First of all, you don’t study Muay Thai in temples. You study in filthy, run-down camps full of teenagers from the North trying to fight a way out of poverty for their families. As far as the arrogant “trainer vs. master” remark, that may be the worst attitude you could have out here. I don’t know why you would say something like that, unless you’ve confused Muay Thai with a 1970s Kung Fu movie.

You should think of everyone in the camp as a master; they all have ring-proven technique. You don’t, at least not in Thailand. Besides, camps don’t hire trainers who haven’t made a name for themselves in the ring. Furthermore, just because a guy’s famous doesn’t mean he’s a good teacher. I found that out firsthand.

If you’re serious about training here, get a 90-day visa from the Thai consulate; it will cut down on your visa runs to Cambodia. DO NOT BOOK A GYM FROM THE INTERNET! They tend to be shit, and create the illusion of Muay Thai, even going so far as to host fights in which people who have literally been training for 6 weeks knock their Thai opponents out in the first round. (There are a lot of dirt-poor Thai boxers who will gladly throw a fight for 2,000 baht.)

We had a guy from Belgium come to my camp who was furious to find that he really hadn’t learned a thing in his 3 months in a Phuket wannabe camp. Everything was wrong, hands to feet. He improved 100% in a week. Bangkok is the place to learn; it’s where the world’s best get famous. Follow directions from my earlier post to find a camp. Good luck, and remember, it’s all about attitude. Treat everyone with respect, whether you think they’re a “master” or not. I know; I’ve been training here for a year and a half.

Next comment: "Ouss. Ouus.ouus. Your belt is dirty [...]"
Previous comment: "I'm very interested in muay thai and i w [...]"