Kaimuay Diaries - Episode 6 Dieselnoi In The House Pt 2: Bank

Dieselnoi came to Petchrungruang for a month, thanks very much to the support of you, my patrons. It was good for him – immensely so – to be around young, active stadium fighters. It filled him with something I’d never seen in him before. Not energy, because he has that in abundance, but a kind of spirit that was unreal. He started to feel a different confidence; he hit the weights on his fourth day. By the time we got near the end of his scheduled stay, he was supposed to go to Ayutthaya for the annual Nai Khanomtom Festival, which is something he has a cornerstone presence at for many years, but is also the opposite of what we were trying to put him in contact with by bringing him to Petchrungruang. As it turned out, Bank (fight name Tongchai), my trainer’s son, had a fight coming up at Rajadamnern and Dieselnoi had been working with him throughout the month. After Alex’s fight was finished, Dieselnoi really zeroed in on Bank. 

In fact, Dieselnoi decided to forego his trip to Ayutthaya and stay in Pattaya to keep training Bank. He told me it was really important to him that Bank win, because Dieselnoi felt obligated to Kru Nu and his whole family. He took it upon himself in this really beautiful way. I mean, Dieselnoi is the Great Arjan, totally high rank in terms of superstardom and age and all kinds of things; but he's so grateful and dedicated. He asked me to send him Bank's fight name (Tongchai Petchrungruang) so that he could watch his fight videos, because he'd been watching his opponent's fight videos. He started texting me as he was actually watching them on his phone, like, between rounds. He was so fired up, telling me all the things he wanted to focus on. He was so excited, in fact, that he said he was jumping in to the shower to head over to the gym a full hour before training was scheduled to start. He's incredible.

So, this is "Part 2," focusing on Bank and Dieselnoi's dedication to him, leading up to a fight at Rajadamnern that was a step up for Bank. If he won, it would push him into a next level of opponents. You can see the difference between Dieselnoi's training of Alex and his training of Bank, but you can see the similarities as well. Mostly it's just amazing to watch how f***ing much Dieselnoi puts into everything. He got so excited ringside, the cameraman was focusing on him at some points. There's almost no "fly on the wall" with Dieselnoi; he invites you in with a glance, or a smile, or his long arms that pull you into a hug that feels remarkably like clinch - just with less terror. A lot less terror. He's amazing.

Kaimuay Diaries - Documentary Series - this is an informal record of the everyday life and training of my gym in Pattaya, one of the few remaining official "kai muay" - a Thai gym which founds its business on the raising of Thai stadium fighters, and not focusing on training westerners.

Kaimuay Diaries - Episode 1  | Maintenance Mode (29 min) - a quiet look at the top stadium fighters at the gym in a typical maintenance mode day. With no fights coming up the training is light, communal and playful. watch it here 

Kaimuay Diaries - Episode 2  | At the Edge of the Gym (46 min) - in this episode I follow the training of young cousins Gang Gat and Bao, two Thai fighters working their way into becoming fighters for the gym. The oldest one Gang Gat is contracted, the younger Bao is just developing. It's a chance to see how it is that Thai boys work their way into becoming stadium fighters watch it here 

Kaimuay Diaries - Episode 3  | Going To Lumpinee (46 min) - Lumpinee fighting isn't always what we hold in our imagination. Come with my gym to Lumpinee Stadium and learn what it is like for our Thai fighters, from 4 AM in the morning when we leave, til fighting at 7 PM and back in the van. watch it here 

Kaimuay Diaries - Episode 4 | The Outsider (51 min) - I return to Lumpinee Stadium coming to support a fighter I helped push and train for his fight there, this time with a documentary view of my own experiences as being both included and excluded in the process. watch it here 

Kaimuay Diaries - Episode 5 | Dieselnoi in the House part 1 (54 min) - This is the first of two parts following Dieselnoi's impact during his month long stay at my gym. In this part he travels to Rajadamnern Stadium to push Alex, an Italian fighter who has grown up at the gym since he was 13. 

You can watch the filmed Dieselnoi sessions in the Muay Thai Library:

#48 Dieselnoi Chor. Thanasukarn - Jam Session  (80 min) watch it here 

Possibly the greatest fighter who ever lived, Dieselnoi, teaches his fighting tactics and strategy, keys to winning as a Muay Khao fighter. He is accompanied by Rajadamnern Featherweight champion Nopidej Sor. Reodi, so you get to see see the interaction between two related philosophies of the Muay Khao style. This session could be watched and studied over and over.

#30 Dieselnoi Chor Thanasukarn 2 - Muay Khao Craft  (42 min) watch it here 

The greatest knee fighter who ever lived not only shares his secrets in ring tactics - how to draw out your opponent and then ultimately hem them in - and various closing and tripping techniques, he also shows his amazing heart. He's a Legend among Legends, the fighter without equal in the history of the sport.

#3 Dieselnoi  Chor Thanasukarn  - The King of Knees (54 min) - watch it here 

Dieselnoi is the greatest knee fighter who ever lived, and it just wasn't because of his height. Spending this hour with him lets you feel how much love and energy he pours into his Muay Thai, even at this age, the real secret to what make him dominant in the Golden Age of the sport. There is nobody like Dieselnoi. Nobody.