Tyler Byers
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Posts posted by Tyler Byers
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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.
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I forget his name, but there is one pretty big trainer out at Sitmonchai. From my understanding, even the big Thai's at Kem's are only 70kgs. I'd shoot Sitmonchai a message with your questions/concerns and just see what they say.
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Sounds like you got an "authentic" experience lol. Awesome review, I considered going here but the price just couldn't be justified. It's ludicrously high in my opinion. So many gyms trying to make money off the name of a couple resident fighters, seems like they might have added themselves to that list or are getting dangerously close to that territory. I'd imagine this is a pretty advanced gym to attend from a cultural standpoint, likely difficult for anyone who hasn't spent some time in Thailand.
The taxi/shuttle scenario seems pretty messed up, doesn't seem like they care a lot. No offense, but I'm wondering if the personal issues you had with them played into that in anyway? It's easy to make a misstep in culture here, especially your first time in Thailand. It's quite possible they just didn't give a shit though and would do this with any foreigner who is done training there. Seems like once you stop paying they stop caring which isn't what I want out of a gym.
I guess the biggest question I have is... would you go back?
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Tried attaching some pics but can't figure out how to do it from my phone
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Hi all, I've been meaning to write this review for a while but the gym was/is possibly moving locations so I had been holding off. The gym is located outside the city center in Phra Phradaeng. It's a very small family run gym headed by Korat Saknarin, a trainer with over 500 fights. He has fought many big names such as Boonlai and Samingnoi (they fought 4 times with a Korat winning 3 of their bouts) as well as many others.
I first met Korat while he was working at another gym and instantly took a liking to him because of his attention to detail and ability to make corrections based on your specific style. Many trainers try to teach you their style and he is much more about figuring out what works for you and figuring out how to maximize that style. So many people at the former gym wanted to work with him that it actually caused some problems with the other trainers and eventually he left after a dispute with the owner (who Korat felt wasn't doing enough to help students and fighters prepare for fights). A couple of years later I found him on Facebook and found out he had started his own gym on the bottom floor of his house in Bangkok.
I've now been living and training here for about 3 months. Unfortunately Korat had accepted a position in China just prior to my decision to come back to Thailand. I told him I still wanted to come train with him and he insisted I still come to the gym and he would bring in another trainer for me who he knew well. I wasn't sure exactly what I was getting into with that lol, but agreed to come anyways and check it out. When i arrived he introduced me to the other trainer who turned out to be Dedduang Por Pongsawong who is quite well known throughout Thailand. Korat said I should spend the time he was away working on technique with Dedduang and getting into shape for his return (I was/am a little fat lol).
Dedduang was awesome. He worked tirelessly with me, pushing me to my limits daily by extending the time of each round until I was doing 40 minutes of padwork in one round. I was only paying for an hour of padwork but we typically stretched it out to about an hour and a half. After padwork I would go run around the neighborhood for a bit. The area to run isn't huge, but it a loop you can do several times. One loop is about .5 Kilometers. Originally I wasn't going to fight until Korat got back, but Dedduang offered to help find me fights if I wanted. I ended up taking two fights in the first two months I was here, one at a small local stadium and the other at Asiatique.
Korat returned from China about a month ago and has been having me work on mixing in Western boxing with Thai boxing. My style is a little bit more Muay Khao based so this helps me setup clinch entry as well as giving me a lot of options to feint while remaining mobile (I get stuck if I stay in one area). After my last fight at Asiatique I realized I needed some more sparring so Korat has had his son sparring with me nightly to help out. Currently we are trying to get me ready to take a fight at Rajadamnern, but I've been sick which has hampered things a bit.
To give you and idea of what things are like outside of the training aspect, I have been living here on the third story of the house since January. The whole family has been awesome and super helpful with anything I need. The first week I was here they took me around to show me where all the local stores were (Big C, 7-11, etc.) and made sure I knew the cost of motorbike taxis, song taew routes, and where the local market was. They even went out and bought medicine for me when I got sick, went with me to immigration (several times, I had some headaches dealing with immigration offices for a visa extension), and took me to a nearby boxing shop to make sure I had everything needed before my fight. It's a very fight oriented family and they know how to take care of you. Pi'Dao, Korat's wife, will even cook for you to help manage weight before a fight. They also pay attention to the things you like to eat and will try to accommodate as much as possible. We eat nearly every meal together and it really feels like you are part of the family.
So far the only cons from being out here are that it's a little far from downtown if you are someone who likes to go out on the weekends (it's about 200 baht to Sukhumvit no matter which part of Sukhumvit you go to oddly enough), and you won't get the same feeling of gyms who have large group classes. It's very intimate and focused on individual growth. There isn't much equipment since it's such a small gym but it's got all the necessities and Korat will think of some kind of body weight exercise to do if you do end up having to stand around a bit.
Rates for private padwork (1 hour) are as follows:
Men - 500 baht
Women - 450 baht
Kids - 350 baht
There are discounts available if you aren't doing single sessions or are staying at the gym.
