I am a fighter from America who lives in Isaan. I belong to TK Yutthana Gym and train under Kru Tom. I wanted to post and share about the boxing camp because non-Thai fighters don't really know about it yet, and it's been a really great place for me and my boxing development.
A little bit about the boxing camp...
TK Yutthana is a traditional kai muay located in Isaan (Korat specifically). It is run by Tom Yutthana (ยุทธนา เกียรติประภัสร์ "ขุนเข่าตุ้ยนุ้ย"). Kru Tom is a highly respected teacher in Isaan known for developing local kids into high level athletes competing on major platforms like Channel 7 and RWS.
Tom was a Golden Age top ranked Channel 7 boxer himself, and hits a rare balance of being both a former elite fighter and also a great manager. He has a sharp technical eye and an ability to easily translate his own stadium experience into building high-level talent across a wide variety of fight styles.
I’ve found Tom’s IQ and versatility especially valuable as a very tall boxer with long awkward limbs (think Dieselnoi) whose body type does not fit very well into most fight styles. The training here is extremely good, and the teaching style is very Thai. Which, for me, is perfect.
The environment is traditional. The young Thai fighters live on-site, and the camp is very much a working gym with broken bags and stray dogs. There is zero Western-style pedagogy, group classes, or "show-and-tell" style technical breakdowns. Learning is entirely adaptive—done through raw repetition, observation, and direct correction while on pads.
The camp is really a sort of fighter ecosystem with boxers of every age and development stage training, fighting on the provincial circuit, learning and growing. If you are receptive to how this camp operates, the environment itself, which is designed to build boxers, forces you to develop as a fighter.
It's possible to be integrated directly into the traditional system and get the same training as the Thai youth fighters, which I think is pretty special. I learn the same skills on pads as what is taught to the kids, but I also learn just by watching and being with the kids, who are extremely skilled.
Kru Tom himself is approachable and funny, but serious about talent output. For those looking to get ring experience, the camp is tightly connected to the traditional 5-round Isaan festival circuit. Both youth and adult fighters are also regularly fighting in Bangkok.
Since I am here full-time, I can act as a bridge for any Westerners coming in which can be helpful when navigating a very traditional Thai environment. This is a very specific type of gym, hitting a rare window for someone who wants an intimate, old-school development environment before commercialization sets in.
Contact info
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tkyutthana/
Website: https://tkyutthana.com/
My whatsapp +1(415) 408-8798
(Text me if you have questions about the camp, or if you just want to talk about Thailand)
