The Best Martial Arts Alternatives to Muaythai in Bangkok

The Best Martial Arts Alternatives to Muaythai in Bangkok

Due to ever-increasing exposure in recent years, it is safe to say that just about every man (and his dog) has now ticked the ‘trained muaythai in Thailand’ box on their ‘must-do list’. And posted it on their Instagram account.

Any visitor to Bangkok with a wider interest in contact sports, however, might be wondering what other types of martial arts there are to try when in the SE Asian Thai capital.

Of course Thailand is famed for its muaythai, and is still enjoying the popularity that its native sport has gained over the last couple of decades or so. This has seen huge increases in the number of those willing participants, whether rank amateurs or something closer to a professional standard, coming out to Thailand to hone their striking skills in the boxing gyms of the tropics.

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And although muaythai has had the run of the martial arts mill forever in Thailand – and still does – there are inspiring numbers of other establishments opening up offering different styles that originate from different countries. It’s a fact that as soon as there is any hint of a trend in any particular field or area around the globe, you can bet some forward-thinking, entrepreneurial-type in Bangkok has picked up on it.

And although recent trends in the world of martial arts have pointed towards the effectiveness of muaythai as a stand-up striking and grappling art, the Brazilian art of Jiu-Jitsu has been the heavyweight contender in terms of other styles for a while now.

Then we have the Kali and Krav Maga on that are increasingly seen on display in fight scenes of Hollywood flicks like Mission Impossible and John Wick that have led those interested in combat sports to search a bit further outside the box for new avenues to explore.

This is actually a fairly new development in Thailand as any interest in martial arts outside of home-grown Thai boxing was virtually unheard of until fairly recently. And if you went back just 20 years you would have been hard pressed to find much in Bangkok outside of the backstreet muaythai gyms and the occasional Taekwondo class for kids.

However — now you can jump into 21^st-century mixed-style martial arts training in Bangkok, with all the MMA, Krav Magna, BJJ, and even Shaolin Kung Fu venues that have opened in the city in recent years!

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Gone are the days of being spoilt for choice and restricted to only one style of training during your holiday, as many of the younger, entrepreneurial, savvy gyms are morphing and developing their programs all the while to include more options and styles in something of an MMA style.

Training in muaythai is one thing, and is certainly something that should be experienced by anyone coming to Thailand with even a passing interest in martial arts training – but why limit your options when now there is a wide range of different styles, most in modern, clean, upbeat, and well-equipped environments.

It’s no secret that muaythai has grown massively in recent years due to MMA, the other killer ingredient of which is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). So it’s no real surprise to see that the BJJ culture is here in Bangkok and it is spreading – which is great news for MMA practitioners heading out to Thailand and Bangkok for a spot of muaythai training who want to keep rolling.

So here we offer a brief selection of just some of the other alternative martial arts to muaythai to try when on your travels in the Thai capital city of Bangkok. Some of these places have been established for a decade or more, while others are still developing — and undoubtedly you can expect the list of martial arts alternatives to muaythai in Bangkok to keep growing!

1. Bangkok Fight Lab

You might be an aspiring MMA hopeful rising through the ranks, or maybe you are just looking for some fun and challenging physical pursuits while on your vacation. Either way, you should be able to find a package that suits your requirements over at Bangkok Fight Lab.

This is a pretty large training facility (1000 square metres) offering mainly BJJ classes with both local and foreign instructors, as well as a few other options such as muaythai, submission grappling, judo, boxing, strength & conditioning, and fitness.

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This establishment is equipped with changing rooms and showers, and being situated right in the middle of the city in a prime area on Sukhumvit Road, it is now definitely one of Bangkok’s premier venues for martial arts. The atmosphere is friendly, and there is a healthy café for replenishing after your session.

