Yodyut Muay Thai Training Camp in Koh Samui, Thailand review

In September 2016 I took a team of 5 people from Team Nemesis to train at Yodyut Muay Thai in Thailand. The group consisted of members from a wide demographic and skill level. What they all had in common was a passion for Muay Thai. I usually train in Thailand myself on a yearly basis, but for this group of 5 it was a first time experience.

What to do around the island?
If you are like me and love your sun, pools, and beachside lifestyle living then Koh Samui is the place to go. I’ve been coming here for the past 10 years and just keep coming back. The island has so much to offer from all the touristy type day trips like elephant rides, shooting ranges, and snorkelling to relaxing poolside at your resort and quiet little hide away beach side restaurants. For this trip I decided to stay at the Imperial Boathouse Resort, which was absolutely amazing. It’s located in Choeng Mong and a 2 minute scooter ride from the gym and about a 15-20 minute walk. A scooter will cost you between 200 – 300 Baht per day ($8 AUD) and definitely worth the investment if you are confident in your riding and like to explore the island at your own pace. There are a whole bunch of night markets that operate on different nights including the Bophut (Friday night) and Lamai Market (Sunday night). If you are there for training then the stadiums are definitely one to check out. The fights are hit and miss with some complete mis matches and some very good quality bouts. Check out Chaweng Stadium and Samui International Stadium.

What is the training like?
Morning 8am – 10am
– Skipping or running around the gym
– Joint rotation warm up
– 2 rounds shadow boxing
– Pad work / Bag work. 4 x 3min rounds
– Technical sparring/partnered technique drilling/
– Conditioning consisting of sit-ups, squats, pushups, kicks on the bag
– Stretching

Afternoon
4:30pm – 6:30pm
– Skipping or running around the gym
– Joint rotation warm up
– 2 rounds shadow boxing
– Pad work / Bag work. 4 x 3min rounds
– Boxing sparring / Bag work / Technique work
– Clinch sparring
– Conditioning consisting of sit-ups, squats, pushups, kicks on the bag
– Stretching

Who is it suitable for?
Yodyut is a gym that caters for people of all levels. Our group consisted of people with different athletic abilities and Muay Thai skill levels. The trainers were able to work with everyone in the group and provide them all with an enjoyable learning experience. Sometimes the groups within the gym were split to accommodate the differing skill levels. Eg; the more experienced members and fighters would clinch while the newer and beginner levels would be working technique work with the trainers. Even though the gym caters for complete beginners to the seasoned pro I would advise that you arrive in good shape and have a good understanding of the basics of Muay Thai.

You will get the most out of training when you arrive in shape because you aren’t letting your fitness hinder your learning. I would also advise that you currently have a good technical understanding of the basics in Muay Thai before training abroad. You will get a lot more out of the one on one training and pad rounds when you have a good understanding of the basics. The Thai trainers are a wealth of knowledge when it comes to ring craft and how to execute and set techniques up effectively.

What are the positives at training at Yodyut Muay Thai?
The actual gym itself if located in Choeng Mon. Away from the busy districts like Chaweng and Lamai but close enough for a short bike ride. Close to beaches and pools this is the perfect area for those who don’t like to be right in the midst of the busy tourist areas.

All good gyms have a great vibe and atmosphere to them. The people, the trainers, and culture of a gym is what makes it great. This is exactly what you have at Yodyut Muay Thai. Friendly and welcoming trainers who will go out of there way to help and teach you. They are passionate about what they do and it’s evident in there coaching. The gym still has a very Thai style method of training. Skipping, pad rounds, bag rounds and clinch work. No secret formula, but just good old fashion hard work. They have a number of currently active Thai fighters who work in with the general population, giving guidance and advice.

One of the best things about Yodyut is that you rotate through all the trainers on the pad rounds. Each day you will be allocated a different pad holder. Each trainer has a speciality and there own style. The best part about working with different pad holders is that you can take something away from each of them.

Who are the trainers?

Son – Owner

Son is the owner of the gym and has had over 250 fights. He has a technical but aggressive style of Muay Thai.

He has been training people for over 10 years and has taught all over the world. Within Thailand he has worked at Sinbi in Phuket and Kiatphontip in Bangkok.
He is quietly spoken and has excellent english skills.

 

 

NongBee

NongBee is a former Lumpinee and World Champion. Having had over 150 fights he is renowned as being a technician in fighting and also in coaching. He has fought some of the best in Thailand including Thongchai To Silachai, Anawat Kaewsamrit, Orono Muengsima,  and Saenchai. At first he comes across as shy in demeanour, but once you get to know him he is warming and friendly. He is a fantastic pad holder with good enough english to explain the intricacies of some of the finer details. His style of pad holding is technical and likes to throw in the occasional power technique.

Wirat
Wirat is a seasoned Muay Thai fighter who fought mainly on Channel 7, and Lumpinee. He is tall for Thai standards and in my opinion, is one of the best pad holders in the gym. When you hit pads with Wirat it’s not just a constant barrage of powerful technique to make you feel good. He likes to fire back with punches and kicks to keep you honest. Some of my best pad rounds were with Wirat because I knew I had to be completely switched on when doing pads with him. He is a great pad holder for the more advanced guys. He has good english.

Eyat
Eyat is Wirat’s younger brother. He is a retired fighter who was also previously ranked at the Mecca of Muay Thai, Rachadamnern Stadium. He has been a trainer for over 10 years and has previously worked at Sinbi and Promthep gym in Phuket. He is very welcoming and fun natured at heart. He is extremely friendly and likes to have fun in his sparring rounds and pad rounds. His pad rounds focused on flow techniques with longer combinations and chaining a lot of smaller counters and combinations together. Eyat has excellent english ability.

Chat
Chat is a former Muay Thai fighter who fought regularly on Rajadamnern and across the south of Thailand. He formerly worked at Phetchyindee in Bangkok and Rawai Muaythai in Phuket. At Yodyut he worked very closely with the Thai fighters preparing for fights.

Chat is a solid pad holder focusing on short powerful combinations and elbow techniques. He is patient was very helpful with explaining the finer details of the techniques. He is great to spar with, especially for the more advanced students. He is a absolute machine and still very sharp and technical in his sparring rounds. Chat has excellent english ability.

R
R is one of the newer trainers at Yodyut. He comes across as very quiet when you first meeting but then warms up after he sees you regularly. He is a former Southern Thailand Muay Thai champion. He likes to focus on short sharp powerful combinations and countering techniques. He will explain a technique where needed but relentless with aggressive style pad holding. The good thing about doing pads with him is that he likes to get tricky by firing off kicks of his own at you during the pad rounds. R has excellent english ability.

Firstt & Owen
Firstt and Owen are both currently an active fighter who have also taken on the role as a trainer/pad holder. I had actually met First many years ago at Kiatphontip in Bangkok and it is good to see him all grown up. They are both fairly light but very technical and methodical in the way they explain things. They younger trainers come across as shy at the start (I think it comes down to age and perhaps even confidence because of language barriers) but once they open up they are warming and very keen to teach and show you the sweep they dumped you with in the clinch. Clinching with these 2 was a humbling experience because even with my weight advantage there was nothing I could do against these pure technicians. They have a excellent clinch game and very open to explaining techniques.

Final thoughts
I would highly recommend Yodyut Muay Thai to anyone looking to train Muay Thai in Thailand and still enjoy the beachside resort lifestyle. You will not only get some good quality Thai style training but be close enough to the beach or pools for some much earned relaxation time. If you have never trained in Thailand before then this is a great starting point. Below I have posted some videos from the other members of the trip on what they had to say about training at Yodyut Muay Thai. Enjoy!