Hi guys
As I browse through the various forums, I found that there were a lot of people suggesting to stay away from gyms which are owned by non-thai owners/gyms that made a special effort to cater to foreigners etc.
However, after doing research myself, I've actually come to the conclusion that its better to go to a "tourist gym" than a hardcore gym. The only exception is if you are a top-ranked professional fighter then, yes, it will be better to train with lumpinee/raja fighters. From what I read, if you are more of an amateur back home or an ex-fighter with only a handful of fights, lumpinee/raja fighters will not train wth you anyway - in much the same way a UFC fighter will not train with someone who are not on par with them or who is a stranger given there is no trust. For example, I've seen reviews re: Sitsongpeenong Bangkok and 13 Coins where the Thais and the non-Thais train separately...
In that case, is it not better to actually train at a "tourist gym"? By tourist gym, I don't mean your Tiger MT where there is absolutely no control over class size and the emphasis is on fitness. By tourist gym, I mean your Khongsittha, Sinbi, Dragon, Sumalee, Sutai where the focus is more on training foreigners than on top thai fighters. To me, these gyms also offer decent instruction and - on top of that - there is not only always an english speaking liaison at the gym (helpful if you run into trouble) but people similar to your own skill level to train with and a training environment which seems more clean and better managed. At the end of the day, don't the coaches at a "tourist gym" have more incentive to train you anyway given that is the sole objective of their job? If the coach has 200-300 fighters and/or a couple of belts, what difference does it really make if they are not a former raja/lumpinee champ/famous fighter when you yourself are only 2-3 amateur fights in?
Am I missing something with my conclusion? I'm about to book and would love to hear some opinions either way.
As I browse through the various forums, I found that there were a lot of people suggesting to stay away from gyms which are owned by non-thai owners/gyms that made a special effort to cater to foreigners etc.
However, after doing research myself, I've actually come to the conclusion that its better to go to a "tourist gym" than a hardcore gym. The only exception is if you are a top-ranked professional fighter then, yes, it will be better to train with lumpinee/raja fighters. From what I read, if you are more of an amateur back home or an ex-fighter with only a handful of fights, lumpinee/raja fighters will not train wth you anyway - in much the same way a UFC fighter will not train with someone who are not on par with them or who is a stranger given there is no trust. For example, I've seen reviews re: Sitsongpeenong Bangkok and 13 Coins where the Thais and the non-Thais train separately...
In that case, is it not better to actually train at a "tourist gym"? By tourist gym, I don't mean your Tiger MT where there is absolutely no control over class size and the emphasis is on fitness. By tourist gym, I mean your Khongsittha, Sinbi, Dragon, Sumalee, Sutai where the focus is more on training foreigners than on top thai fighters. To me, these gyms also offer decent instruction and - on top of that - there is not only always an english speaking liaison at the gym (helpful if you run into trouble) but people similar to your own skill level to train with and a training environment which seems more clean and better managed. At the end of the day, don't the coaches at a "tourist gym" have more incentive to train you anyway given that is the sole objective of their job? If the coach has 200-300 fighters and/or a couple of belts, what difference does it really make if they are not a former raja/lumpinee champ/famous fighter when you yourself are only 2-3 amateur fights in?
Am I missing something with my conclusion? I'm about to book and would love to hear some opinions either way.