Looking for a new Muay Thai club - help! Hi there! Due to ill-health, I haven't trained in Muay Thai for exactly 2 years, but am now recovering enough to start my training once more. (I'm sorry to be secretive or evasive here, but for personal reasons I don't wish to go into details). Therefore I would like to ask for some advice from the regular members of the forum. I trained for 3 years with the S.M.T.C and the club that has since become Caledonian Muay Thai, from which I have VERY fond memories of training there. However, I am a recent graduate and will soon be re-locating from Scotland to the Greater Manchester area and am looking for advice on which clubs I should look at joining. Of course, I'm aware that Master Sken is based in Stockport and that Sandy Holt trains in Bolton, but I also have to accept that due to my health problems and being out of action for exactly 2 years, I must be realistic and start again from the very beginning. Unfortunately, due to my problems I have to re-acquire my physical conditioning AND Muay Thai ability from scratch. Therefore, I want to join a club which will cater for ALL levels of ability, from beginner through to intermediate and advanced levels, to competing at the highest competitive level. That way, I will be able to work out a long-term training plan which will involve working with all levels of expertise and maximise my learning curve. It will take a minimum of six months to get back to where I was before (by which time I will be 3 years behind my previous level in terms of learning curve), and I am realistic enough to know that I may never catch up with my former training partners, who have long since surpassed me. But I want to do the best I can and feel that, with the right club, I can do very well. Any advice members may have will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Greater Manchester Clubs off the top of my head and what i know about them: Bolton - Sandy Holt www.thaiboxing.co.uk - Large Class, all levels, can be a bit regimented due to Mad Sandy and all his rukes, but he knows his stuff, Gym can get a bit packed. Bolton - Sean Fogg - Elite Thai Boxing - Wordsworth Road Bolton - 0800 093 5787 - Nice Gym, does private lessons and small group of not more than 4 people, great if you can train during the day. Shor Chana - Manchester Road, Preston - Run by a Master Chana a Thai, training is done thai style rather than the instructor showing you a combination and everyone copying it, laid back, you get out what you put in, all levels and abilities from beginners to Current Champs Roye and Fash. Not many kids train there though. Prestwich Thai Boxing Club - http://www.prestwichthaiboxingclub.co.uk - Part of Sitnarong run by Rick Lewis, the only person i've seen with more energy than Sany Holt, - great for all abilities, although its a busy class and the gym is small. Master A - Thomas Street Manchester City Centre - Thai Run Gym, Master A, brother of Master Toddy, gym has been there for years and years, great if u work in the centre.http://www.masteramuaythai.co.uk/ Master Sken - Stockport Chorley - Ther's a gym in Chorley run by a guy called trevor i';ve been to a few times, but he's moved location now, he;s part of Sandy Holt's Outfit, so he will have his number, he's a good guy though and its a good class. Altrincham - Beastmasters Gym www.peles-gym.co.uk - never trained here but good rep There are also lots of other thai gyms in manchester which i havnt been to dont have much detail of but you could ask around including Tony Moores Thai boxing gym, - Somewhere in Oldham - one of the UK's longest and most knowledgabel instructors. Eccles - There is a sitnarong gym run from eccles somewhere - ask Master Skens's Chorlton - there is a Thai Gym in chorton that my brother's mates's sister goes too, dont know much about it. GFC Muay Thai Bury - allround beginners through to regular fighters http://www.gfcmuaythai.co.uk/ Walken Thai Boxing Gym - nice big gym, busy all levels, run by two instructors who have been in the game years and years. http://www.tigerking.co.uk/ There are a few more in the greater manchester area but these ones spring to mind, hope it helps
