Jump to content

Real training, real fights - in Phuket or Samui?


Recommended Posts

So, just like everybody, we are planning to go and train in Thailand. 

My partner trains muay thai for 14 years, he has over 60 fights, and of course, his big dream is to fight in Thailand. Especially now, when he lost his motivations here in Hungary (his trainer doesn't let him have title fights, doesn't give him the fight money, etc). 

I'm an enthusiastic newbie, I have only 3 fights - but I really love muay thai, and I want to train and fight a lot. 

We are saving money - it's not easy here-, and planning our journey. 
Many people said that if you are a real fighter, and want serious trainings, and want to fight a lot, you should avoid Phuket or the other turist areas.  Too many turists, who are just playing in the gyms, you can't get serious training, and the fights aren't real, the thai opponent will let you win, because gym owners pay them, etc.. 

I don't know... it makes sense.

We don't want to be "turists". We want to train hard and fight frequently while we are there.

But:
Maybe it will be our only chance to travel to Thailand. Our time is precious: just 2-3 months (because of money)

So we want to see and enjoy the beauty of Thailand, and we want to live near the beach (yeah, we'are Hungarian: we dream about tropical places and beaches :))  We don't want to stay in a big city like Bangkok or Chiang Mai. 

So... 

Can we get both? What do you think? 

 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi P.Evi, I was going through the same dillema when I decided I want to go train to Thailand: I want to have a taste of tropic holidays (maybe it's the one and only time I go there, considering the money) and I really want to train Muay Thai, not be distracted by party people.

The option that I found and which sounds interesting is Lamai Muay Thai Camp, known as WMC Muay Thai Camp in Koh Samui.

I heard only one opinion about this camp and it was a really good one, from a guy who has high expectations when it comes to training and he also went to Phuket. He said at Lamai the atmosphere was nicer and much more focused on helping you learn Muay Thai compared to Tiger Muay Thai, where he didn't really like the group classes. 

Now I'm starting to consider Master Toddy's in Bangkok, because of Emma's great opinion and because it's a Western- and female-friendly gym. There must be some beaches nearby, too...don't they? :)

I'm planning to go in January, so I still have some time to decide, so I will be reading the responses here!

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Now I'm starting to consider Master Toddy's in Bangkok, because of Emma's great opinion and because it's a Western- and female-friendly gym. There must be some beaches nearby, too...don't they? :)

I'm planning to go in January, so I still have some time to decide, so I will be reading the responses here!

 Glad to hear that, Micc!  :wink: I'd love to have you here, if you do decide to come!

Getting to the beach wouldn't be out of the question if you're in Bangkok, but you would have to make it a weekend trip if you don't want to miss any training. You could easily go to Hua Hin, Cha-Am, Pattaya or Koh Samet. Last month, I went to Koh Chang, which is further, for just a couple of days and it was a really easy (and cheap) trip. I left BKK at 11pm on a bus and arrived at my hotel at 7am the next day, it was only around 400B altogether. A lot of people who come here tend to tag a beach trip on to the end of their stay, so they train with us for a while and then shoot off to somewhere else, usually Phuket, as a kind of reward before they go home. You could always do that!

Having trained at my gym for over three years now, I can't really say much for other places because I don't have first-hand experience, but if you want to know anything about training in BKK, do let me know!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We don't want to be "turists". We want to train hard and fight frequently while we are there.

But:

Maybe it will be our only chance to travel to Thailand. Our time is precious: just 2-3 months (because of money)

So we want to see and enjoy the beauty of Thailand, and we want to live near the beach (yeah, we'are Hungarian: we dream about tropical places and beaches :))  We don't want to stay in a big city like Bangkok or Chiang Mai. 

 

So... 

Can we get both? What do you think? 

 

The option that I found and which sounds interesting is Lamai Muay Thai Camp, known as WMC Muay Thai Camp in Koh Samui.

I heard only one opinion about this camp and it was a really good one, from a guy who has high expectations when it comes to training and he also went to Phuket. He said at Lamai the atmosphere was nicer and much more focused on helping you learn Muay Thai compared to Tiger Muay Thai, where he didn't really like the group classes.

