Napapol Giatsakchokchai - Powerful Boxing For Muay Thai (81 min)

 Patrons can listen to this session also as a podcast, along with our thoughts here. 

Napapol is one of the "4 Lions of Thailand," a group of Western Boxing champions, which included Weerapol and Yodsanan as well. He came from Muay Thai and has a solid foundation from which he's able to teach, but like Chatchai Sasakul, his biggest career successes were Western Boxing. I just like his style; he has this crazy rocking - that looks like diving - which delivers incredible power on just his front two knuckles. When he has you hold your palm out like a mitt so he can show you how to keep your hand relaxed on a punch, it feels like you're being pounded by the curved end of a crowbar. Not gently.

I knew Napapol as Neung, his nickname, up at Lanna my first 2 years in Thailand. I took private lessons with him to improve my hands and a lot of what I learned back then I didn't have eyes for yet, so it was really cool to work with him again after all this time and actually see where his weight is, how he's aligned, how his power is being delivered, and why that right cross is so nasty.

Some things to look out for: 

1: Head, Hand, and Chest Come Together: Neung keeps his hands at his eyebrows and when he throws his jab or cross, the hand, head, and chest all rock forward together. He gets really good distance and power like this, but the front foot stepping close is paramount to it working the way he does it.

2: Hand Loose, Wrist Strong: he kind of molds his hand into a loose fist - never a tight fist, but kind of curved as it would be inside a glove and definitely not "mushy" but relaxed - and then firms up his wrist for his punches. He hits on just the front two knuckles and kind of angles the punch down so they knock in a clipping manner against the target. It has the effect of those little pins that can shatter a whole window by accuracy of pressure, in case you drive your car into a lake.

3: Alignment: his foot, knee, hip, shoulder and head are always aligned. It's what allows him to kind of lean offline on his punches at fullest extension and still be 1) on balance and 2) have the flexibility to reverse direction without "restarting" the movement.

4: Flexibility in the Font Knee: he's got a great knee bend in that front leg. It's an important feature for everything he does working the way it does. It delivers power, it allows change of direction, forward and backward, balance... everything.

5: Angle Down on Hooks: Chatchai also does this, but when Neung throws a hook his elbow rises just enough that the fist tips down and crashes into its target at a downward angle. It's like how an arrow arcs up and then ultimately gains a bit of velocity as it comes back down into the target.

6: Weight Transfer and the Front Foot: the way Neung comes forward on his "yoke" or rocking for a long cross, is the same weight transfer you'd have on a kick from your power leg. The weight just shifts onto the front leg as the standing leg, but never goes past it.

7: Dropping Down on Body Punches: Neung's cross to the body is exactly a straight cross, just in a squat. It's pretty awesome. His head comes forward enough that it's out of the way of any counters as you're landing it, and because his head doesn't go past his front leg, he's able to creep forward for follow up shots if the opponent staggers backwards.

You can train with Neung (Napapol) at XMax in Chiang Mai. He is the best boxing private in all of Chiang Mai.

The Library Coffee Session

Right after filming Kevin and I sat down and discussed the immediate impression larger concepts in the private. You can watch our conversation on YouTube, or download it as a podcast. Library Coffee is about expanding what each session can give you.

watch on YouTube here 

Listen as a Podcast

Napapol Giatsakchokchai Library Coffee Podcast #3 (for iTunes)  

Photo Stills from the Session

If you Enjoyed This Session Here are Others on Similar Themes

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

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#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. 

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

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#29 Pornsanae Sitmonchai - The Power of Hooks & Low Kicks (74 min) watch it here 

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#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.  

#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. 

#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. 

#63 Robert "Sifu" McInnes - Muay Thai and Shorin Kempo (82 min) watch it here 

Robert "Sifu" McInnes has a huge legacy in Thailand. The other westerner to referee at Lumpinee Stadium, a long co-working relationship with Arjan Yodthong of Sityodthong of the Golden Age, as well as instructor to some of the strongest western and Thai fighters like Peter Aerts, Yodsanan and Sakmongkol. Not only is this session full of technique wisdom, he also recounts the Golden Age which eye witness veracity.
 

TIP BOX: if you are inspired by what you see and want to show added appreciation you can send gratuity directly to Neung. 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 Neung". I will transfer the funds, and cover any extra fees. 

KRU FUND: additionally, now 10% of all net 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 

Browse the entire Muay Thai Library project here!

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