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Muay Thais legendary kicker—Apidej Sit Hirun |
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Still heavily involved in Muay Thai, Apidej rises each day before 6am to teach at the Fairtex Gym (more info see links) on the outskirts of Bangkok. Greeting everyone with the same warm inviting smile, it is hard to imagine that this friendly man was renowned and feared for his powerful kicks; in one fight he broke both of his opponent's arms. However it was not always this way. At the age of 12 Apidej had his first fight, a win by KO - and this without any training! After this win Apidej was taught by his Uncle and then his schoolteacher. He also played soccer, attributing a lot of his kicking finesse to his football skills and hard practice. "The most important thing is to kick at the right time, when the opponent is most vulnerable. Don't kick at the same target all the time, try to confuse and deceive your opponent with your kicks". By the late 1960's Apidej simultaneously held 7 titles in Muay Thai and international boxing, a record that remains unmatched to this day. In recognition of this achievement the King of Thailand awarded him Best Muay Thai Kicker and Fighter of the Century. He is also the only Thai boxer to have a display in the national Museum of Thailand. At the age of 39, after around 300 fights, he retired to spend more time with his wife and family and felt it was time for a change. What are the ingredients of a top fighter? "Great fighters have honesty in themselves and others. They have discipline and always respect their trainer. They work hard and never cheat themselves and work hard towards fighting smart, improving skill, technique and tricks. Every technique is harmful when used the right way". Many westerners think that Muay Thai's boxing is weak - despite the fact that many former Thai boxers have gone on to win World Boxing titles. What do you think? "In International Boxing they punch fast but in Muay Thai we do not. We punch when it's a suitable time to punch because Muay Thai has many weapons to choose from. We only focus on the hardest punch, the explosive punch, the one punch that can produce the best result. Every punch is intended to knock out the opponent". When asked about the modern state of Muay Thai Apidej ponders before replying: "Today fighters rarely respect their trainers. In the past Muay Thai fighters worshipped the people who trained them. This gratitude is important in Thai culture and especially in Muay Thai. What I want is someone to conserve the disappearing old Muay Thai techniques for the next generation of Thai people. How many modern fighters use the old Muay Thai techniques in the ring?" Currently who is your favourite fighter? "I don't have any favourite modern fighters. I like smart fighters who have good tricks and use the right technique at the right time - focussing on the next moves against their opponent. At the moment there are no such fighters. Hippie Singmanee was such a fighter and I liked the way he fought". |
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By Mark Hampton At 62 years old, the legendary Muay Thai kicker Apidej Sit Hirun still loves Muay Thai - although now he is known more for his students skills than his own. "Suay Maak" - very beautiful—he says, as a student kicks the Thai pads with full force. The same student musters up all his energy and power to kick the pads again "Dee Maak" very good Apidej says with a wide grin. Apidej demonstrates some fancy footwork, "same as Cassius Clay" he says. Here is a man who was a legend in Thailand at the same time as Ali was a legend in America and the world. Today, when Apidej goes to the big Muay Thai stadiums many people still recognise him and pay their respects. |
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In his early 20's Apidej fought one of his former trainers Kru 'Srisavet' five times. Apidej won every encounter using many of the same tricks and skills that Srisavet had taught him. One of Apidej's many tricks was to put a finger on the eye or the throat of an opponent to make them loose control of their vision and body. Actually this trick can even harm the opponent but you should know how to use it. It was done to me once and then my opponent knocked me out," he says with a laugh. Unlike many of his peers, Apidej had more than one great weapon - in addition to kicking with unparalleled power he was feared for his elbows and strong punching ability, and could end a fight with all of these weapons. "My elbows and punches were the same as everyone else's but I used them at the right time. Apply everything smartly when you fight". |
