Serious about Muay Thai? Going Thailand?

[Chun Li]

For those of you who are serious and passionate about Muay thai and are planning on going to Thailand, the camp which i highly recommend is Chalong Chi - check the website www.tigerpitt.com, its in Phuket

Ive known the guy for 4 years, he's an american dude (Ex marine), has his own gym in the states, he was head instructor at another Muay Thai camp, and he has opened his own in phuket.The guy has had numerous fights in Thailand, fought in Lumpini Stadium, and holds the belt for KOTC Singapore etc etc etc.. i can go on!..

Yeah I know there are many other camps in phuket, so what makes this one special, ive been to them all, Phuket Muay thai, Tiger Muay thai, Rawai Gym etc, what i think these gym lack are stucture and attention to their students, coz there are soooooo many people going to these gyms you lack the one-on-one with the trainers and due to the number of people, if your serious about Muay Thai and wanna get proper skills and develop them, and not just skip and kick the pads endlessly, and then your all done, but some serious hardcore training and wanna learn new styles and technigue i suggest you guys come and train here and get some proper Muay Thai techniques!

https://www.tigerpitt.com

[Ghost]

far below the standard of the bangkok gyms.

sorry.

[Tom Yum]

I don't know anything about the gyms in bangkok, but it looks decent from this vantage point. Here's there daily training regimen:

Monday - Friday
7A.M. Start 12K run
Finish run, stretch 10 min.
Shadowbox 10 min.
Heavy bag 3 rds x 5min 1 min rest
Thai pads 5-7 rds x 3min rds 1 min rest
Heavy bag drills (200 push kicks, 200 knees) push ups between each rd.
Sit ups 300
Pull ups 30
Dips 30
20 min technique work
Meditate

Finished around 10 A.M. Afternoon session 3 P.M. start run 5K
Push ups between all rounds
Finish run, tire jump 10 min
Jump rope 10 min
Stretch 10 min
Heavy bag 3rds x 3min 1 min rest
Thai pads 3 rds x 5 min 1 min rest
Sparring 30-40 min
Clinch work 20 -30 min
Sit ups 100
Cool down with shadowboxing
Finish around 7 P.M

[Chun Li]

far below the standard of the bangkok gyms.

sorry.

Hey, although you may feel that its below the "standards" of bangkok gyms, i dont know if you have been to PHUKET?...This camp as far as i can see from being in other camps in phuket offers alot! although they have the standard training regime that most camps have (the usual morning and then afternoon sessions), from a passionate and serious muay thai fighter point of view this camp offers excellent one-2-one training

As you may be aware Phuket attracts alot of people and from the camps ive been to you get too many camps who try to make their camp look like a holiday resort just for the sake of making money, some camps have 15-60 people attending at any one time, im not sayin i dont want to be around people who are learning muay thai for the first time or those who just wanna keep fit while on holiday, but im serious about muay thai and want to learn new techniques and improve, and if there are 15-60 people in one camp what training will you recieve apart from the basic regime they have!

This camp is not about making money, or about how many people it can pull from across the world to come and train its about the passion and dedication to the art of Muay Thai!

If you want to learn as far as i am concerned, in Phuket is the excellant camp to go!

[rickyparis]

Sounds like you are picky, but what the hell , if you like the gym nobody can change your opinion. Congratulations!

[lorenzodamarith]

hello,

phuket camps are worthless. they cater to "holiday cats" who aren't serious. they just pack 'em in to get the money.

phuket camps are awesome!!! they have terrific instructors. if you are serious, they will see it and they will revel in the chance to build a serious fighter.

contradictory, neh? it is not really the fault of the camps that thier clientele are mostly "posers". they have to deal with who comes. however, have not heard of an instance when they ingnored a serious student in the name of "just going through the motions". they go through the motions because that is what thier students seem to demand. a student (or students) that are "the real deal and wanna fight" will get the attention and the technique.

good luck to your friend.

thanks

[the tick]

For those of you who are serious and passionate about Muay thai and are planning on going to Thailand, the camp which i highly recommend is Chalong Chi - check the website www.tigerpitt.com, its in Phuket

Ive known the guy for 4 years, he's an american dude (Ex marine), has his own gym in the states, he was head instructor at another Muay Thai camp, and he has opened his own in phuket.The guy has had numerous fights in Thailand, fought in Lumpini Stadium, and holds the belt for KOTC Singapore etc etc etc.. i can go on!..