If you want to stay at the gym in one of the extra rooms send a message to either Korat or myself (I'll help arrange it if needed). He cuts pretty decent rates that include everything from training to food. His English is good enough for training but he mostly uses Google Translate beyond that. This is a great gym if you are looking for direct one on one training either for fights or fitness. It's also a particularly good gym for folks who want to stay long term and like having a close relationship with their trainer. Very much a family type environment.
This is my first gym review so please ask questions I can help answer!
You can contact the gym via Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/100009897304614
Or feel free to shoot me a message at https://www.facebook.com/636268152
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I am planning on going back to Thailand in October for approx 3-6 months. Because I won't be there longer than that, I have been considering a few different options. I am torn between bouncing between gyms (potentially in BKK, Chiang Mai, and maybe Hua Hin) about once a month or just picking one a gym in BKK/Chiang Mai and sticking it out. Where it gets a little bit more difficult is that I also know a trainer in BKK from my old gym who now has his own place which he just opened. He is the only trainer there and I am thinking I might be able to get all one on one sessions with him for a really good price (plus I would like to help him out). The only problem is that it is in the middle of nowhere BKK and quite far from the BTS/MRT.
What do you guys think? Bounce between gyms, pick a gym, or try and swing a deal for private sessions?
I'm prob beginner/intermediate level and have a few gyms in mind to train at (MTM Academy, Attachai, Santai, Hongthong, Sitmonchai, Namsaknoi, and Sitjaopho in no particular order). Anyone with recent experience anywhere they loved? -
I've got a Gladiator custom mouth guard as well and can't say enough good stuff. About to order a second one just so I have a back up (think they give you your 2nd one 50% off too).
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I would not hesitate to travel alone to Thailand either. I can only really speak for Bangkok, but it is quite safe in my opinion. I have been to Phuket as well and felt quite safe; I just haven't been in that area for a long enough time to feel like I could give you a truly educated perspective. If you give me a heads up before you travel and have a little bit of a plan as far as the things you want to do/see in BKK I can give you some advice on common scams I have heard of, and general tips that will hopefully keep you from getting scammed. At the end of the day though usually if you do get scammed it is for a relatively small amount of money, physical safety isn't too big of an issue. If I get some time soon I will try to hammer out a generalized BKK safety guide lol, I am sure it would be useful to many people who are only coming to train for shorter periods of time.
Bringing a second ATM card while traveling is an excellent idea. I typically keep some bail out money in one account and use the second account for general spending. Having a business card with the address you are staying at is also a great idea, especially if you can have someone write it in thai on the back as well.
Oh yeah almost forgot. You can buy sim cards for quite cheap (they give them away for free at the BKK airport too I think). I highly recommend picking one up so that if you ever are in a situation you feel unsafe, you can call the tourist police which I know operate in Phuket, and I think also BKK. They will speak English and are typically volunteer expats who have been in the area for quite sometime.
Don't be afraid, it is fun here!
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I have the opposite problem. All my Thai is flat, but I've got about 400 tones for "fuck" lol. I'm pretty sure I'm an innovator at this point! My Thai is awful, but I highly recommend learning to read. Initially I thought it was a total waste of time, but now I wish I had learned sooner. You will find romanizations of Thai vary greatly so if you can read Thai and associate it with your own natural romanization then things become much easier when trying to remember pronunciations. For example if I romanize something like meau wan, we all read those sounds differently (long and short vowels mess with this as well) because our own internal pronunciation is different. If you can see the Thai characters and relate it to a sound though it is much easier. Often when I don't understand a word in Thai, I will ask the person to write it for me and then I end up being able to sound it out. That brings me to a second tip... Bring pen and paper with you everywhere so you can write down new words each day. Super handy! Most Thai people love trying to converse with you, so don't be embarassed, don't give up, and use every conversation as a chance to learn!I actually have a Berlin accent in German now, which is kind of what it's like for me in Thai at this point, where I speak very differently in Thai language than I do in English - the tones aren't considered, but more my actual sentence structure naturally goes up and down and I emphasize very differently than I do in English.
Same if I imitate my dad's way of speaking. My dad says "fuck" the exact same way regardless of context. It's like he has his very own tone for it, hahaha.
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Hahaha "be Thai about it" is great advice. I think I am managing it pretty well. I have been essentially outwardly ignoring it, but doing as Kevin said and maintaining connections/relationships. It is definitely something I wouldn't have noticed had I not been here awhile. I think a lot of it has to do with the internal hierarchy and specifically with the primary trainer being the most senior here and the other trainers being new to the gym. Very interesting to see the dynamics of it all for sure. I appreciate the input from both of you, hopefully some other folks will chime in as well. Surely this must happen in gyms outside of Thailand!
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Initially I was going to simply send Sylvie a question about this since I know she has written about there being tension between her two gyms at times, but figured it might be good for discussion. It feels like the exact same thing but on a smaller scale.
