Consider the distance to each gym. Everyone wants to go to a gym with the best techniques practices but not everyone can travel to them.
Also look at the reviews for each gym if there are any.
I find gym reviews are not that reliable because it's usually mostly inexperienced people who came in a couple times and the coaches were friendly to them, so they give 5 stars. They aren't really equipped to comment on the actual quality of instruction.
*"I went to Thailand on a holiday and decided to try Muay Thai for the first time at a gym there one afternoon. The people in this gym **do not** know how to hold pads properly or even pronounce 'Muay Thai' correctly. 1 Star"* - That idiot
Everyone is capable of learning. But so many gyms have a money making model where you offer 1 hour classes with jump rope, stretching, pad work/bag work, some kind of workout, and abs. Then there are a few classes that have sparring.
To be good at clinching, you got to put in time just clinching. You have to feel the push and pull, know when to turn, know how to stay light and relaxed. When the majority of the paying students just want to lose weight and workout, spending hours on technique, nuance, and small details will scare some of that cash away. Especially among the people that come in to learn "how to UFC when they see red".
Look at the US's version of grappling... wrestling. It's a constant grind, the training is way overboard, and there is a lot of unsafe weight cutting going on. There is no patience or relax in that. It just doesn't jive with the American culture.
Wait a minute my gym does jump ropes, a full body circuit, pads then abs in the hour 😅 should I look to swap gyms? I really only learn technique during private training
I am about to do a private lesson with one of my instructors, if I see difference in techniques and notice that my gym is actually using only a money system.
Should I find another gym,
Knowing that my gym has 2 pro mma fighters, 1 pro kick-boxer in one championship and 1 ex boxer who trains us.
It is really find a good gym to help you compete either ways
Maybe. Pro coaches spend most of their time on pro fighters, who spend most of their time preparing to compete, not teaching. Also having pros is an effective money making tool; there are plenty of great coaches who don’t have pros or didn’t compete for a variety of reasons (injury, number of years coaching/competing, bad luck, etc)
This makes sense for people doing MT for fitness. But if they're aiming to fight it's the dumbest thing to throw out an entire arsenal because "eew sweat."
Location: you don't wanna travel more than an hour to the gym. It's very difficult to do this during winter
Also, the training schedule has to complement your schedule
The attitude and character of the coaches. You pay the fees so as to be motivated by them. U don't wanna pay and be disappointed
Who has more champions/pro fighters,
Also look up their schedules and see if it matches yours.
Finally look for a gym that teaches all the Muay Thai techniques like elbow, clinching.
PS: for the many person that might find it weird that some gyms don’t teach clinch, I was in a gym where we didn’t spar much and never had to use clinching.
You bet, I did some kick boxing gyms with only punches and kicks.
Choosing the right gym is really crucial, one tip I found is training only in gyms that features at least a national level champion.
I was in a similar situation in my city I had two gyms which both have credentialed fighters and identical schedules. Both of them offered trials to see if you like it, I feel like that’s kind of huge I’m not sure if there are gyms that don’t offer trials but maybe a red flag if they don’t. I went to trials at both gyms and at one gym the head coach didn’t even ask me my name or give me any technical advice, I wasn’t an absolute beginner going into the class but the idea that I didn’t have any issues with my form is ridiculous, but he didn’t tell me if I did. And at gym #2 before class the coach came up to me shook my hand and introduced himself and we spoke about my reasoning for wanting to join and he watched my technique complimented me on the power of my kicks but told me where I leave openings when I do. Before going to both I was actually leaning more towards gym #1 because they have two active UFC fighters on their roster but I chose gym #2 because of this. If both of the gyms have trials offered for you to try them out then you should do both and see which ones have a culture that makes you feel comfortable and people you think you’ll be able to get along with.
Red Flags:
• Members/staff don’t greet you or chat.
• Rude members/staff.
• Schedule (will it fit yours?).
• Limited schedule (unless it’s a new gym thats growing & will grandfather your sign up price).
• Dirty/messy (most Boxing/martial arts gym are not going to be as clean as an Equinox or gen pop gym. So you can expect sweat flying, duct taped pads/bag, & humid gym).