Yeah I know there are many other camps in phuket, so what makes this one special, ive been to them all, Phuket Muay thai, Tiger Muay thai, Rawai Gym etc, what i think these gym lack are stucture and attention to their students, coz there are soooooo many people going to these gyms you lack the one-on-one with the trainers and due to the number of people, if your serious about Muay Thai and wanna get proper skills and develop them, and not just skip and kick the pads endlessly, and then your all done, but some serious hardcore training and wanna learn new styles and technigue i suggest you guys come and train here and get some proper Muay Thai techniques!

https://www.tigerpitt.com

I'll just stick to Dutch gyms. I'm quit contend here. Thanks anyway.

[sportmuaythai]

hello,

It is not really the fault of the camps that thier clientele are mostly "posers". they have to deal with who comes. However, have not heard of an instance when they ingnored a serious student in the name of "just going through the motions". They go through the motions because that is what thier students seem to demand. A student (or students) that are "the real deal and wanna fight" will get the attention and the technique.

good luck to your friend.

thanks

I hate this line. A good camp will put out best effort to help student improve his muaythai, irregardless. Some students are natural, and will progress quickly. But a good camp will see that its trainers put out best effort, including motivating, for the lagging students. I've talked to several trainers at several good camps, and they told me that they get just as much satisfaction seeing weak students improve even just a wee bit, but that they did improve, and enjoyed their training. It didn't matter at all whether these students wanted to fight or not. I've also seen at least two camps, unfortunately co-owned by foreigners, where trainers are lazy, and had students over their capacity, and these trainers select guys who wiped their asses, to be trained like they should be trained. If a camp takes money from student as training fee, it's the obligation of the camp to give best training it can. There are plenty of good camps in Thailand, all over the country. Don't let mediocre camps take advantage of you.
Of course, if a student paid his fee, but is only interested in accommodation and social life, then no trainer can or will, change that.

[Ghost]

I hate this line. A good camp will put out best effort to help student improve his muaythai, irregardless. Some students are natural, and will progress quickly. But a good camp will see that its trainers put out best effort, including motivating, for the lagging students. I've talked to several trainers at several good camps, who told me that they get just as much satisfaction seeing weak students improve even just a vee bit, but that they did improve, and enjoyed their training. It didn't matter at all whether these students wanted to fight or not. I've also seen at least two camps, unfortunately co-owned by foreigners, where trainers are lazy, and had students over their capacity, and these trainers select guys who wiped their asses, to be trained like they should be trained. If a camp takes money from student as training fee, it's the obligation of the camp to give best training it can. There are plenty of good camps in Thailand, all over the country. Don't let mediocre camps take advantage of you.
Of course, if a student paid his fee, but is only interested in accommodation and social life, then no trainer can or will, change that.

good post, spot on.

[fire cobra]

If you train in camps in Thailand that have no farang training there and the coaches have a lot of thai boys to take on the pads etc,you will definatly have to prove your worth before your taken seriously,
however some smaller camps in remoter areas of Thailand think its geat that a farang has come to the gym and you get treat like a superstar!.

I have experienced both of the above in Thailand,and either way you end up having a great experience,making new friends,experiencing new culture,and a lifetime of memories.

[sportmuaythai]

If you train in camps in Thailand that have no farang training there and the coaches have a lot of thai boys to take on the pads etc, you will definatly have to prove your worth before your taken seriously,
however some smaller camps in remoter areas of Thailand think its geat that a farang has come to the gym and you get treat like a superstar!.