Address: 137 Soi Sukhumvit 50, Khlong Toei, Bangkok 10110

Hours: 11 am-9 pm

Phone: 02 013 1087

 2. Thai-Chinese Shaolin Kung Fu

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Located in the heart of Sukhumvit Road once again, the school of Thai-Chinese Shaolin Kung Fu can be reached by both BTS and MRT (Asok station).

The centre runs courses for all ages and includes its own philosophy and cultural aspects in the training. There is a medium-sized training area with various types of equipment associated with the art like punching bags and dummies. The school also conducts gradings twice-annually for regular attendees, as well as running toddler classes to help the local community.

The instructor here is 34^th generation Master Sifu Zhu Qi Guo (Master Zhu) from Northern China, who has performed and taught internationally for more than a decade.

Address: Interchange tower, 399 Sukhumvit Rd, Khlong Toei Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 10110

Website: http://www.saolinthailand.com/

Hours: 9.30 am-7.30 pm (closed Wednesdays)

3. Yorky’s MMA

As we said the MMA bug has hit Bangkok long since, with many young aspiring participants now eyeing ONE Championship bouts as the way forward towards fame and glory in this part of the world.

The man behind YORKY Mixed Martial Arts is Nicholas ‘JJ’ Lee, who hails originally from Singapore and moved to Thailand to pursue his Martial Arts career. As the first Singaporean to win a regional MMA Championship title ( at Bantamweight) he was also the youngest to be signed to ONE Championship aged just 17, and one year into his career.

This guy is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Purple Belt and has coached in various other different countries in the region including Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia.

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YORKY Mixed Martial Arts was opened in 2017, and soon put together small teams of both amateur and professional fighters to prepare for competitions. The initial concept was not really meant to be a big gym or an expensively-equipped establishment, but has grown into something akin to that through its reputation in the ring or cage so far.

Address: Soi Prawit Lae Phuean 18, Bang Chak, Phra Khanong, Bangkok 10260

Website: http://yorkymma.com/

4. Bigfoot BJJ Bangkok

Bigfoot Bangkok BJJ actually started out before YORKY in 2016.

Situated like most gyms in the heart of Bangkok, Bigfoot has quite recently moved to a new location in the Rama 4 area. Bigfoots mission is to be committed to helping people progress in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

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Here you will get guidance, instruction and motivation whether you want to compete, or just try it out, Bigfoot BJJ has a class you can try. The main instructor here is Lee Livingston from the UK, who won 9 of his 10 MMA bouts by submission.

Regardless of current level, the message here is that any student can expect to benefit in a variety of ways from training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. You’ll find people here looking to improve confidence, learn to defend themselves, get in shape, or just have some fun in a new and challenging way.

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All ages and backgrounds are welcome at Bigfoot BJJ, which provides a great environment for learning and practicing BJJ.

Address: BigBox Rama 4, 3798. Rama 4 Road, Klong Toey, Bangkok 10110

Hours: Opens 12PM

Phone: 099 254 2103

5. Krav Magna Bangkok

Yes, Bangkok has Krav Magna!

Krav Magna Bangkok actually began more than a decade ago, and has been teaching both local and international participants ever since. 

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This has included all manner of willing participants from military, law enforcement, and close protection professionals, to celebrities wanting to try their hand at a bit of Tom Cruise-inspired hand-to-hand.

The venue has certified instructors who will coach according to the participant’s physical aptitude. The Krav Magna system is taught in a way that makes it adaptable to every individual.​

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The training here does tend to be quite technical and focuses on developing the skills off all members of the class. This is done by focusing on principles required to realistically confront violent scenarios. The training is considered as realistic self-defense work based around techniques to solve particular problems.

Krav Magna Bangkok has a mission to teach all its participants how to defend themselves effectively through a system that teaches effective fight tactics rather than fitness and conditioning with a handful of techniques thrown in.

Address: 36 4 Sukhumvit 69 Alley, Phra Khanong Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 10110

Opens: 5:30PM

Phone: 081 458 5810

Appointments: kravmagabangkok.net