Phet-tho "Kru F" of Sitjaopho | Legends of Muay Thai

Hello, my name is Pisit Kambang my fighting name is Phet-Tho Sitjaopho My friends call me F but my students call me Kru F tell me about yourself Where were you born? I was born in Hua Hin tell me about your family So most people know that you have a twin brother, but do you have any other siblings? one sister but different mom My dad, before was a taxi driver. Mom ran a food cart So you know, Want to ask you a little bit about you and your brother he's not just your brother, but he's your twin b

rother. And both of you guys did Muay Thai. So what was it like growing up with a twin brother who did Muay Thai with you? my cousin he did Muay thai After he fought a few times and he thought things weren’t going so well (with his fight career) He started to teach me and my brother. At first we didn’t think about fighting or being serious about muay thai but and then one day have the school festival. Okay why not? So we just try to get matched up it's about maybe when I was about 8 to 9 year ol

d about 20 or 21 kilo, so small so that is how we first started doing Muay Thai He start before me He fight about maybe four, five times and I started after who is older? him, about five or fifteen minutes I'm not sure And then growing up. Did he act like a older brother? No, never. He never act like he older brother more like a friend or like a really close friend, know how he feel and you know how I feel. I know his mindset and he knows my mindset So like the energy almost the same and growing

up with your brother before you did Muay Thai were you guys always very close? really close, and always play together and not so many friends and most of the time when we was young we like to play Chinese Kung Fu you know in the long time ago I like to watching like out Chinese movie Kung Fu, after watching we just do like them like playing And did you guys watch Muay Thai growing up? When we started Muay Thai not yet, to start watching or learning about but after I fight, maybe ten time and th

en I think like “okay I want to be serious” and also you know and I’m staying with my uncle and aunt because my father my family is like not together. all the things, my uncle controls my life and my brother’s life. So we had to listen him so even like sometimes feel like I wanted to play like the other boys but cannot have to do Muay Thai So and then, when I know like, okay, I want to be serious in Muay Thai and then I start to learn and then watched, watching and have inspire, or like the moti

vation for pushing myself to improve in Muay Thai And who are some of these fighters, that inspired you? All the golden era Do you have any favorite fighters? Karuhat, Wangchannoi, Kaensak All of the Golden Era like, Boonlai I grew up in that time I'm learning a lot from that time because they are my motivation to push my Muay Thai to grow how many hours did you train a day? Before, it was hard to train in the morning because I had to go to school but after school I had to go back to home. and t

hen change out of my uniform to my Muay Thai shorts, and t-shirt and then running shoes about from 4 o’clock to about almost 7 Maintaining like this, almost like more than ten year Ten years, three hours a day You and your brother? Yes And how many times a month would you fight? When I'm was young most of the time, many fights because sometimes one month two times when was young you you need to gain experience so my dream, my goal is big stadium, Bangkok Lumpinee and Rajadamnern you know before

Rajadamnern and Lumpinee not easy to fight there, not easy because why, in that time if someone come to tell me I fight in Bangkok, I fight in Lumpinee and Rajadamnern Because people know when you fight in Lumpinee and Rajadamner, it’s another level so when we was young our weight was not for Lumpinee (too light) so we just kept making the experience gain experience by fighting fighting everywhere in Thailand south, north, everwhere we fight, fight, fight one month, two time but when we go to Ba

ngkok I think one month, one time and also, when was young about eleven years old, twelves years old I, I remember I fight tonight and then next day I go to school and then they come to pick me up to fight again. the gamblers because they want to gamble on me so they’re just like hiring me hiring me to fight with someone So when you started, you and your brother started training Muay Thai your cousin teached you first When did you guys go to Sitjaopho? Sitjaopho is from the family Sitjaopho is f