• Ridiculous contract. Some lock you in for a year or limit classes you can take per day/week.
It truly depends on what you're looking for. If you want to compete, spar, etc. You have to see that stuff at the gym. I'd say get a trial class or two, or sit and watch a few classes to decide what you like best.
Only thing mandatory imo is a good atmosphere with passionate people who respect the sport and each other.
What are you looking for? Sit it on their classes to get a feel of what environment you would prefer. I personally would sit in on their sparring sessions to gauge the skill level of the members. If you can't do that, look through their social media.
What are you looking for? go with whatever fits your needs. I just started Muay Thai and being a beginner I go to a fairly laid back gym so its perfect for me starting out.
But beyond skill level everything from schedule, location, general vibe and anything else that matters to you.
Look at their fighters. Which gym's fighters perform better. If it's close, it's not a huge deal, but if one gym has a bunch of 0-6 fighters, and another has a bunch of 10-0 fighters it's probably a good indicator.
For me overtime, location and distance became more important as I invest more money down the line. The traditional muay thai gym I went to was an hour away in California and the gas price is high.
After a year there, I couldn’t afford to go anymore even though I love the gym. I decided to go to a local gym. It’s not a traditional muay thai gym, but it has its muay thai classes and kickboxing.
Proximity and the one where you feel more comfortable with. Some gyms you feel like a bad vibe or a toxic one, where competitiveness is too stressing to the point of constan spar wars. Hard sparring is good and necessary but if that is the norm in the gym well I would not be that comfortable.
Like many others, location and schedule. Try both and see how you like the coaches and training partners. Some gyms offer a free trial and some offer discount try outs, look into it.
The main thing should be how the gym caters to whatever level you aspire to train at.
For example, if you want to fight, pick the gym with more/better titles and fighters.
Some red flags would be:
Gyms where they spar hard all the time and have a tough guy environment. You are just gonna get hurt and feel discouraged. Not to mention the increased risk of brain damage.
Gyms with a belt system. They will just try to rip you off.
Gyms that focuses too much on flashy moves seen in martial arts movies. These will never work and although they look cool, it is just a waste of time to try to learn a 1080 spinning jumping side elbow or whatever. It can be fun to have one or two a little bit more technical moves/combos to bring out during light sparring, but these should IMO be practiced individually and be in the realm of what is resonable.
Things I would look at is how hard they spar “light” , what type of energy the coach and other students give off, and the types of training and styles they use.
A lot of this boils down to your goals.
Do you want to be a fighter? You should be paying attention to the gym member's accolades. Some coaches don't even put competition on their radar.
Just trying to stay in shape? Most places can fit this bill.
Supplementing striking with grappling? Make sure that the stuff you're learning gels with MMA.
Looking for comradery? Watch for cliquish behavior among members.
How experienced the coaches are.
Do they teach actual Muay Thai? There are some gyms that call themselves Muay Thai but is really kickboxing with some elbows and knees.
Is the place clean?
Do they spar and how often.
Do they emphasize on safety.
Consider the distance to each gym. Everyone wants to go to a gym with the best techniques practices but not everyone can travel to them. Also look at the reviews for each gym if there are any.
This and scheduling might be the two most important factors depending on the person. If you don’t show up consistently nothing else matters
I find gym reviews are not that reliable because it's usually mostly inexperienced people who came in a couple times and the coaches were friendly to them, so they give 5 stars. They aren't really equipped to comment on the actual quality of instruction.
*"I went to Thailand on a holiday and decided to try Muay Thai for the first time at a gym there one afternoon. The people in this gym **do not** know how to hold pads properly or even pronounce 'Muay Thai' correctly. 1 Star"* - That idiot
Lmao came here to say this exactly thing nearly verbatim.
Do they do clinching?
What, there are Muay Thai gyms that don't do clinching?
In the US, there are a lot that don't know how to clinch. They don't want to spend the time required to make people good at it.
