Yodtong Senanan died five years ago this week. Although unheralded compared to Bruce Lee or say Gichin Funakoshi, he is one the greatest martial artists in history. Kru Yodtong produced 57 Muay Thai world champions, the most in history. His greatest Thai champions include Samart Payakaroon, Detpitak Sityodtong, and Yoddecha Sityodtong, among others. Top fighters from the west who made the pilgrimage to his camp in Pattaya include Rob Kaman, Ramon Dekkers, Ernesto Hoost, and Peter Aerts.
Throughout human history our greatest spirits have rejected physical possessions. From Francis of Assisi to Mahatma Ghandi our best have not accumulate things, they have risen above them. Yodtong Senanan was a great spirit.
On November 1, 2005, Kru Yodtong hit the lottery, winning approximately $2 million. Yah, in Thailand great spirits play the lottery. ONE Championship and Evolve MMA founder Chatri Sityodtong tells the story.
“I will share a poignant story about my martial arts master and my hero, the late Kru Yodtong Senanan, that is well-known all over Thailand,” wrote Chatri on his social network. “This weekend marks the 5th year of his passing, and I still think of him almost every day. He died as he had lived most of his life – penniless. He was not penniless because he lived a materialistic life. He was not penniless because he couldn’t make any money. He was not penniless because he had bad luck. He was penniless simply because he always chose to give everything he had to those less fortunate than himself. His generosity was the definition of the human spirit born free.
“Several years ago, Kru Yodtong won US$2 million in the lottery in Thailand. People from all over the region flocked to Sityodtong Gym and he proceeded to give away all of his winnings – one by one – based on each stranger’s individual story of need and poverty. He listened to each story and he gave out what he thought was an appropriate amount to each person. For a few days, Sityodtong Gym was a sea of people – literally. It was a crazy mad zoo. At the end of those few days, Kru Yodtong gave away everything he had even though he was poor himself.
“His whole life was about giving to the world. He gave thousands of impoverished children and orphans an opportunity to change their lives through the art of Muay Thai. He not only taught all of his students how to fight, but he taught us how to live.”
Rest In Peace, Yodtong Senanan, 28 August 1937 – 8 February 2013.
