Mecca of Muay Thai in USA

[shincheckin]

So where would you guys consider to be the mecca for american muay thai? The muay thai hot spots?

I am going to go with socal IMO. There are a few good schools across the US, but I believe the majority of gyms are here in cali.

what do you guys think?

 

[j123]

Can't really say, my exp. with fighters in the states is its very gym oriented and scattered. You got good camps all around, but nothing in volume.

Team Toro, Revolution Dojo, The Cellar are good camps, but like I said they're in different regions and spread around.

Haven't met any fighters from Cali so I can't say

 

[DoctorTaco]

Bay Area. CSA and a few other lesser gyms all doing big things for traditional Muay Thai

 

[freaky]

El Nino in SF have Woodenman Jongsanan. I don't know who everyone else have. Jongsanan is probably the most legit Muay Thai coach in US that I know of.

I mean you have famous guys like Duane Ludwig but he's not Muay Thai.

As for the area, I would say bay area but I'm bias. You have coach Jongsanan, actual muay thai fighters like Ky Hollenbeck, etc.

 

[Paradigm]

Definitely CA. Don't know if it's really So Cal anymore but So Cal tends to have the best of everything...Nor Cal people drive too slow and their women are covered up most of the year.



I tend to want to learn straight from the source and Los Angeles has the most Thais outside of Thailand (even though there are barely any teaching here anymore).

Brian Popejoy's students have such clean technique for a non-Thai. Even Anderson drops by there from time to time evidently.

 

[shincheckin]

Definitely CA. Don't know if it's really So Cal anymore but So Cal tends to have the best of everything...Nor Cal people drive too slow and their women are covered up most of the year.



I tend to want to learn straight from the source and Los Angeles has the most Thais outside of Thailand (even though there are barely any teaching here anymore).

Brian Popejoy's students have such clean technique for a non-Thai. Even Anderson drops by there from time to time evidently.

yes popejoy is one of the better well known coaches in the states for sure. He was taught properly, had quite a few fights. Only 1 professional from my understanding, going back to you dont need to be champion of the world to be a great coach. His wife is the daughter(?) of Chai Sirisute so I would guess that helped in him learning muay thai correctly. I have been meaning to pay his gym a visit for a while now.

Saekson Janjira is in texas

Manu Ntoh in georgia.

Coban in NY

I would still think that generally speaking cali is the place to be if you didnt happen to live in the same city as those other gym.

and going back to good coaches etc. I really dont know how much effort those guys put into their students, where as a coach like popejoy definitely puts in the time and effort for his fighters. This tends to be a common problem here in the states, the coach could be champion of the world but doesnt do shit for his students.

My old coach is currently fighting in thailand, we were more training partners/friends than coach student.

My coach now is Joe Davidson of evolution muay thai. He is willing to put in the time and effort into his fighters as well, which as I mentioned before can be hard to find. He also has a karate background so he brings more to the table than just muay thai as well.

 

[shincheckin]

El Nino in SF have Woodenman Jongsanan. I don't know who everyone else have. Jongsanan is probably the most legit Muay Thai coach in US that I know of.

I mean you have famous guys like Duane Ludwig but he's not Muay Thai.

As for the area, I would say bay area but I'm bias. You have coach Jongsanan, actual muay thai fighters like Ky Hollenbeck, etc.

I am friends with 2 of duanes pro mma fighters. Bang muay thai is great stuff, it can definetely be used in Muay Thai, but its geared primarily towards MMA, which is part of the reason why its so successful and well known.