Tyler Byers

Love this thought chain.

^^^ Hahahaha that is hilarious!

I haven't seen this exact scenario, but I've seen more than a few guys leave the gym after a couple weeks. Almost always after they decide its a cool idea to spar hard and someone who actually knows what they are doing "learns them" with a liver shot lol. Tough doesn't translate to fighting if you aren't open to learning. You'll just get TKOed by someone more experienced or with better cardio. It is really funny to just watch them whiff shots as their partner uses footwork to get out of the way though.

100% agree. I learned so much when I was first starting because the two guys I was sparring with regularly were A) much better than me and B) were friendly enough to show me when I made a mistake or how I could do something differently. Talking about that stuff during sparring turned into doing other drills outside of the ring and overall really helped me improve very quickly compared to if I had been left on my own. It also allowed us to turn things up a bit in sparring (occasional hard sparring sessions) without anyone getting emotional because we "knew" each other. Most of the times I have seen sparring get out of hand is when the two partners don't know each other outside of that setting. Someone feels like they get tagged too hard or starts to panic a bit and it just escalates. If you have talked socially while drilling together it typically removes some of the emotion. I've found most people in the gym to be quite helpful and social (even if they don't outwardly appear to be). Don't be shy and remember, you've already got something in common that you can talk about, you both love Muay Thai!

Like everything in BKK, enforcement is super hit or miss it seems. That's crazy that hotels have hopped on to AirBnB lol. We were staying in Asok so I'm not terribly surprised that they were doing things a little more "by the book" where we stayed. I'm sure on the outskirts no one would bat an eye. Money talks

AirBnB might be a good option, but for 90 days I think it would get expensive since the rates are typically similar to nearby hotels. I've only used AirBnB a few times in BKK though so my experience is limited. The one thing I would caution about AirBnB in BKK is that it is technically illegal and you can have issues with the building jurisdiction. Last time I used AirBnB I stayed for two weeks while a friend was visiting and we basically had to sneak past the front desk every time we wanted to enter or leave the building. Security didn't care, but the management hassled us a lot even though we went with the owner of the room and told them we were friends with the owner and would be staying for a couple of weeks. My building rents rooms on a monthly basis for about 9,000 baht plus electricity/water but I'm in Thong Lor and pretty far from most of the gyms so it's probably not a great option. I'd check around On Nut area though, there are a lot of places close to the BTS that are renting for 5,500 and lower.

Just a note on FA Group, one of my friends who was training there recently just left because he said there weren't many people training there at the moment. As has been mentioned, all gyms go through cycles so it can be tough to determine what it is like without physically going to see the gym. Accommodation is plentiful in BKK, though finding somewhere that will let you pay month to month can be a hurdle. Check on the BANGKOK EXPATS Facebook group, there are some real estate agents who might be able to find something for you. You can also try DDproperty and Renthub. Figure out your gym situation first, then find a more permanent housing situation. You definitely don't want to be traveling across town every day just to get to the gym. Attachai's would likely be a good gym to check into though their prices are pretty high (22k a month last I looked). That area should have lots of cheap apartments/food around, and the gym (or Emma if she has time) might be able to help you find a room for a short term stay.

Hi Tim Don't get too anxious, just make it on that flight. You've got a battle buddy here now! I'm gonna be out there training with you and I've been living in Bangkok off and on for the last 4 years so. If you need anything at all please feel free to message me here, LINE (tylerbyers1 is my ID), or on Facebook and we'll get you sorted out. I went out last weekend and trained with the General during the seniors class, it was a total blast! Everyone there is super friendly and helpful. I had a bunch of older Thai folks coming around correcting my form as the General expects students to teach everything they have been learning. It's a wonderful philosophy for creating a good learning environment and I think we are going to have a lot of fun. I've taken the next month off school so I've got a lot of free time on my hands. Let me know where you are going to be staying and I can do some prep work to make sure you've got everything you need (i.e. mass travel info, where to get groceries/food, cheap massage, etc.). I look forward to meeting you soon, have a safe flight. - Tyler

He's teaching at a FitFac location in Bangkok I believe. I tried to figure out the exact location before so I could go visit, but I had a hard time with the translation. I'll send him a message and see if he can find a friend to help him with Google Maps.

Can I add Dedduang Por Pongsawong to the list? He might be an interesting one because he is so short but made his style work against much larger fighters. He also was one of the first to start really blasting people with repeated low kicks from what I am told. Never won a championship, but highly respected by many fighters of that era. I can set things up if needed.

Boon for gloves and Fairtex for shinguards Top King and Fairtex for training equipment.

Thaismai, Boon, or Super Export Shop are all great. I prefer Boon for gear (for both quality and price), and Thaismai will make custom shorts for a good price (around 700 baht) Skip Actionzone these days imo. Edit: I should have mentioned that I would go to Boon for personal gear, and Super Export Shop for training equipment. Super Export Shop has a lot of Fairtex gear for really good prices and will carry several different models of Thai Pads and Belly Pads.

Well said, and I totally agree it is a great review of a mixed experience. Really it may not sound like it from a what I have written thus far, but this sounds like a gym I would really enjoy. It wasn't my intention to shit on them in anyway, just worried they were turning into what so many other gyms here have turned into. This is actually the gym I had planned on going to when I came out initially for this trip. I also plan on being out here long term though, have put time into learning the language, don't mind being beaten on (dumped endlessly), or mentally killed via repetition. Everyone comes out for different reasons though and not everyone wants to learn the Thai way or about Thai culture (unfortunately). Master Toddy's was great for someone who had never stepped in a gym before (me) or who was brand new to Thailand (me), but I didn't really learn anything after about six months to be honest. It's not a gym I recommend to anyone serious about fighting. Definitely not a "Thai/Isaan" style gym. On a random side note, I would like to again compliment your writing abilities lol. Fantastic and a pleasure to read as always. Both of you are quite talented with verbal imagery.

Thanks Kevin!

Fair enough Kevin. I was speaking more to the big name tourist gyms I have heard stories of than this gym particularly, though the review didn't sound like he had a great time or was especially well looked after. That's why I asked if he would go back. He also said the trainers changed out during the short time he was there, that leads me to believe they aren't taking great care of the trainers either or it's not being tightly managed. It's easy to set a repetitive schedule and have trainer's follow itnmindlessly day in and day out. Gym prices have jumped in the last few years, but I find 40,000+ baht to be incredibly high for a month of training and housing when many quality gyms can be found in BKK, Chiang Mai, or Hua Hin for half that price. I haven't been out there so I can't judge, I'm only going off a single persons experience. In all honesty it sounds like a gym I would really enjoy, but also sounds pretty rough for a first time stay in Thailand. Edit: Also, you've gotta remember that if you show up with Sylvie and camera equipment it's quite possible you are going to receive different treatment than random Canadian guy. Not saying that's a factor, just that it's a possibility. Maybe I read this all wrong and he had a great time, but seemed like there were some bumps. As I mentioned though, that might also be due to a cultural misunderstanding between him and the gym or a perceived slight which caused them to treat him differently than other students/gym members.

Not sure about Rawai as I have not trained there, but I have heard nothing but good things from friends. If you are open to training elsewhere, the gym i just posted about in Bangkok (Suk Niwet Muay Thai) would fit all your criteria.