When I look back on my Muay Thai journey, it’s entertaining to remember just how little I really knew about what I was getting myself into. There are certainly levels to this sport. Choosing your gym is really important. I have noticed that my priorities have shifted over time as I gain experience, as well as my mindset.
I started out with no experience in martial arts, no contacts in Thailand, a one way ticket, and just a suitcase and backpack. I showed up in Bangkok at midnight in August 2015.
I spent the first month traveling throughout the country, of course. You need to see Thailand while you’re here. During the time I was traveling, I accepted a position to teach in order to stay long-term. I arrived at the end of August in Phayao on a mission to find a gym.
I didn’t know where to train Muay Thai and I was honestly apprehensive at first. The research I had done prior left me thinking only professionals train here. I had no idea if I would be allowed to train. I asked everyone that I could – where is good to train? Does anyone know anything about it? Know of any gyms? Is it possible to train as a beginner here? I didn’t have many answers for at least my first month. I mostly received confusing responses.
A friend of mine suggested I meet her friend that fights in Chiang Mai (3 hours away). I figured it was worth a shot because any lead on information was helpful at this point.
As soon as I had the chance I took the bus to Chiang Mai, we met, and proceeded to head to a more rural town just outside the city.
I now understand the saying, “love at first sight.” This was my experience at the gym. It’s an unexplainable feeling. The VERY first moment I tried Muay Thai, I was hooked. I was head over heels in love instantly, but absolutely awkward (as always).
Shortly thereafter, I decided it was what I was going to do. I wanted to train full time. I wanted to test myself. But I wanted purpose behind my training, so I was going into it with intention to fight.
Stage 1 : Diving in
Priorities: high quality gym, beginner friendly, female friendly.
o High quality gym: It’s important for me to be somewhere I am getting effective technical training and instruction. I need to be around people that know exactly what they are talking about and serious about it, especially since this is where I will be developing my fundamentals.
o Beginner friendly: Again, since I am starting out, it would be very difficult for me to learn in an environment that did not have the patience for someone who is inexperienced.
o Female friendly: The guys probably won’t understand this one as much, but training as a girl in a male dominated environment can be tough, and to elaborate could be a post in itself. But again, it goes back to the importance of my training environment. While I’m in a vulnerable position as a beginner, it is important for me to be in a place that is welcoming for a female, especially since it is likely I would be the only female (or one of few).
I had learned there was a new gym forming in the same area and decided I would give it a try. I liked the idea of being with the same people from the ground up and being molded from day 1 in the same place. It became the perfect gym for me to start out with because the gym was just as new as I was. Since there were less people, I was able to receive more attention and truly get my fundamentals down. It was absolutely beginner friendly. In addition to this, the guys I trained with and the trainers were also pretty cool and never made me feel uncomfortable as a girl. The gym checked all the boxes I was looking for.
I was living in the country, training twice a day, and running past fields every morning – I was living the DREAM. After 3 months of hard work (and finally reaching the approval of my trainers), I competed in my first fight at Thapae Gate Stadium in Chiang Mai. I swear it’s still the best night of my life. After THAT, I knew I would continue to fight.
Eventually, like all things, my stint had to come to an end. I had to go home but I went with the intent it would be temporary. I would work for 6 months saving up money to return to my gym…but things didn’t go anywhere near according to plan after I came home.
Due to unforeseen life circumstances, I ended up needing to stay in the states much longer than I originally expected. I was at a loss as to where to begin training in my home city. I found myself in the same position that I was when I arrived in Thailand. I had to choose a gym in a place where I didn’t know a single person that trained.
One thing I began to learn was my priorities needed to shift. Some gyms offered boxing or kickboxing as just exercise, and some you could train and fight out of. Also, sometimes what people CALL “Muay Thai” isn’t always Muay Thai. These were extra elements I had to consider. My gym became like family to me in Thailand and I remember thinking I wanted to find something like that.
STAGE 2 : Starting Over
Priorities: can fight out of the gym (highest priority), quality training, new gym family, female fighter(s) to train with.
o Fight out of the gym: Since I learned some gyms focus only on fitness with martial arts and not fighting, it’s important to distinguish the difference. I needed to be at a gym with fighters that had connections to promoters and not a gym where I was going to get a nice sweat.
o Quality training: similar as before, I wanted technical instruction, knowledge, and experience all in one gym. Quality training for me is practical, effective, and applicable training to fighting.
o New gym family: As mentioned before, I was looking for a similar feeling to my gym in Thailand. I wanted a gym home in Thailand, and a gym home in my city.
o Female fighter(s): While training in Thailand, I was the only female at my gym for months (with the exception of visitors from time to time). It didn’t really matter to me while building my fundamentals, but it started to become more important to me to have other females to train with if I wanted to continue fighting. It’s a different ball game when training with and sparring someone closer to your weight and ability.
