Yodtong Siriwalak ( th, ยอดธง ศรีวราลักษณ์; 28 August 1937 – 8 February 2013) most commonly known by his Muay Thai ring name Yodtong Senanan (Thai: ยอดธง เสนานันท์) or

Kru KRU was a Malaysian pop boy band formed in 1992. The group comprises three brothers, namely Datuk Norman Abdul Halim, Datuk Yusry Abdul Halim and Edry Abdul Halim'. Apart from revolutionising the Malaysian music scene with their blend of pop ...

Tui (ครูตุ้ย or ครูตุ๊ย) was a

Muay Thai Muay Thai ( th, มวยไทย, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, is a combat sport that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. This discipline is known as the "art of eight limbs", as it is characterised ...

fighter, trainer, and owner of the Sityodtong Muay Thai Camp in Chonburi, Thailand.Instructors Grandmasters
He produced 57 Muay Thai champions, the most in the sport's history in Thailand. His most famous champions include

Samart Payakaroon Phetchakhat na yok (เพชฌฆาตหน้าหยก)(e.g. ''Jade-faced Executioner'') , nationality = Thai , birth_date = , birth_place = Chacherngsao, Thailand , fighting_out_of = Bangkok, Thailand , height ...

, Kongtoranee Payakaroon, Nuengpichit Sityodtong, Detpitak Sityodtong, Chartchai Sityodtong, Yoddecha Sityodtong and Daotong Sityodtong. Additionally, top Muay Thai, K-1 and UFC professional fighters from around the world such as

Rob Kaman Rob "The Dutchman" Kaman (born 5 June 1960) is a Dutch retired 9-time kickboxing and Muay Thai world champion. He is often called "Mr. Low Kick" because of his feared low kicks which he used to set up his devastating offensive attacks. Biogr ...

Ramon Dekkers Ramon Dekkers (4 September 1969 – 27 February 2013) was a Dutch kickboxer and an eight-time Muay Thai world champion. Dekkers was a favourite with fight fans due to his fast-paced, aggressive fighting style. Dekkers was also renowned for his wi ...

Ernesto Hoost Ernesto Frits Hoost (born 11 July 1965) is a Dutch retired kickboxer. A four-time K-1 World Champion, Hoost is considered to be one of the greatest kickboxers of all time. Debuting in 1993 at the K-1 World Grand Prix 1993, where he came just on ...

Peter Aerts Peter Aerts (born 25 October 1970) is a Dutch semi-retired kickboxer. Known for his devastating high kicks, which earned him the nickname "The Dutch Lumberjack", he is widely considered to be one of the greatest heavyweight kickboxers of all time ...

, Musashi,

Kenny Florian Kenneth Alan Florian (born May 26, 1976) is an American retired mixed martial artist and commentator who formerly competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He formerly served as an analyst for UFC on Fox from 2011–2018, and he also ...

and

Antonio Braga Neto Antonio is a masculine given name of Etruscan origin deriving from the root name Antonius. It is a common name among Romance language-speaking populations as well as the Balkans and Lusophone Africa. It has been among the top 400 most popular male ...

have made the pilgrimage to Sityodtong Gym in Pattaya to train and sharpen their skills. His top trainers include Saknarong Sityodtong, Daorung Sityodtong,

Chatri Sityodtong Chatri Trisiripisal ( th, ชาตรี ตรีศิริพิศาล, ), known by the ring names Chatri Sityodtong ( th, ชาตรี ศิษย์ยอดธง, ) and Yodchatri Sityodtong ( th, ยอดชาตรี ศิ� ...

Yodsanan Sityodtong , fighting_out_of = Suphan Buri, Thailand , death_date = , death_place = , height = , weight = , weight_class = Super featherweight (Boxing)Flyweight (MMA)Bantamweight (MMA) , style = Boxing, ...

and Kongtoranee Sityodtong.

