Post: #1

Can anyone recommend a good fitness or bootcamp type of program/holiday that is not to expensive in the Asian region?

Post: #2

Check out Tiger Muay Thai and Lion Muay Thai in Phuket, Thailand.

Post: #3

(11-11-2013 03:00 AM)youngmobileglobal Wrote:  Check out Tiger Muay Thai and Lion Muay Thai in Phuket, Thailand.

Thx YMG, a few questions :

what is the best site to find customer reviews for these places?

would you recommend living onsite or finding my own place nearby?

which one would be better if I have no fighting experience, and am looking for improved fitness, not to learn Muay Thai?

Post: #4

(11-11-2013 04:11 AM)Steve9 Wrote:  

(11-11-2013 03:00 AM)youngmobileglobal Wrote:  Check out Tiger Muay Thai and Lion Muay Thai in Phuket, Thailand.

what is the best site to find customer reviews for these places?

MuayThaiLand has reviews of all the farang-friendly gyms in Thailand and other countries in SEA.

Quote:would you recommend living onsite or finding my own place nearby?

Depends on your budget, the gym and many other factors. Easiest thing to do is stay a few days or a week at the gym or associated lodging, talk to people there and then decide what's best for you. There's no one right answer.

Quote:which one would be better if I have no fighting experience, and am looking for improved fitness, not to learn Muay Thai?

Basically all the farang-friendly gyms take beginners, but the culture can vary from place-to-place. No matter which gym you choose your fitness will rapidly improve. Once you get to the area you can even try out a different one each day and see which one suits you best.

Tiger is a bit more hardcore and probably less beginner friendly - lots of serious MMA guys with attitudes. Also, comparatively, not such a great area in the middle of Chalong, far from the beaches and nightlife.

Lion used to be good earlier this year for beginners and experts alike, but management changed a couple months. Consequently, there's other changes going on now, e.g. more Russian focused, trainers and sponsored fighters switching away, so any reviews would be outdated and I'd wait and see with that one.

Maximum is the sister gym of Lion, located in Patong, and I've heard good things. Sinbi, also in the Rawai area close to Lion, has a good reputation and has been around for a while. Rawai was probably the best choice for beginners, but they relocated to a nice new facility further north in Khao Lak, which you might consider as well. The old gym, renamed Rawai Supa, has reportedly gone downhill quickly under new management - poor training and only care about money.

Bottom line: As a beginner, no matter which gym you pick you'll have a great time and quickly improve your fitness, but if I had to recommend just one I'd say Sinbi.

Post: #5

I haven't trained muay thai in Thailand since early 2012 so I am not too up to date on who is good or not. Soma and maybe RioNomad might know better.

A lot of the gyms I went to have gone under new management that all tend to be for the worse.

I have heard only good things about Sinbi Muay Thai although I have not trained there. I think that would be good.

Soma, have you been to Patong Boxing Gym?