rom my uncle and aunt and cousin They are start from the Muay Thai family Okay, so Sitjaopho is your family? Never with another owner because Sitjaopho started with the Muay Thai family So that's pretty interesting because you know a lot of other fighters when they fight, they go to a camp but you and your brother stayed within the family Same family So your whole career always here? Yes. so, growing up you did a lot of fighting how do you think you developed your style? I like Muay Femur becaus

e when I was young I mostly did controlled sparring without shinguards and practiced like this most of the time And then when you practice, you know, like this, and then you become good with timing and then also sometime you want to be good in the technique and then when you’re watching Muay Femur it's more like you want to be it all starts from practice like sparring, sparring and then become like, Muay Femur So you develop your style just from your controlled sparring and also watching the Mua

y Femur yes, this is really important watching the Muay Femurs but the most important is is training like timing, and counter-attacks And do you think your brother was the same way where he really liked Muay Femur and that's why he trained that way and that's why because you guys train with each other you guys became so good Muay Femurs you think that's why? Yes, it the same thing and it the same way because the partner I trained with most in my life, is my brother so we are sparring like Muay F

emur and also sometimes when we’re sparring like technical or Muay Femur what we trained that is how we fight in the ring and that is our fighting style so you know you and your brother styles are very similar but how do you think you and your brother are different? our kicking because I like to kick with my front, left kick he likes the right kick most of the time like the clinching, timing, and counter-attack almost like exactly the same only that he likes right kicks and I like left and how a

bout when it comes to the approach to training do you think he's the same? he likes to train in the same way you do? Yeah, because when we are when we are training Muay Thai we don't need anything much we know what we do okay today, pad work, bag work sparring, boxing sparring we don’t need anyone to tell us when you guys were growing up, were you guys, competitive? playful, competitive never, never in my mind, I’m never thinking like that and he never think like that too just only sometimes whe

n we fight on the same fights, I don't want to watch I don't want to watch him fight and sometimes he don’t want to watch me fight when we fight in the same day because some time really exciting when see the brother fight and really nervous, you feel like you’re fighting how many fights have you had total? I think fights, about two hundred like two hundred fifty, two hundred forty but I try to count and I think for me about two hundred or more than two hundred, a little bit because when I go to

fight at Lumpinee or Bangkok not as much as when I was young because when was young fight so many you know like, fight, fight, fight That's why because of the weight like small and we needed experience Like I said I tell you before Lumpini and Rajadamnern is really big stadium before you have to be good to fight at the big stadiums Did you ever get to fight at Rajadamnern and Lumpinee? Yeah, I fought at both stadiums at what weight? start from one hundred pounds to one hundred thirty pounds Do y

ou remember what the feeling like? the first time you fought at Rajdamanern and Lumpinee? when I first stated Muay Thai I don't know whether I really loved Muay Thai or not but every time when I'm training and think about my dream of fighting at the bigger stadiums And one day my aunt who is my manager. She got call from the promoter, and she told me, you’re going to fight at Lumpinee when I heard that, I was really happy you know, really happy. like now, now is my time, my time has come. So, re

ally happy to fight in the bigger stadium out of your 200 plus fights, which one do you remember the most? the thing I remember most only one thing, that was being tired really tired, yeah sometimes, when I’m fighting the pain isn’t too much some fights are hard fights, some are easy fights out of one hundred times, I won by knock outs, probably four or five times? but I mostly win by decision, score because my style is about counter-attacks and protecting my score did you ever compete anything

outside of Muay Thai like kickboxing or boxing? only amateur boxing my brother was really good in amateur boxing. One time he fought at the Thailand championship the coach from Thailand, saw him and wanted to take him to fight for the Thailand national team but at that time, our Muay Thai was at it’s peak so we decided to fight Muay Thai at which point did you decide to start slowing down, retire, and become a coach? when I was about about 30 year old. So, at my last fight, I broke my arm at Raj