The WMC gym that Micc mentions is one I've heard great things about as well, especially from the women I know who have trained there. But gyms go through phases and can change a lot over time, so you'd want to talk to someone who has been there very recently or is currently there now.

Micc and Emma's advice to be close to a holiday area is a great idea. I've heard good things about Diamond Muay Thai on Koh Pan Ngam but I don't know much about their match ups or fight options on the island.

A few things that will have a big influence on your goals of fighting are:

1) your weight; if you're 60+ kg (for you) and 70+ (your BF) the options for opponents is less likely to be an "even match" in terms of how we see them in the west. You'd either get a smaller opponent who is more experienced, or you'll be matched against another westerner and perhaps not have a lot of opportunities to fight.

2) gambling on fights. If you fight someone bigger than yourself, you're more likely to get an opponent who thinks they can beat you and will take the fight seriously. A smaller opponent will be less inclined to "go 80%" if there's money on the fight, which can be in the form of a side-bet, which is each side putting in an equal amount and the winner takes all.

3) the third factor, and you should do this anyway, is to tell your trainers you want hard fights and difficult opponents. There might be an assumption that westerners want easy fights or that winning is "good for business," but if you let them know you want a challenge they'll probably give it to you. And then when you do well, they'll be more happy to bet on you.

But it's hard to know what "fighting frequently" means because the possibilities are different depending on your location, your size, opportunities at any given gym or season, and opponents. More "tourist" areas will actually have more fights because stadium fighting is, in fact, part of the tourist industry as the selling of tickets is how money is made. So going to the boondocks for training means fewer fights close by. There are festival fights and all gyms that are remote will travel to cities for fights in the stadium, but probably not "frequently."

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just fund in a very good blog, missmuaythai.com (I think the writer is also a member in this forum): 

Phuket.

"Unfortunately due to having 3 fights last month, I need to wait a few more weeks before I can get another fight. Bangla Stadium usually only shows 1 female fight per card and I know the other girls at Sinbi have been waiting for fights themselves."

It doesn't sounds so sood for me, if we can stay only 3 months...  

(Ok, we must win on lottery and stay for a year :D )

Link to comment
Share on other sites

(Ok, we must win on lottery and stay for a year :D )

OR if you're serious about this and your boyfriend has some titles or at least is very good, maybe you can try to find some sponsors? 

I'm making serious attempts so that the company I'm working for sponsors my trip, at least the flight or accomodation...they already sponsor 2 athletes, but they are big names, not in muay thai, but in other disciplines unfortunately...BUT I'm not giving up hope and working extra hard :D 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

OR if you're serious about this and your boyfriend has some titles or at least is very good, maybe you can try to find some sponsors? 

I'm making serious attempts so that the company I'm working for sponsors my trip, at least the flight or accomodation...they already sponsor 2 athletes, but they are big names, not in muay thai, but in other disciplines unfortunately...BUT I'm not giving up hope and working extra hard :D 

 

Well, in Hungary the combat sports are not so well sponsored...   We should be football (soccer) players to get sponsors :D   But you're right, and we must keep trying. 

By the way, there are 2 gyms, that I found interesting:

1. Wech Pinyo

2.  Jun Muay Thai 

Both are in Koh Samui, but they don't seem so crowded like Lamai (WMC), and there's no "weight loss class" :D

 They have female fighters, who fights frequently.  Aaaaand they are pretty cheap  ( training cost: 5000-7000 baht per month). 

 

Does anyone have experience about these gyms? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Sumalee and a lot of gyms in Phuket sponsor fighters (free accommodation/training and possibly food) but you'll need to fight regularly for them.

If you make a video of you hitting pads, and you said you've fought so attach a highlight video and write an email. There's a lot of fighters that get sponsored this way.

 

The most important thing(s) I think when looking in the touristy southern parts is to see, if there's any Thai's training, if not any high level foreigners. There's only so much you can improve with a trainer, sparring and clinching is soooo important. And that leads onto the other thing, I know gyms like Phuket top team, from what I've seen and heard don't clinch. So you'd want to see how often they clinch.