Early life

Yodtong was born Pu Tui (Thai: ตุ๊ย แซ่ผู่) in Ban Pong District of

Ratchaburi Ratchaburi ( th, ราชบุรี, ) or Rajburi, Rat Buri) is a town (''thesaban mueang'') in western Thailand, capital of Ratchaburi Province. Ratchaburi town covers the entire ''tambon'' Na Mueang (หน้าเมือง) of Mueang ...

province. His father was a Chinese immigrant from

Hainan Hainan (, ; ) is the smallest and southernmost province of the People's Republic of China (PRC), consisting of various islands in the South China Sea. , the largest and most populous island in China,The island of Taiwan, which is slightly l ...

. Yodtong had four brothers and two sisters, and later moved to Bang Lamung district,

Chonburi Chonburi ( th, ชลบุรี, , IAST: , ) is the capital of Chonburi Province and Mueang Chonburi District in Thailand. It is about 100 km southeast of Bangkok, on the coast of the Gulf of Thailand. Its name means 'city of water'. Chonb ...

province, when he was 13 to live with his sister.

Fighting career

Yodtong started training in Muay Thai from age 14 under Kru Sithidet Samanachan (Thai: สิทธิเดช สมานฉันท์), and his first fight came shortly after his 15th birthday. His first ring name was Erawan Detprasit Banpra (after his camp Detrprasit and his stadium Banpra). At 17, he moved to the Senanan camp to train under Kru Suwan Senanan and adopted his teacher's surname as his ring name. Yodtong then began teaching other fighters in Muay Thai. He continued to fight professionally until age 21, after which he went into semi-retirement; he fought only if the money was right. Yodtong had a combined 49 bouts.

Coaching career

Yodtong founded his own camp in 1959 at Mabtapud municipality, Rayong province. He stayed in Mabtapud for approximately 15 years before moving his camp to the Banglamung district of Chonburi, where it remains. In 1971, Daothong Sityodtong became the first champion produced by the gym, winning the

Lumpini Stadium Lumpinee Boxing Stadium ( th, สนามเวทีมวยลุมพินี) is a sporting arena in Bangkok, Thailand. The stadium is named after Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha. Opened more than a decade later than Rajadamnern ...

Championship. In 1972, Yodtong's fighters engaged in a memorable feud with Japanese kickboxers led by Osamu Noguchi. On November 1, 2005, Yodtong won the first prize in the Thai lottery worth 56 million baht. He kept approximately 10 million baht for himself and donated the rest to charity, making him extremely popular in Banglamung district. Kru Yodtong appointed one of his students,

, to be the conservator of Muay Thai in Asia.

Mark Dellagrotte Mark DellaGrotte (born November 14, 1974) is an American former professional Muay Thai kickboxer and a trainer in Muay Thai. He is the owner and operator of the Sityodtong USA Branch in Somerville, Massachusetts, and was certified and appointed b ...

of UFC fame is a conservator of Muay Thai in the U.S. under Kru Yodtong Senanan. Several Sityodtong Muay Thai camps have been set up around the world. Kru Yodtong Senanan lived in Chonburi province until his death at age 75 in 2013.

Awards and recognition

* Honorary Doctorate in Muay Thai Studies, Ratchapat University, Jom Bueng Village Campus * Award for the Best Muay Thai Trainer in the Nation, conferred by Princess

Sirindhorn Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, The Princess Royal and Princess Debaratana Rajasuda ( th, มหาจักรีสิรินธร, ; ; born April 2, 1955), formerly Princess Sirindhorn Debaratanasuda Kitivadhanadulsobhak ( th, สมเ ...

on 11 May 1991 * Highest Honor in Muay Thai from the International Federation of Amateur Muay Thai Associations

Bibliography

*Siam Sport Daily
Obituary for Yodtong Sriwaralak (Senanan)
(in Thai), 13 February 2013 *Pattaya Daily News
Funeral Rites for Kru Tui (in Thai)
18 February 2013

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Senanan, Yodtong Senananl, Yodtong Senananl, Yodtong Yodtong Senanan Muay Thai trainers Senananl, Yodtong Yodtong Senanan Thai autobiographers Yodtong Senanan 20th-century philanthropists