Berneung Kem Muaythai Gym - Big Man Timing, Not Power (66 min)

Rajadamnern 140 lb Champion 2005

I really, really like Berneung. He’s quite big for a Thai man and has a “big man” style, but his main tool is timing, rather than power. He takes up space and pressures his opponents down, and his techniques are beautiful. He’s been in my corner a few times, just because the trainers from Kem’s gym are awesome and have helped me when I was fighting in Khorat, and he has a really good energy. He’s quiet but he sees everything. His corrections are small, but never insignificant. And for such a big dude, his ability to put pressure on me without it being too much physically shows his deep experience, level and skills.Teaching timing can be difficult. It’s like teaching fakes. You kind of just mimic it until you actually feel it, but Berneung’s approach is methodical and clear. He teaches me angles, off-balancing, trips, turns in the clinch. Something he keeps reiterating to me, verbally, is that when you’re fighting someone who knows what they’re doing, everything comes down to timing.Berneung is only 35 years old and still fights, although not regularly. He’s a main trainer of the fighters at Kem’s gym, including Yodwicha – who has basically been reinvented as a fighter and is doing really well on the international stage with Top King. Berneung was the 140 lbs Rajadamnern champion in 2005, and 2x WMC World Champion after that. His padholding is an awesome thing and his size allows him to work with bigger bodied westerners who come through the gym as well. He also is known for beating the legendary Namsaknoi, two times. He talks a little about that in this session.Some things to look out for in this session:

1. Super-fast, Super-sharp teeps. Berneung’s teep hurts like hell. It’s really sharp, hitting with his toes, but he snatches it back really quickly, so it’s hard to interrupt. When they’re painful like that it also makes turning the same lifting of the leg that you’d use to actually teep into a really effective fake.
2. Sideways teep: his fake on this one is also incredible. He turns his body to the side as a little fake the same way a boxer might dip to the side to fake a punch, but then he does it again with the real teep and it’s crazy strong. The foot turned sideways makes it very hard to grab/catch.
3. Stepping into opposite stance. In the start of the session, Berneung explains that kneeing left or right is the same, you just walk forward if you need to use your front side. Effectively “walking into opposite stance”.
4. Long Hook, Short Hook. Berneung shows how a long hook kind of drops down onto the back of the jaw, just under your ear, or even behind the ear – totally clearing the guard. A short hook comes through the little gap in someone’s guard.
5. Timing in the clinch: he shows me a couple of different turns and trips in the clinch, none of which are complicated or require power but all of which are about interrupting an opponent with timing. There’s the jerking of the neck to force an opponent to rebalance all the time, stopping their shin as you twist them, stepping outside for a trip, and an incredible trip-off-of-their-attempted-trip.
6. He corrects my punches, as my elbows were flaring out, but his clarification illustrates a great deal about how proper technique is about efficiency and focus of power.
7. Pushing the forehead: this is my personal favorite thing that he showed me. I have a hard time grabbing my trainer’s heads and neck on knees, even thought that’s what every single one asks me to do. Berneung’s version is pushing the forehead with the heel of your hand and as the opponent resists you, you slide your hand back and then use their resistance to pull their head down. It feels really good.
8. The “whoa the horse” knee. This is basically a “siap” or stabbing knee, but the way he buckles the opponent and pulls them into his knee at the same time makes an already effective knee also visually dynamic. Effective both inside and outside the ropes.

You can train with Berneung at Kem's Muaythai Gym in the Khaoyai Mountains below Khorat. It's a gorgeous gym with some of the best training in all of Thailand, it's been on my recommended list for a long time now. Kem recently extended an offer of a 10% discount for my readers for those that book a month or more, just mention that you can from me.

You can read my original review of the gym a little after it had opened, more than 2 years ago.

TIP BOX: if you are inspired by what you see and want to show added appreciation you can send gratuity directly to Berneung. Every time I send these extra donations and thank yous the Krus are really touched. Just message $5 or more via PayPal to the address sylvie@8limbs.us, please in the "add a note" section specify "for Kru Berneung". I will transfer the funds.

KRU FUND: additionally, 5% 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

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