EDIT: I just saw this gym on Siamfightmag http://www.siamfightmag.com/en/muaythai-en/reports-en/camps-muaythai-en/south-region-en/900-the-camp-talingngam-muay-thai seems to have quite a few high level Thai's. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's going to be very difficult to find a gym and location and fight situation that's all the things you want, all at once. The time of year has a huge impact on fights; what's good for your partner in training and finding fights might not necessarily be as good for you - a gym that clinches regularly in training might not clinch with you, or a gym that has a lot of Thai fighters but not a lot of westerners might not be accustomed to training women, western women, have a stadium that's great for you, etc.  This isn't meant to be a downer, but you do have to be prepared that there is no "perfect" gym situation, no "perfect" fighting situation, etc. And the experience between you (woman) and your partner (man) will not necessarily be the same wherever you go. It's going to be harder to find the right factors for you, whereas men can go pretty much anywhere, so focus on the factors that are good for you.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Another thing is, are you and your partner looking for the same thing in a gym? Is there any areas of his game which he wants to improve that you don't?

Have you considered Pattaya also? I don't know what they're like towards women (apart from the 2 gyms Sylvie writes about), but I'm pretty sure Pattaya has some nice beaches and islands nearby. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 years later...

It's an old topic, but I was training in Lamai Muay Thai Camp twice in 2019, and I'm coming back there in November. Trainers are very good. They fight a lot. They are very good at explaining things even in group classes. Gym has some kind of agreement with one of Samui Muay Thai Stadiums and lots of foreign students taking part in fights.

I can compare this gym to the one in Koh Chang and...there is nothing to compare. I was thinking a lot about my Muay Thai destination in Thailand and after a long time i choose LMC. And it was a good choice. This year I want to stay there for 3 weeks an o my way back home I want to stay few days in BKK and try some not main stream gyms there.

  • Nak Muay 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Most Recent Topics