I have a trainer at the gym whom I have worked with off and on for about a year now. The first 4-6 months I was training I really tried to get him to work with me but he pretty much always sort of shoved me off on to another trainer. Finally after the 6 month mark he started working with me consistently for about 2 months and then it was just like before. Since then, other trainers have gotten interested and wanted to work with me or have offered me fights. Each time this happens he gets moody, and insists that I am his student. He works with me for a week or two, then it all kind of falls apart again. It hasn't caused any real conflict in the gym, but it has definitely caused tension and I'm not sure how to deal with it.
Similar situations to this have happened prob 4-5 times now, but here is an example from last week:
I had been off training for a couple weeks because of a broken toe. Come back to train but was only doing boxing since my toe still hurts quite a bit and feels weak. We have a trainer who is incredibly good at boxing and has shown a lot of interest in training me as well as asking me to fight on the Queen's Birthday. I did padwork with him for two days, then the third day the other trainer I had worked with in the past insisted I come do pad work with him. He was very loud and adamant about it. We still only worked boxing, but throughout the session kept looking at the boxing trainer to see if he was watching. It very much felt possessive/aggressive and as if he were making a show of it.
It is just small stuff, and honestly I'm not too worried about it. Just wondering if anyone else has had similar problems and how they dealt with it.
Edit: It should be noted that I routinely train with different trainers almost every couple of days to switch things up; but this kind of behavior only occurs when we have a newer trainer who really tries to put in effort to work with me.
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Interesting! Lol I had never even considered this!
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Raising knees to block teeps as opposed to sweeping it away with a hand. Usually I see this in conjunction with bringing the elbows down or inward. I don't think people do it on purpose, it is more of a defensive reflex (I'm certainly guilty of this one occasionally myself) but it still hurts when you catch someone's knee or shin! I broke a toe again today (this has happened twice now from people raising their knee while I am teeping) while sparring. Part of this is my fault for not teeping higher, or moving forward while teeping. Just something else to keep in mind though :)
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Absolutely. The ability to hide your kicks behind punches gives you a huge advantage in my opinion. Especially if you can get your opponent worried specifically about your hands, then you can start just smashing kicks in :)
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Nothing to add here yet (I will keep thinking though), just wanted to say that I dig this thread!
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Not much you can do with the little one, tape slid right off mine. As you said though it doesn't affect things too much, just take it easy! Heal up soon!Any advice on training with a broken toe? Unfortunately I caught an elbow while throwing a teep last night and my little toe snapped. I've had broken toes before, but that was before I trained muay thai. I'm not sure buddy tape will be effective once I start to sweat.
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Yeah, it was actually like 2 less reps on the same weight, so I think you could be right.
Keep it up Tyler! How many sessions do you get in generally in a week?
I do 9-10 2 hour sessions a week, and run 3-5 of the mornings. Really trying to run more, but it totally depends on my energy levels. I ended up completely skipping training both Friday and Saturday last week, needed more of a break mentally than physically I think. I was feeling a little down about taking time off initially (I feel guilty lol), but now I think it was the right choice. Looking forward to training tomorrow where I was dreading it last week lol.
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Usually if you are feeling a little weaker, it just means you are pushing hard. Might be good you got a little extra rest this week. This week has been a serious grind for me. Hahaha surviving one session and day at a time!
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Ah yes, I've been using one, it sucked for me. I woke up pissed off because of the long waking up period :D But if I find a strong enough resolve to run in the morning, I will try using a different one for sure :)
Hahaha the smart alarms are hit and miss for me depending on the tone. Lately I've been using one that is very subtle, I barely hear it when waking up, but so far I haven't slept through it either. When I find one that works, I definitely feel better waking up vs a normal alarm. Also, get to bed at a consistent time. I have found this is a huge one for me and totally messes with my sleep patterns if I don't adhere to it. Hope that helps, hahaha usually I don't even begin to wake up until I'm like halfway through my run!
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Curious to see what happens with your weight now that you are doing the couch to 5k. I can't seem to stay under 78kg without running. Not sure if its just the increased muscle in my legs burning more calories or what. Does the trick for me though!
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I have gone through this before, and am going through it again (cramps everywhere after training). I think I am going to try the magnesium and banana route and see what happens, but I would also highly recommend foot massage. I tend to find that my calves get incredibly tight throughout the week, and I think this is what leads to many foot cramp issues. There is a whole street with massage places in On Nut that do massage for 150 baht an hour. I think it is Sukhumvit Soi 71/1.
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Because that means waking up even earlier and I am sooooooo not a morning person. The real reason I have been fasting until noon is that society has seen fit to enforce a "no forks before noon" ruling upon my person. Too many early morning stabbings apparently ;) Lol realistically I was running before training a while ago (it's too hot here to go after training), I'll get back there eventually.Why don't you try running before training?
Edit: also I realized I have been holding my breath while striking recently for some stupid reason. That seriously does not help with the whole not getting tired thing. Glad I figured that one out though, score one for me!
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Looks good man, those straight punches look crisp. Hahaha I kind of want to video myself shadowboxing now, never seen myself doing any training really.
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I start running again consistently next week. I definitely need to do something to increase my window. I have been crazy tired after sparring lately.
Kem Muay Thai Gym Review (3-Month Stay)
in Gym Advice and Experiences
Posted
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.