I spent quite some time gaining information about gyms and talking to others in the community. It became more of a priority to find other female fighters to train with and learn from. I learned who was a competitor and started narrowing down my gym options with this in mind. Eventually, I ended up finding the qualities I was looking for in a small kickboxing gym owned by a professional kickboxer. Some of the people I became close with there are still like family to me, I learned a lot, and gained some amateur experience in the states.
However, I think it is important for me to caution against making a gym your “family” as a priority when choosing gyms. I was stuck on this aspect for a really long time. It’s certainly a wonderful thought but I think it’s a mistake to come to a new gym with that mentality. At least for me, it clouded decision making in a variety ways. Gym friends absolutely become like family over time and you collect people along the way, but as part of the decision process, do not include this as a priority. A gym is a business and you pay for a service. It’s important to remember it in this way because you should be getting what you pay for.
It is also important for me to note that during my stint at home I began Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I have grown a deeper appreciation for Jiu-Jitsu and began growing in desire to branch out to MMA. I eventually made the decision that MMA will be my goal, and THIS went into my decision making for gyms moving forward. The gym I was part of prior only had striking, so it was time to start adding another gym to the mix or totally abandon, which is extremely hard to do either way for different reasons. Priorities shifted slightly again.
STAGE 3: STEEL SHARPENS STEEL
Priorities: can fight out of the gym, quality training, high level/volume of training partners with experience, MMA/BJJ training ability.
o Fight out of the gym: Same as before, but now I’m more experienced with some more fights under my belt. It’s important to me to be able to continue the momentum of training with fighters. My only interest is being in a gym with other fighters and having the ability to fight under a gym name.
o Quality training: Same as before. This will always be one of my top priorities.
o High level/volume of training partners: Through experience, I started to understand the importance of having sparring partners that sharpen you, and if possible, having a large volume of training partners. I started to feel like I was improving at a slower rate when sparring the exact same people for an extended period of time. Having a larger volume of training partners helps keep you on your toes, adapting to many different styles and combos, and pressuring your creativity as well. This started to become a much higher priority for me.
o MMA/BJJ training ability: I am a striker at heart, however, after giving BJJ a shot, I had the same feeling as I did before with Muay Thai and want to fight MMA. It is important for me to find a gym where I can continue Muay Thai, but also still be able to have the option to work on the ground.
So this now brings us up to date. I have three different gyms at home that I began alternating with (striking, BJJ, MMA) depending on the times I could make training and who I was training with. I began training most at the MMA gym, but also still went to BJJ classes and striking at the other two at different times. The gyms I ended up with still hold everything I found important since day 1. I have since then seized an opportunity to move back to my home, Chiang Mai, Thailand. It’s been quite the journey.
Unfortunately, during the years I was home, the situation changed with my previous gym in Thailand. I, AGAIN, needed to search for a new gym home. I closely followed Muay Thai Gyms in Thailand, started following many gyms on social media, kept in touch with other fighters I knew from my previous stay, and over time narrowed it down to where I’d like to go when I return. I now reside at a gym where I can still train Muay Thai, BJJ, and MMA.
Most important lessons learned overall:
1. Rate your priorities: I often find that all of my priorities aren’t always in the same gym or to the extent that I want them, which makes it so much harder. Figure out what is most important for you by dividing into two categories: non-negotiable and negotiable.
2. Drop in: this one is obvious, but you don’t know if you like something until you try. Some people may speak ill of one gym but you might really like it. This has happened to me more than once. It’s important to try things out for yourself to see what fits with your abilities, your goals/priorities, and schedule.
3. Keep your mouth shut and listen: I think it’s important to listen to how the people in the gym are speaking about the gym and other people. How negative are they? What are the priorities of the people around you? Training environment is really important, and there’s no time for negative people.
4. Trust your gut: If things don’t feel right, they probably aren’t right. Not every gym fits every person.
It’s been really difficult picking up and starting new repetitively, but the process stays the same. I decide my priorities, try out different gyms, and see how things work. I am crazy loyal so it gets really hard to move on, but I’m learning to accept it as it comes. Sometimes things fit you for a time but you outgrow them. Sometimes things or people unexpectedly change. Sometimes priorities or schedules shift. None of it is personal. You always have to do what works for you first. At the end of the day, I am always meeting awesome people while doing something I love. I am eternally grateful for them.
Guest post by: Ariel McGuire follow her on Instagram