  • Latest Comments

    • Watched this fight yesterday, and was really moved by Devy. Looking back at Bill's skills he's everything Entertainment Muay Thai dreams of for a fighter, mixing combinations with Thai techniques, eyes and timing. Beautiful stuff. But Devy is incredible...in such a subtle way. He's like: I'm take your pyrotechniques and just hold position and cover, then move the set, take, hold blast a lowkick to your back thigh. It's like watching a chef cook a masterpiece with 3 ingredients. It really doesn't matter who won this fight, its up over 150 lbs, its the art of this cloistered, minimalist fighting, and his shrug-offs of the aggression and attempts to intimidate. Bill probably the most skilled Western fighter in history, but something deeper and older going on here with Devy. Something that is almost painful to receive beamed across the decades to here and now, as everyone is trying to push Muay Thai into Entertainment and Westernization, Globalization.   
    • Saenchai with another KO win on Entertainment Thai Fight. He's the last magical fighter of Thailand, that last of Thailand's greatness, and we are all blessed as he continues in the ring. I don't watch it much (or any of Thai Fight), but still consider it a blessing. When he stops it will all be gone, even though this is kind of half-fighting, and surely he'll do show fights after his retirement. What I love about this photo - and the first thing is that it suddenly feels like Saenchai has aged, and this happens - but what I love about this photo is that you can see his "coal eyes", which is what I call them. There was an old trainer at Lanna named Nok, who when you trained with him his eyes, if you got any advantage or edge, would just turn black. You could see, he just went into that state. And you knew, stop fucking around. Saenchai has always had such a joyful, playful visage, and a charm of handsomeness that he carried everywhere, even into intense battles. But every great, experienced fighter, even Saenchai, has "coal eyes" inside of him, they have to or they couldn't do it the way that they have. And, in my poetic view, it feels like in this slightly aged photo you can see his coal eyes come out. And its really beautiful. 
    • I thing that many people miss in assessing ONE's future, or even capacity to do anything, is that almost everything you know about ONE (aside from financial declartive documents, and the few voices that escape NDAs and non-disparagement agreements), has been told to you by ONE. So every concept of "reach" or success that is measurable or on a scale comes from the ONE picture building. And...its a bit like asking Trump how his Casinos and buildings are doing. A good, if small, example of this is how RWS is far exceeding ONE Thailand in revenue, by a factor of about 6.  source It just shows a very different concept of business. RWS actually wants to generate revenue at the gate, ONE much rather would pack houses with loads of given away tickets and project massive success through its social media agreements and message control. ONE is trying to generate (one might even say "fake") the feeling of a massive moment...because everything is basically a commercial for the next investor round. They much less want actual fans, so much as the vast impression of fans, and spending everything they can to create the impression is a priority...because the "real" revenue" is a massive investment round, unfortunately something that seems to be drying up. They aren't selling the sport to fans, they are selling it to investors. Sizzle, not steak. So any kind of picture we draw from is already part of this enormous Image creation, which it was hoped would bootstrap itself through dramatic gestures of largess. Flaunting huge payment numbers, etc. A form of "Mystery"... Which isn't to say that none of this is good. The world, and especially the "good" of Capitalism, is made from ostentatious pretension. There is in the world the whole "escape velocity" theory, the fake it until you make it, and when fueled by more than half a billion dollars there is a lot one can fake, in fact the faking becomes quite real, affects real lives, turns into power, creating new capacities and opportunities.  So, one of the most compelling questions about what comes now is that the actual question of revenue and profit making, peeled away from the presentation of profit-making, gets put up against other forms of Thailand Muay Thai that are pulling revenue. And, because so much of what has come to us has come through the filter of ONE's image making its very hard to know where anything is at all. Everything is bigger, better, about to break through. It's the Golden Rule of Trump-like positive image driving, which when looking at the world does lead to power itself. Invest now! Buy now! You don't want to miss out on this once in a lifetime opportunity! A certain kind of power.  We of course should not be lead astray into thinking that Thailand's Muay Thai does not develop and express itself through all kinds of power relations, many of them institutional, many strongly divided by class differences and entrenched hierarchies, There is no "innocent" Muay Thai in the sense of a Muay Thai without efforts of domination and control, in fact the art and sport arguably is the ritualized performance of such. It's more though that maybe this form of economic magical portrayal, as it is so globalized, so hyperstated, so flowing from that which is outside and beyond Thailand, feels like it could be destructive. Too much sizzle...too little steak?   
  • The Latest From Open Topics Forum

    • Hi all, Does anyone know of any suppliers for blanks (Plain items to design and print a logo on) that are a good quality? Or put me in the right direction? thanks all  
    • The first fight between Poot Lorlek and Posai Sittiboonlert was recently uploaded to youtube. Posai is one of the earliest great Muay Khao fighters and influential to Dieselnoi, but there's very little footage of him. Poot is one of the GOATs and one of Posai's best wins, it's really cool to see how Posai's style looked against another elite fighter.
    • Yeah, this is certainly possible. Thanks! I just like the idea of a training camp pre-fight because of focus and getting more "locked in".. Do you know of any high level gyms in europe you would recommend? 
    • You could just pick a high-level gym in a European city, just live and train there for however long you want (a month?). Lots of gyms have morning and evening classes.
    • Hi, i have a general question concerning Muay-Thai training camps, are there any serious ones in Europe at all? I know there are some for kickboxing in the Netherlands, but that's not interesting to me or what i aim for. I have found some regarding Muay-Thai in google searches, but what iv'e found seem to be only "retreats" with Muay-Thai on a level compareable to fitness-boxing, yoga or mindfullness.. So what i look for, but can't seem to find anywhere, are camps similar to those in Thailand. Grueling, high-intensity workouts with trainers who have actually fought and don't just do this as a hobby/fitness regime. A place where you can actually grow, improve technique and build strength and gas-tank with high intensity, not a vacation... No hate whatsoever to those who do fitness-boxing and attend retreats like these, i just find it VERY ODD that there ain't any training camps like those in Thailand out there, or perhaps i haven't looked good enough?..  Appericiate all responses, thank you! 
  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      1.4k
    • Total Posts
      11.5k
×
×
  • Create New...