adamnern Stadium At that time, I knew that my time, and my body is finished, for Muay Thai I started thinking about making a gym and to be a coach, teacher after you retired, did you start coaching right away or you retired and tried doing some other jobs? after I retired, I did something with newspapers I worked in an office with machines, and sent newspapers So I didn’t think start planning to make the gyms right just yet But sometimes when I was working in the office sometimes we would think

because we grew up with Muay Thai and want to do something and at that time with Muay Thai many foreigners started to come train Muay Thai and we thought, okay maybe it’s time to start a gym what year did you start the gym? 2010 or 2011, I’m not sure, but about there And did you started here? Yes So tell me about your gym, because that's your house? my brother’s house So you decided to start the gym outside of the house. You and your brother? Yes. it's the idea with me and my brother So when you

first started it, was it just you and your brother? Did you have any other trainers? Me, and my brother, and Kru Kling before at Sitjaopho had Kru Hin when I retired, my brother retired so the gym everyone just separate just go So one day I made a gym and Kru Kling had gone to find a job And then one day I started to talk with Kru Kling Okay, maybe you can come to help me in the gym to help start the gym And how long have you known Kru Kling? since when I was about 14 The first trainer that hel

d pads for me was my cousin and he was my pad holder, and my corner he was always in my corner And after that, when he didn’t hold pads for me anymore and then Kru Kling started holding pads for me and my brother so you know for a long time long? and he was your pad holder, your main trainer? Yes, my main trainer for pad holding And then so in around 2010 you, your brother, Kru Kling open up this gym, Sitjaopho continuing the family So when you first opened the gym social media wasn't that big.

How did you find students? We just we just do what we can go, just upload some video and at that time I didn’t know much about social media the most important, from how people know about Sitjaopho is from social media. sparring videos, or pad work people liked it, and wanted to copy the style the femur style What do you think is your teaching style? Teaching? My teaching style. I want the student to be good but sometimes is hard because, people are different about the way they understand I try t

o put my experience, how I’m feeling when I'm fighting about the style or about the style that I use or about the style that I fight in the ring with I try to teach them and tell them about this what is your approach when you train Muay Thai and when you fight, When I was young sometimes, when you I wanted to go play, same like the other kids but cannot, because of Muay Thai and also my uncle keep us focused and if we didn’t train, he would discipline us sometimes, when I was young, I would thin

k why do I have to do this all the time. But now finally, I know everything my uncle taught I realize why now and it’s really good but when I was kid and fighting I was just responsible with my routine and training. Just do my best in training, running kick pad, try to push the power, and speed do everything, and fighting. And one thing that's special about Sitjaopho is that most of your students travel here Do you think there's a reason why so many of your students are foreigners rather than lo

cals? Yes, most of our students are foreigners So I think because, like I said social media, because of the style, Muay Femur that's why they can come here. some people stay here for like a couple of weeks. Some people stay here for a couple of months, maybe a year. you know, when you think about it's not a long time, right? Like you train with the same place for like 15, 20 years So because, you know, your students don't come here for so long. What's the most important thing you want them to le

arn when they are here? Focus and concentrate on training. Try to watch the fight and make understand. And the last one fighting if you want to be successful training, fighting, respnsibility have the discipline training, fighting, training, fighting because you do Muay Thai, Muay Thai is fighting and training. sense It's about your sense, you know, about the ability If you have good sense or you understand maybe is fast to improve and can be very successful I want the student to understand with

Muay Thai, is asking the trainer because some people come there don't exactly know about the style and game plan but I want them to ask their trainer and make understand, not just come and then do do do do without understanding keeping the same habits This is a very important about the understanding. do you think it's easier to be a fighter now than before? Now more easy before, you must be strong mentally, disciplined and you know, had to fight, fight, fight, fight fight, almost maybe almost a

hundred times And then you can go to a big stadium because no social media, no connection you had to show your ability to the promoter, and then they say ok they then take you to the bigger stadium So I think at this time I think now you can fight maybe 35, 45 and then you can fight at the big stadium but before no, it took so much many years to fight at the bigger stadium and also now social media is helps you become popular or famous what's the hardest part about being Muay Thai fighter train

