This is a fighter I had mentioned in one of our classes. Sometimes Kru Jen sees students hitting the bag or shadowboxing... and they end up trying to do too much without first solidifying their base. Muay Thai fighters definitely have their own personal skill, but when you are a humble student as the rest of us are, you have to put in quality time with the basics.
Case in point. Here is the "anti Saenchai": Sagetdao. He is Lumpinee stadium champion who has been in there with many of the best, including Saenchai himself (on several occasions in fact, and has his share of wins). Do I think Sagetdao is the best fighter? Nope. But he has proven time and time again he is successful at the top level.
^a beautiful picture by Scott Hirano of Sagetdao training
Sagetdao is kind of boring to watch to someone who does not understand Muay Thai. He is so basic and methodical that you don't really appreciate how much damage he has done unless you're familiar with the weapons of Muay Thai.
In the following video, Sagetdao fights one of North America's top talents, Kevin Ross. You'll see that Ross is an aggresive and very skilled fighter. Ross has slick combinations and even a fairly accurate spinning elbow. He is definitely a great fighter. Sagetdao, on the other hand, displays his mastery over simple basic technique, and pulls ahead as the fight goes on. When faced with a powerful opponent, he stays patient and puts his basic technique to work. Check it out...
Watch:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnzN86fH3os&list=FLbCl5qj7wBxsQ35UC6VjdWA&index=1&feature=plpp_video
A note: Sagetdao certainly has his weaknesses, just as all fighters do. In his most recent bout with Saenchai, he loses pretty soundly on points. I just want to show you that there is so much you can do with good basics and timing if you practice it right.
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