The Unforgiving Kicks Part XII

Age of the Whirlwind Kicker – Apidej Sidhiran

1965 - Apidej showing one of his seven title belts - the Oriental Boxing Federation welterweight championship belt.

I recall back in late 1964, when I began my studies in muaythai (beyond simply learning to fight), my first guru Achai (Thai) said to me :

“The best fighter in Thailand is a Terror (Seua) , with his lethal kicking he can eliminate all opposition, right up the heaviest middleweight... Kids will keep quiet when mom says: Seua is coming for you.” That raised my eyebrow.

Top Thai boxer Kongdej on the receiving end of Apidej's devastating kicks. Note blood smear on the while anklet of the kicking limb. This fight, dated 1969, was one of the greatest ring dramas involving the two warriors, and one that goes down in history as a fight of the highest level in its quality of competition and extraordinary thrills.

In Thai language, the word “Seua” means tiger, or terror, both words implying menace, while “Singh” is lion or hero, a more positive reference.

Master Achai was referring to Apidej Sidhiran, the top boxer of Thailand at the time, and literally the King’s champion, as even H.M. the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej expressly loved him for being the national hero of his people.

Apidej Sidhiran - Undisputed King of Muaythai 1962-68

Later on, other Thai sources told me that Apidej had a pair of gifted feet, which was lethal, giving his enemies fractured arms and paralytic legs. Once during training, he had broken a sandbag with a series of eighty strong slamming kicks – a real wonder !

I was so enthused by the information that I began to try all means to collect news about his fights – including making weekly trips to the only one stall here (requiring a five-mile ride), selling international newspapers, to grab a copy of the Bangkok Post, or the Nation, and read the muaythai journalist column by Antone Perera… That desire to know about the man and muaythai hence grew to insane dimensions in silence…

Special issue of The Ring, Dec 1970, carrying a review of the Great Kicker's career.

In 1983, the Look East magazine (January Issue), published in Bangkok, carried an article where the eminent Anton Perrera wrote : “… On another occasion, Apidej Sidhiran, who possessed the best feet in the trade, and could plaster a rival in the ribs with as many as 12 lashing blows within 30 seconds, did just that to one of his luckless opponents, who collapsed in the first minutes of the fight, and could not get up. Carried away in a stretcher, the fallen fighter never regained consciousness, as one of the thudding kicks had broken one of his ribs, which had perforated one of his lungs. He was “DOA” in hospital the same night.”

This was awesome… the fight reports in Bangkok depicted him as a true warrior who terrorized the Thai boxing scene with his murderous kicking, which has brought ill-fate to many proven fighters. His ring epithet was :

“Jom Dhet Bang Nok Kwaek” which is translated as,

The Great Kicker of Heronry Green (District)

Career profile of Apidej on display at the National Sports Museum, Hua Mark Stadium. Bangkok.