roosh19

Hey Guys! I know it has been a long time since I posted, but I am now back from my trip and I AM GRATEFUL. I ended up at Yokkao and was kind of aiming to wing it for maybe a week, 10 days if it was really good. Well, I ended up staying for almost 3 weeks - the gym is great, the people are even better - so welcoming and playful. It was an amazing experience. I even ended up having food and beers with the man himself (Saenchai). I then heard bad things about Banchamek, so went to Manop Gym in Chiang Mai. What a hidden gem! This was easily the best muay thai instruction of the trip, and my life. Manop is such a youthful and caring individual - it's like being with an uncle who drives you around and is all-round badass. Sylvie was even due to turn up while I was there but then couldn't make it. I then went to Diamond MT, which wasn't bad but was very western compared to the former two gyms. My thinking was to wind down the intensity so I enjoyed the islands and safe to say I spent time in paradise. Sapphire beaches, powdered sand, great food and drinks and cool people. I also went to Vietnam but that isn't MT related, albeit being breathtaking. Overall, thank you so much for your help and advice. I could never have been as comfortable without you guys or Sylvie's website. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Alsooo, I decided to start creating videos from my time there, centred around MT & food. Please check it out and let me know what you think! http://tiny.cc/o0ijdz That's a link to the channel - please subscribe if you like it and you'll be able to see what I've described above. Chok dee and peaaace!

Wow, such helpful posts! Thank you guys so much. @SunAndSteel, I really appreciate that you mentioned how your reasoning changed and what was wrong with it. That is/was exactly what my reasoning was: I wanted a full holiday with a pure MT focus. But, you can only train twice a day and I do want to experience all of the beautiful culture and nature Thailand has. I'm thinking, pick two locations, and find gyms in those areas. Regarding Yokkao, your experience sounds great! There isn't too much on the internet so it can be difficult to do research. However, I have seen that people say the Yokkao gym is in need of a clean and sometimes health and safety is an issue. I have no idea how accurate this is: what would you say to that? Was there any thing negative about your time there? I will also definitely check out Khunsuek. Regarding private lessons, is there anywhere online where you can check the fighters schedule/upcoming fights, so you can try and deduce if they'll be in the gym? Thanks so much for the helpful responses guys!

Thanks so much Smossy! Really helpful answer and I'll definitely check it out. I think Sylvie had a blog post on training with Sagat there so I will definitely do my research.

Thanks for this. I'm going to Thailand to experience how thai's train and experience muay thai in the country that birthed it. I'm not going for partying and a side of muay thai, and i have been to thailand before so even sightseeing will take a bit of a backseat. That being said, I chose those gyms because of Buakaw and Yodsanklai, and because they're quite known hopefully there's a good investment into equipment etc. Wow, I didn't know this. Is there a reason Banchamek is so empty right now? What I find difficult is booking accommodation vs not wanting to pay ahead until I've seen the gym/area. Do I book a hotel for a day or two after getting off the plane and then book the rest of my stay once I've looked around and decided?

Hi guys! So I am currently planning my trip to Thailand but it all depends on the gyms I choose. I want as much of a thai experience as I can get, being a UK foreigner (male, southpaw) that doesn't speak thai. I have some kickboxing experience so know my way around punches and kicks, knees and elbows less so, but consider myself a beginner at clinch and sweeps. I don't have any personal recommendations to go off, so I have only chosen gyms based off fighters I follow. I'm thinking of: 2 weeks at Fairtex 3 weeks at Banchamek. (And maybe a drop in session at Yokkao, or a 1 on 1 with Saenchai if I am lucky.) Does anyone have experience in training at these gyms? My questions are: 1. Should I book the gym accommodation or look for nearby hotels? 2. How are the shared rooms vs single person rooms? 3. These gyms seem expensive due to how famous they are. Would you recommend anywhere else? Thanks so much for your help!