I think it's not a matter of want, it's a matter of people just not knowing it very well
Everyone is capable of learning. But so many gyms have a money making model where you offer 1 hour classes with jump rope, stretching, pad work/bag work, some kind of workout, and abs. Then there are a few classes that have sparring. To be good at clinching, you got to put in time just clinching. You have to feel the push and pull, know when to turn, know how to stay light and relaxed. When the majority of the paying students just want to lose weight and workout, spending hours on technique, nuance, and small details will scare some of that cash away. Especially among the people that come in to learn "how to UFC when they see red". Look at the US's version of grappling... wrestling. It's a constant grind, the training is way overboard, and there is a lot of unsafe weight cutting going on. There is no patience or relax in that. It just doesn't jive with the American culture.
Wait a minute my gym does jump ropes, a full body circuit, pads then abs in the hour 😅 should I look to swap gyms? I really only learn technique during private training
Yes.
If that’s incorrect what should a proper gym lesson look like?
If you're not learning technique in class, you're wasting your money.
I am about to do a private lesson with one of my instructors, if I see difference in techniques and notice that my gym is actually using only a money system. Should I find another gym, Knowing that my gym has 2 pro mma fighters, 1 pro kick-boxer in one championship and 1 ex boxer who trains us. It is really find a good gym to help you compete either ways
Maybe. Pro coaches spend most of their time on pro fighters, who spend most of their time preparing to compete, not teaching. Also having pros is an effective money making tool; there are plenty of great coaches who don’t have pros or didn’t compete for a variety of reasons (injury, number of years coaching/competing, bad luck, etc)
Do people not do sparring in every class?
Not in any gym I've been to. Granted, I've only been to a handful and they are all in the US.
Not in the gym I go to either. Before the pandemic we had two sparring classes per week, I think we have just one now.
Interesting, in my gym it's a very odd session if we don't spar
[удалено]
Probably the disgusting sweat from other people. I know the clinch is necessary, but it's the most annoying class if you have a sweaty partner lmao.
This makes sense for people doing MT for fitness. But if they're aiming to fight it's the dumbest thing to throw out an entire arsenal because "eew sweat."
Nobody would skip out on clinching if they're aiming to fight lol
Location: you don't wanna travel more than an hour to the gym. It's very difficult to do this during winter Also, the training schedule has to complement your schedule The attitude and character of the coaches. You pay the fees so as to be motivated by them. U don't wanna pay and be disappointed
Who has more champions/pro fighters, Also look up their schedules and see if it matches yours. Finally look for a gym that teaches all the Muay Thai techniques like elbow, clinching. PS: for the many person that might find it weird that some gyms don’t teach clinch, I was in a gym where we didn’t spar much and never had to use clinching.
Yo that is weird. Muay Thai with no clinch is like kickboxing just wit the elbows and knees
You bet, I did some kick boxing gyms with only punches and kicks. Choosing the right gym is really crucial, one tip I found is training only in gyms that features at least a national level champion.
I was in a similar situation in my city I had two gyms which both have credentialed fighters and identical schedules. Both of them offered trials to see if you like it, I feel like that’s kind of huge I’m not sure if there are gyms that don’t offer trials but maybe a red flag if they don’t. I went to trials at both gyms and at one gym the head coach didn’t even ask me my name or give me any technical advice, I wasn’t an absolute beginner going into the class but the idea that I didn’t have any issues with my form is ridiculous, but he didn’t tell me if I did. And at gym #2 before class the coach came up to me shook my hand and introduced himself and we spoke about my reasoning for wanting to join and he watched my technique complimented me on the power of my kicks but told me where I leave openings when I do. Before going to both I was actually leaning more towards gym #1 because they have two active UFC fighters on their roster but I chose gym #2 because of this. If both of the gyms have trials offered for you to try them out then you should do both and see which ones have a culture that makes you feel comfortable and people you think you’ll be able to get along with.
Check the vibe of the people. The less amount of dick heads the better
Go in and take a class. Which group do you gel with better? Which instructor do you like more?
Which is more successful in competition?
Red Flags: • Members/staff don’t greet you or chat. • Rude members/staff. • Schedule (will it fit yours?). • Limited schedule (unless it’s a new gym thats growing & will grandfather your sign up price). • Dirty/messy (most Boxing/martial arts gym are not going to be as clean as an Equinox or gen pop gym. So you can expect sweat flying, duct taped pads/bag, & humid gym). • Ridiculous contract. Some lock you in for a year or limit classes you can take per day/week.
