About 8LimbsUs

8Limbs.Us is the result of 4 years of my life thus far. I began training Muay Thai in 2008 under the instruction of Master K (Kumron Vaitayanon) who has become not only my mentor and teacher, but my heart, my inspiration and a member of my family. Shortly after starting with Master K I began filming my training sessions in order to track my progress and uploading them to YouTube in order to share the precious gift that it is to train with Master K. The channel grew and with it I began using other social media, like Facebook and a WordPress blog, in order to share more of my experiences in training Muay Thai in the particular manner that I train, with the teachers I had the opportunity to learn from, and the unique experience of training and fighting as a woman in a male-dominated sport.

In 2010 my husband and I were able to make a trip out to Thailand for a 10 week stay. It was a life altering experience and much too short. So for the next two years we saved in order to return to Thailand, in order for me to train and fight full-time, for at least a year. The goal of 8Limbs.Us is to create a nexus point where all the various media I’ve been using can be hosted in one place and all the people, both those who I know and from whom I have taken strength and those around the world from whom I receive great support, can share this rare and precious experience with me.

Muay Thai is also known as “the science of eight limbs,” as it utilizes strikes from fists, elbows, kicks, and knees. One of my great inspirations is Muhammad Ali, who is the author of the shortest poem in the English language: when giving a commencement speech at Harvard he was asked for a poem; on the spot Ali spoke the words, “Me. We.” I have inscribed these words on my heart and they color the way I see and experience my life as a female fighter. In sharing my journey as best I can, it is important to me that it be stated in the very name of this website that it is 8 limbs “us”.

About Sylvie

I am a 105 lbs female Muay Thai fighter, currently fighting out of Lanna Muay Thai (Kiat Busaba) Gym in Chiang Mai, Thailand. I began training in Muay Thai in 2008, under the instruction of Master K (Kumron Vaitayanon) in Paterson, NJ. With Master K I developed a keen eye, detailed understanding and overwhelming love for this martial art. My path has allowed me to train with many great fighters, including Kaensak Sor. Ploenjit. In April of 2012 I moved to Thailand in order to train and fight full-time.

I am also a freelance journalist who has been involved in the NY and NJ Muay Thai community, and enjoy writing and filming interviews of female Muay Thai fighters, with a keen interest in helping spread knowledge of the sport in particular as it pertains to women.
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Den Shows How to Cover Distance on Muay Thai Round Kick

Written by on 07 July, 2012 in Lanna Muay Thai, Muay Thai, Technique, Training. Has 5 Comments.
Den's kick

After 45 minutes or so of sparring with Den yesterday he finally broke down for me what I was doing wrong with my attempts to land kicks on him.  (I landed maybe 5 in that time, although I was able to affect him with my punches when I charged in with flurries; I’m much more comfortable with punches because of my balance, I think.)

Den has told me before to shorten my kick because the loping round kick is too slow and easy to see coming, so he just moves out of the way of the kick and then counters or kicks my standing leg out from under me.  The problem I have with even getting myself to do this shortened kick is that you have to be closer to your target for it to land in the first place.  Closing distance has been a focal point in my training for the past month and I’ve been using deep steps or even hopping in on my back foot to cover that distance.  The ladies I’m fighting out here basically stay away from me and counter, so covering distance on my part is a necessary strategy to be able to score any points and pressure my opponents.

What Den shows in this clip is an incredibly simple and beautiful way to cover distance without really stepping far or even crossing much ground at all.  It’s in his hips – no surprise there for anyone who has paid attention to my training with Master K over the years – and how he moves them forward, getting them in front of his standing leg (and kicking leg) and creating a whip with the kicking leg.  He shows how I’m kicking, which is basically turning on one spot and all the opponent has to do is move a few inches.  Then he shows how to move the hips forward with the kick so that the leg has reach that can be negotiated based on where the opponent goes.  He still pivots on his standing leg and turns his heel almost completely 180 degrees, but he remains totally balanced and in control of the kick.  It’s amazing, really.

Comments
  • Patti
    Reply

    Beautifully described and exquisitely demonstrated.

  • Justin
    Reply

    So simple, but so effective. I’m going to try this.

    • Sylvie
      Reply

      That’s exactly what I thought when he showed it to me. I wouldn’t have believed it would work if it were only verbally described to me but the explosive movement (with pretty minimal effort) is incredibly effective.

  • Dan Mills
    Reply

    I have enjoyed watching your training with MasterK and in thailand. I am picking up a ton of tips from what you are doing. The hip motion and the shoulders. I don’t want to kick farang style like I have been! Good work! Take care.

    • Sylvie
      Reply

      Haha, nice… I don’t want to kick like a farang either and it’s hard to get that Thai kick accurately. I’ll get closer and then lose it, then it comes back but there’s a different adjustment to be made. More than anything I think it’s endless repetition and relaxation that get it as beautiful as the Thais have it. I hope, anyway :)
      Thanks for watching!

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