ing. Wake up early morning training afternoon. We sleep in the day. We wake up in the afternoon, you know, like this everyday for 15, 20 years I think it's hard staying like this for a long time you know, And some time. and not just that but you have to work you have to run too I think for me it's really hard to be a fighter you need to be strong in the mental. I know that you're a very devoted Buddhist. And, you know, you have like a certain view of life. Have you ever taken that, you know, you

r approach, your ideals with Buddhism and applied that towards training and Muay Thai? before when I was young and I was fighting. I just do the natural of life and natural of the mind because when you’re young you not understand you just take the emotions, maybe happy, or maybe sometimes you’re suffering or you're not happy and then you just feel sad But that was me I did what I wanted Which is okay, good. Though sometimes, without thinking without learning, or thinking just do That's why I say

, like, it's lucky that I'm not die. When I was the teenager Because the most of the teenager is about do something like without thinking, You know, it's really careless, you know? for the Buddhism that it's about in Muay Thai just let it be whatever, you win, or you loss but before when I was young I didn’t know about the Buddhism. Just like, why did I lose? why did I lose? oh, I’m so sad but now that’s okay, a fight is a fight some people before their fight really nervous, really exciting I kn

ow I was that before I know, I was that before but without understanding but when understanding oh, okay, why do you have to be nervous or anything. You just do your best That's it. and then win or lose it’s all past but if you do good You'll go win, if you don’t do good and lose (no problem) no problem life still keeps going how do you want to Sitjaopho continue to grow? I don’t have expectations for Sitjaopho to grow I just do my best in the moment not dreaming about it, if it grows big, it’ll

grow big, if not, I’ll just keep doing my best keep doing my best what makes you the proudest as a coach? When I see the student improve do a good job or do good in a fight when I’m training and tired and I see the students and see that they are doing good or improving it makes me feel like, okay, I’m not tired anymore because this is what I want something that's very unique to you that I don't see a lot of other head coaches do, is that you take the time to spar with almost all your students t

hat come here. Why is that? Why? Because they come here. they want to spar with me But I know I cannot take care of everyone because you know I'm sparring one day, almost 20 rounds until almost morning almost, morning and afternoon, together, almost 20 rounds some days, some weeks, more and this is each day I try to spar with them I’m now 42 years old I’m not as strong like the same before so I try to enjoy with the students I am happy to spar but when sparring with me please, don’t be messy I w

ant to spar with you but if you’re messy, I’m afraid to get hurt maybe it’s not good but I will say I don’t take so much private training because some time too many messy I’m afraid of getting injured And then I cannot spar with the other students you have to have the rhythm or style you want to learn because I think normally Muay Thai is not difficult or hard to improve or become good understanding the rhythm counter-attack, block, defend Don't rush or don't hurry sometimes can be rushed, can b

e fast with your shots but not messy or rushing, you know? That is how I trained with my brother We take more time with the controlled sparring to learn good habits and then it becomes good for the style and learn everything that is what I want the student to understand about the sparring. You know, I know maybe now they have social media and they learn a lot many style that do not see in Muay Thai but if we’re talking about Muay Thai it's about the rhythm and timing you know that is very import

ant for Muay Thai and Kru F my last question why do you love Muay Thai? love? I don't know if I love it or not but, when I'm not training Muay Thai or not sparring Some time I want to kick something I want to spar I don't know if that’s love or not. Maybe it's like I like Muay Thai, sometimes sometimes, I’m tired and then I take a break but then today, I want to spar, I want to kick someone Muay Thai means my life I'm living family my living, my family and job, work, and life I was born into thi

s I stared when I was young And now I’m 42 years old only with Muay Thai or finally don’t do anything maybe die with Muay Thai Sawadee Krab, I’m Pisit Kambang Thank you for watching my story. Hope you are enjoying, thank you very much.