I have experienced both of the above in Thailand,and either way you end up having a great experience,making new friends,experiencing new culture,and a lifetime of memories.

I must admit fire cobra has much more experience with Thai camps than I do, and can speak from a farang's perspective. I think what he meant is you have to show serious desire. Thais tend to give special condsideration to farang that show interest in what they love. But please be weary of camps around where tourists go to. These could be traps .

[fire cobra]

Hello SportMuay,you are correct,i did mean you have to show serious desire,more so in some camps than others,the coaches observe you on the bag etc,and if your commiting your self to training then that makes them happy and you will get full attention,
however if you are fooling around or slacking off regularly then some camps will not treat you seriously,especially if your only there for 1 or 2 weeks training.

Once the coaches see that you really want to learn,they hold nothing back and really want to pass over to you the art they are so proud of.

A desire to learn and a smile are all you need to have a great experience in most camps in Thailand.

[lorenzodamarith]

I hate this line. A good camp will put out best effort to help student improve his muaythai, regardless.

hello,

agreed. hate that line too. however, it is true. putting in another perspective, this also happens in america. talk to davejannsen at oc muaythai academy in santa ana/anaheim. a very good school. very good instructor. but even he has had to "modify the standards" because most students quit. if you want to keep the doors open, you have to retain your students.

sadly, most farang are on holiday and don't care as much about training. they are hard to teach. even with so many farang, these are only a small portion of the camps students. they have many other students that also need thier attention, and if those students are serious about learning, the instructors will tend to thier need, as this will be far less a waste of training time.

this is especially prevalent in phuket, a "touristy" area with nice beaches, lots of partying and a million ways to be distracted. even if you show up, if you are burned out from partying, you aren't going to get your best sessions. this is not the instructors problem. it's the students problem.

so hate the line. it sucks because it is true.

thanks

[sportmuaythai]

hello,
sadly, most farang are on holiday and don't care as much about training. they are hard to teach. even with so many farang, these are only a small portion of the camps students. they have many other students that also need thier attention, and if those students are serious about learning, the instructors will tend to thier need, as this will be far less a waste of training time.

If you are burned out from partying, you aren't going to get your best sessions. this is not the instructors problem. it's the students problem.

so hate the line. it sucks because it is true.
thanks

OK, here is my view. A good camp (and there are plenty) should only accept as many students it can devote full time on. In thailand, this means mandatory one on one right from the start and throughout the training. For a beginer, it should begin with the trainer helping the newb learn how to wrap his hands, the fighting stance, foot movements, and weapon executions. Then its one on one pad work, finishing off with bag work with trainer watching and correcting. All these in the first session. Following sessions should consist of 5X4 minutes rounds of pad work minimum.

the coaches observe you on the bag etc,and if your commiting your self to training then that makes them happy and you will get full attention,
however if you are fooling around or slacking off regularly then some camps will not treat you seriously, especially if your only there for 1 or 2 weeks training.

Once the coaches see that you really want to learn,they hold nothing back and really want to pass over to you the art they are so proud of.

A desire to learn and a smile are all you need to have a great experience in most camps in Thailand.

Some camps may be like that, and they can give good training. But I don't have patience to prove my seriousness by pounding bags before getting pad work and intensive training given. Bag work is like home work, and it cannot be avoided. A good camp, however, should give best training even if you're there only for a week, let alone a fortnight. But I've been to Thai camp catering mainly to " tourist students" that over capacitate the trainers, and students were lined up and just had bag work instead of pad work. This doesn't cut it in Thailand. Paying students are entitled to be trained same as the camp's fighters from day one.
A desire to learn and a smile are all you need to have a great experience in most camps in Thailand
Exactly! Student must put this on and be polite to get good attention. Nevertheless, uncoordinated or exhuasted students should get encouragement and motivation from good trainer. Drained from over partying students excepted.

[fire cobra]

Good post SportMuay thanks.