"Muay Thai" brand... looking for some answers

[BruceYi]

Hi all,

New to the forums, and looking to enlist the help of sherdoggers to help me take a proper decision regarding equipment purchasing; especially those that have gone over to train in Thailand.

I'm looking to get a belly pad, thai pads and focus mitts; BUT I'm also trying to stretch my dollars as far as I can, without buying complete garbage that will either break down within weeks or offer inadequate levels of protection.

Been doing lots of online searching... which has led me to discover the Action Zone shop in Bangkok... and a mysterious thai brand they carry, very generically called "Muay Thai". I've seen a few rare pictures of actual camps in rural Thailand making use of these, however no real info/review/feedback etc...

Wondering if anyone has had any experience using the below products (all images borrowed from ActionZone website):

1) "Muay Thai" Genuine leather Thai Pads - i'm 6'0 230lbs and I kick pretty damn hard... i need these to be durable and offer enough protection for my holders (they dont look "super thick", and when i emailed ActionZone they said about same size as large Twins, for what that is worth)


2) "Muay Thai" genuine leather belly pad - any feedback?



3) "Muay Thai" genuine leather focus mitts - any feedback? (that opening to the hand compartment looks kinda small)


I can actually get all 3 items for about $100USD + shipping to Canada, which is cheap cheap cheap (even if it turns out to be relative garbage)... but before I pull the trigger, if you've actually stuck around until the end of my post, any advice/feedback is welcome. Many thanks!

 

[muaytao]

they look cheap...and i never heard of that brand before. fairtex thai pads are the best. we have fairtex equipment at my old gym and the quality is very good (velcro, leather, ability to absorb impact) . you might get away with cheap mitts but i wouldnt spend $ on the thai pads. sorry if i cant answer your question.

 

[Taskmaster99]

I have heard of those before but cannot remember where they rank in the hierarchy of thai brands. I do remember they weren't at the very bottom.

 

[DC413]

Muay Thai brand is going to be a second tier quality Thai brand along the lines of Thaismai or Inter. So not on the quality level of Twins, Fairtex, Top King or Windy, especially when it comes to Thai pads. That being said, Thai pads from these second tier Thai brands will be better than most of the options you will find in North America.

All that said, I can't tell you if those Muay Thai brand pads will be suitable for your needs, I've never used them.

 

[ironwolf]

Junk.

 

[BigPapaShango]

The belly pad and focus mitts look like Windy with a label put on.

Can you find out which factory they were created in, (i.e are they essentially just windy gear but with a budget label)

I have been using Fairtex and they are superb, I train with big guys and they are great for big hitters.

 

[BruceYi]

Thanks all for the feedback, much appreciated... doesnt look like anyone here so far has had 1st hand experience using these... almost feel like ordering them just so i can review and figure out whether this is a solid value deal or just cheap stuff that needs a pass...

... and I'm thinking thai pads is one area i can't really cheap out on to get something decent... (Top King, Twins, Fairtex, etc...)

If anyone else has something to contribute, keep your thoughts coming!

 

[freaky]

1) Those thai pads looks like the ones we have at our gym. Can't remember if they are the good ones or the bad ones.

We have one where the side or edges are hard. So when you kick your feet/instep kind of wraps around and hit the edge and it would hurt like a mofo. Then we have the good ones where it's soft all over.

I'm leaning towards good. I think the other one we have is title...Can't be sure....

The focus mitts are good. I like it. At first it seems like they would just slip right off but it didn't. I have small hands and with hand wraps it fit perfectly imo. Some guys with gigantic hands wouldn't be able to fit through that. They can still hold it but only with their fingers.

We have another one that is more of a strap on. Those are terrible, you need a partner to strap it on for you. Always slow things down. I love the kind in the picture. Just slip it on and go. Most people can put it on no problem. Not sure how big your hands are but I'm sure it would fit anybody with no hand wraps. Big hands + hand wraps might be a problem. Again I have small to average hands + hand wraps and it's perfect. Sometimes it feels like it's slipping off but it's not.

I'll let you know when I go back to the gym this week.

 

[Fightshopca]

Probably try sticking to the major Thai brands like others have suggested if longevity is important to you. With proper care those Thai Pads and mitts should last a long time so it's not like a disposable product. Just think of it as an investment in your Muay Thai journey. Maybe start by buying one piece at a time and eventually you'll get the whole set of quality gear.

Stick to proven brands like Fairtex, Twins, Boon, Sandee, Windy ....etc.

www.fightshop.ca

 

[D Train]

Thanks all for the feedback, much appreciated... doesnt look like anyone here so far has had 1st hand experience using these... almost feel like ordering them just so i can review and figure out whether this is a solid value deal or just cheap stuff that needs a pass...

... and I'm thinking thai pads is one area i can't really cheap out on to get something decent... (Top King, Twins, Fairtex, etc...)

If anyone else has something to contribute, keep your thoughts coming!

My gym has some of these Thai pads. They aren't super comfortable to use, but they are durable.