Choosing a Gym in Chiang Mai

[c4ribou_megs]

Hello all!

Just like other users, I am looking at Sit Thailand, Manop, and Hongthong. I’ll be in Thailand for a 4 week training camp.
 

Totally skippable background info: I learned about Muay Thai when I was a Peace Corps Thailand volunteer and now have racked up more than a dozen fights in about 2 years back stateside. I wouldn’t describe myself as highly skilled; just relentless. I plan to move to Thailand indefinitely but for now, I have a couple of opportunities coming up and may be fighting some VERY accomplished women (I fight at 118) and so I’m taking the opportunity to for a camp. Does anybody have suggestions with the following info in mind? 
•I’m female, fighting 118 

•this is a camp for a specific fight 

•I don’t have an unlimited budget (which is why I’m not going to Kem haha); I’ve just been saving for years

•I want to spar and clinch a lot 

•I like smaller more intimate training and really want to work on my technique 

•I’m not skilled enough to attribute myself with a certain style, but I would say I lean muay khao in my forwardness and love for clinch. My fight IQ is… coming along lol 

Hong Thong looks awesome, and I do like that it’s close to the center. I love their enthusiasm and there would be more sparring partners for me, I imagine, as it seems a bit larger, and I love the on site accommodation. I won’t be able to rent a bike. (I do speak Thai though so I’m not at all worried about navigating public transport and asking for help.)
 

Manop sounds like a rad teacher, and he trains probably one of the the best women in the world at my weight, but I don’t even know if I’d get to spar her  

Sit… I just keep hearing good things! 
 

Thanks so much; I welcome any suggestions, and while I’m excited to be in the north (I lived in Korat so that’s why I was thinking Kem initially) I am open to other suggestions.

[Papadoc45]

I don’t see how you can go wrong at any of the gyms you mention , sit Thailand has a great gym and is technically brilliant. My son 13 was there last year and they treated him so well , we are back now and they seem to be growing with more trainers than before . They fight regularly and have Thais and farangs fighting . They seem to have a connection with Spain as both times there have been decent Spanish fighters there . They have girls training and fighting . It’s 75bht in a bolt from the old town and takes 15 mins Hongthong is a similar distance from our hotel . Ultimately people will tell you their preference but that might not suit you 

[TRTdoc]

I went to sit Thailand for 2 weeks. The technical detail was superb. I've been training for years and he's easily the best teacher I've met. 

I've never been to manop but the teaching also sounds amazing from people I know who have been there. 

There is also Manasak which is basically in town. I don't know much about this gym but from the videos on their Instagram, everyone seems pretty high level.

All 3 gyms seem pretty active in terms of fighting opportunities. 

For me personally, doing several private sessions helped my technique loads so I'd recommend that.

You could try a day or two in each place and see how you get on? You might just bump into the exact right coach for you.

[Dam]

Hello

I did one month at Hong Thong gym. If you want to work a lot on your technics the best could be tto take some private lessons with Joe because during the basic session you will not have a lot of corrections (but you will have some). Some time they have a lot of people so they don't have the time to focus on one specific person. 
You can fight there and it generally happen at the Loh Kroï stadium surronded by hostesses bars. 
If you don't know about it becarefull when you will move to Chiang Mai, there is a big the smog around march april and may. Moutain people do buring farming and it impact a lot the quality of the air. 
The only bad thing I can say about Hong Thong gym when I was there is that the mat were you train is not wash enough often so after two minutes of traning your feet will be black.
If you come without your fighting equipment avoid to borrow those they have in the gym. I get a staphilococcus because of that  (it's a "Newbe" mistake). You have one fairtex shop in Chiang Mai were you can buy everything you could need.
Sometime Manasak and some of his student come to train at Hong Thong, He have a Gym in Chiang Mai too and one good women fighter in his team her name is Lisa Brierley.

Enjoy your trip