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Champions: Saiyok and Kem
(2013) and at www.youtube.com/muaythaidvd .
    Both athletes train twice a day. Saiyok trains about two and a half hours in the morning and three and a half hours in the afternoon. On Sunday he reduces his training. Kem trains for about three hours each in the morning and afternoon. He only trains on Sunday if he is preparing for a fight. Both athletes reduce the training intensity three days before a fight to allow for regeneration and to shed weight. After the fight they take a rest of approximately one week.
    1. Warm-up
    Rub in massage oil and relax
    Jogging
    Saiyok: 3–6 miles
    Kem: 90–120 minutes, only in the morning
    Skipping
    Saiyok: 20–30 minutes
    Kem: 20 minutes
    2. Technique training
    Shadowboxing
    Saiyok: 3–4 Rounds × 4 minutes
    Kem: 1 Round × 5 minutes
    Pad training
    Saiyok: 3–5 Rounds × 4 minutes
    Kem: 4–6 Rounds × 4 minutes
    Punching bag training
    Saiyok and Kem: 4–5 Rounds × 4 minutes
    Partner training and sparring
    Saiyok: 30–60 minutes
    Kem: 15–20 minutes
    Clinch training
    Saiyok: 15–20 minutes, only 4 times in the afternoon
    Kem: 20–30 minutes
    3. Cool down
    Strength training
    Saiyok and Kem: 15–20 minutes
    Cool down and relax
    An Interview with Saiyok
    Saiyok Pumphanmuang is Muay Thai World Champion and has many Thai titles, including Lumpinee Champion in the highest weight class. He has competed in more than 230 professional fights and received the honor of Best Thai Boxer in 2010. At the time this book was written, he had been undefeated for four years. He has competed in many countries and has given seminars, and his many fans are fascinated by his spectacular fight style. He first studies his opponent’s fightconduct and then attacks with explosive combinations, which he frequently finishes with a low kick, an elbow, or a flying knee kick. This interview took place in Bangkok in 2012.
    Christoph Delp: Where did you grow up, and how did you start training?
    Saiyok Pumphanmuang: I grew up in Phitsanulok. When I was eleven my father brought me to a gym and I participated in a training fight. I had no technical skills, but I won the fight. The local trainers saw my talent and invited me to join them for regular training.
    What does Muay Thai mean to you in your life?
    Muay Thai is my profession, and like other people going to work, I have workdays and free time. My income depends on my results in competitions. Muay Thai has provided me with a better lifestyle. I hope that Muay Thai, an important part of Thai cultural heritage, will continue to exist in the way we still remember the fighter Nai Khanom Tom today. I also hope that Muay Thai will become an Olympic sport.
    When did you start your training? What was your first professional fight like, and how did your career develop?
    I started my training at the Kai Yomarat Camp Sor Payayam [in Phitsanulok]. At the time I had already competed in two fights. In my first fight I was nervous and excited, and I followed my instincts. My brother prepared me, and we used ideas we got from watching fights on TV. After two years of training in Phitsanulok my trainer sent me to the bigger camp in Kantaburi, where I trained from age thirteen until I was twenty-one. I now train at the Muay Thai Plaza Gym in Bangkok. My manager is Mr. Pong, and my trainer is Khru Pit. I like to train at a gym with a friendly atmosphere, and that’s the case at the Muay Thai Plaza Gym. Other gyms offered contracts, but I don’t like the idea of signing one.
    Who has had an impact on your competitive career?
    My first trainer was a soldier, and he had a great impact on my career. He’s like a second father to me and helped me a lot. The Muay Thai Plaza Gym is also important for me, as they really look after me, and I’m a member of a successful training group because skills are best developed with a partner and a trainer.
    I draw my inspiration from other people–from boxers, spectators and foreigners. This also applies to Manny