  #65 Namsaknoi Yudthagarngamtorn - Sharking The Angles (67 min) watch it here  and  Namsaknoi Yudthagarngamtorn 2 - Overcoming Distance (61 min)  watch it here 

Samson Isaan (1991):  #41  Samson Isaan - The Art of Dern Fighting (64 min) watch it here 

Kaensak (1989, 1990):  #24 Kaensak Sor. Ploenjit - Explosive Defense (55 min) watch it here 

Samart (1981, 1983, 1988):  #34 Samart Payakaroon - Balance, Balance, Balance! (81 min) watch it here 

Langsuan (1987):  #45 Langsuan Panyutapum - Monster Muay Khao Training (66 min) watch it here 

Chamuakphet (1985):  #49 Chamuakpet Hapalang - Devastating Knee in Combination (66 min) watch it here 

Kongtoranee (1978, 1984):  #37 Kongtoranee Payakaroon - Power In The Hands (89 min) watch it here 

Dieselnoi (1982):  #48 Dieselnoi Chor. Thanasukarn - Jam Session (80 min) watch it here  AND  #30 Dieselnoi Chor Thanasukarn 2 - Muay Khao Craft  (42 min) watch it here  AND  #3 Dieselnoi  Chor Thanasukarn  - The King of Knees (54 min) - watch it here 

Sirimongkol (1972):  #54 The Late Sirimongkol and Lertrit Master General Tunwakom (81 min) watch it here