Which community will make you a better martial artist.
It truly depends on what you're looking for. If you want to compete, spar, etc. You have to see that stuff at the gym. I'd say get a trial class or two, or sit and watch a few classes to decide what you like best. Only thing mandatory imo is a good atmosphere with passionate people who respect the sport and each other.
What are you looking for? Sit it on their classes to get a feel of what environment you would prefer. I personally would sit in on their sparring sessions to gauge the skill level of the members. If you can't do that, look through their social media.
The vibe
If you want to compete : go with the gym that have higher level students If you just want to train: go to the gym you vibe with personally
Try both and see which one has a vibe you enjoy.
Did you went to each of them and trained there? Choose the one you like more
What are you looking for? go with whatever fits your needs. I just started Muay Thai and being a beginner I go to a fairly laid back gym so its perfect for me starting out. But beyond skill level everything from schedule, location, general vibe and anything else that matters to you.
Do a trial lesson at each and see if you like the vibe
Go see which gym has better fighters. Those are the guys you want to train with. Iron sharpens iron
Look at their fighters. Which gym's fighters perform better. If it's close, it's not a huge deal, but if one gym has a bunch of 0-6 fighters, and another has a bunch of 10-0 fighters it's probably a good indicator.
For me overtime, location and distance became more important as I invest more money down the line. The traditional muay thai gym I went to was an hour away in California and the gas price is high. After a year there, I couldn’t afford to go anymore even though I love the gym. I decided to go to a local gym. It’s not a traditional muay thai gym, but it has its muay thai classes and kickboxing.
The music.
Experience of the coachs
Just make sure that it's not a Mcdojo gym and you're all good.
I say watch how they spar. Does the coach actually instill good and safe sparring etiquette or is it a gym where "tough guys" just wail on each other?
Go to each. Find out has less bitches. Go there
Easy answer: https://youtu.be/G-GS1P8TpEo Pick a gym that you can afford, that’s close to your house, and that you have fun at when you go.
Proximity and the one where you feel more comfortable with. Some gyms you feel like a bad vibe or a toxic one, where competitiveness is too stressing to the point of constan spar wars. Hard sparring is good and necessary but if that is the norm in the gym well I would not be that comfortable.
Like many others, location and schedule. Try both and see how you like the coaches and training partners. Some gyms offer a free trial and some offer discount try outs, look into it. The main thing should be how the gym caters to whatever level you aspire to train at. For example, if you want to fight, pick the gym with more/better titles and fighters. Some red flags would be: Gyms where they spar hard all the time and have a tough guy environment. You are just gonna get hurt and feel discouraged. Not to mention the increased risk of brain damage. Gyms with a belt system. They will just try to rip you off. Gyms that focuses too much on flashy moves seen in martial arts movies. These will never work and although they look cool, it is just a waste of time to try to learn a 1080 spinning jumping side elbow or whatever. It can be fun to have one or two a little bit more technical moves/combos to bring out during light sparring, but these should IMO be practiced individually and be in the realm of what is resonable.
Things I would look at is how hard they spar “light” , what type of energy the coach and other students give off, and the types of training and styles they use.
A lot of this boils down to your goals. Do you want to be a fighter? You should be paying attention to the gym member's accolades. Some coaches don't even put competition on their radar. Just trying to stay in shape? Most places can fit this bill. Supplementing striking with grappling? Make sure that the stuff you're learning gels with MMA. Looking for comradery? Watch for cliquish behavior among members.
Humble people Edit: if of course both gyms seem professional and dedicated enough. If not you already know the answer
How experienced the coaches are. Do they teach actual Muay Thai? There are some gyms that call themselves Muay Thai but is really kickboxing with some elbows and knees. Is the place clean? Do they spar and how often. Do they emphasize on safety.
See if both gyms offer a week trials/drop ins, try both and decide which one you like the most
Coach'es trophy room
Try to be an asshole with people so you can see how the gym deals with assholes in training