Spring! Longer and warmer days ahead. Personally, my favorite time of year!
A lot of fun stuff to read (IMO).
Reminder: be kind to yourself and your own progress. Everyone’s path is different.
See y’all on the mats!
17 Years of Coaching
Seventeen years ago, I taught my first paid Muay Thai class. I think I was paid $20 an hour. I only taught one class a day (four days a week though). 🙂
On this day, I always take time to reflect. Nearing 20 years, I can’t believe how much time has passed because I very vividly remember that first class — along with the rest of my time teaching at 10P Burbank.
Coincidentally, I had a session with my therapist yesterday where I had a little menty B over not feeling competent enough to continue teaching, or feeling frustrated, upset, or restless with my current state of being.
I understand where it comes from. It comes from “I seek more.” But understanding where my emotions come from and being invulnerable to feeling them are two different things. I just have to let them process. Sometimes they swell in me. Sometimes they ebb and flow.
I think I’m doing well in not expressing them too much — which is good, since my expression has always manifested in violence.
BUT THAT’S A WHOLE DIFFERENT STORY Y’ALL.
I was reminded of something I wrote while editing the final chapter of the TBI book. The chapter is called The Art of Life Long Training.
Excerpt:
Teaching and Coaching
I started helping out at my home gym, “Muay Thai Academy” of North Hollywood, two years into my training career.
At first I helped my Kru (Kru Santi) with the kids class, then partnered with beginners during the evening classes and helped them integrate into the gym.
Sometimes the owner, Kru Puk, would have me fill in for him in the afternoon classes.
Some may think it’s a bit early to be teaching — and I agree. My maturity level was definitely not suited for teaching adults. But by that point I had well over 10 fights with a decent record and was able to demonstrate technical proficiency.
None of this was paid. It was expected for the boxers to help out at the gym for free. It was part of our culture, and we felt it was an honor to assist the coaches and help maintain the gym as clean as possible.
Two years later, I landed my first paid coaching gig teaching and running the Muay Thai program at a Jiu Jitsu school in Burbank, CA.
By then, I had been certified as a “Level 1” Instructor by Kru Puk and Kru Santi. I still have no clue what that meant, but I was handed a very cool paper certificate signed by both of them.
That certificate still hangs on my wall at my own gym.
At the time, I had well over 20 fights and was considering a career in MMA.
I taught there for a few years, then moved to the Westside of Los Angeles and taught at another MMA gym for two more years before deciding to open The Thai Boxing Institute after eight years of training and over 30 fights.
The drive and motivation to open my own gym came from eight years of living, breathing, and dreaming Muay Thai.
It wasn’t until two years into owning the gym that I had to realign my focus and get serious about running a small business.
This was my path to where I am today. You don’t have to replicate it, nor do you have to follow my timeline. This is just a reference for those considering this route in life.
Coaching is extremely rewarding. To see people grow, to have a positive effect on their lives, and to see your own lineage spread is a surreal feeling.
Coach because you want to help. Don’t coach because you want to make money.
It’s laborious, hard work with odd hours, but some love the freedom of pursuing their passion in exchange for normalcy.
Just remember to take breaks and focus on your own health first, because you are your biggest investment.
—
Thanks for trusting TBI as your place to learn Muay Thai. I take this seriously and am very invested in everyone doing well. Any questions, just ask.
A Little Backed Up
Hi y’all,
Just a reminder that TBI is a small business run by me. 🙂 We have staff to help with many things, but oftentimes it’s me managing the gym and correspondence.
I usually answer emails within 24–48 hours (especially on weekends). It’s very helpful to keep all correspondence to email since it’s the easiest for me to track and delegate.
No DMs. And especially don’t text my personal line at 11PM on a Saturday night to turn off your billing. 🙂
Thanks for working with me!
Thai Boxing Institute Book
Yes — it’s still coming out!
Yes — we’re still shooting for mid-April!
Yes — I just spent the last two weeks thoroughly combing through the final draft to turn in for editing!
Yes — it’s been a lot of work and has spread me a little thin, but it’s going to be very good and I’m proud of how it’s turning out!
You can get on the mailing list at:
thaiboxing101.com
T-Shirt Design Contest
Hello y’all,
Thank you to everyone who submitted designs, and congrats to our top three finalists!
It came down to literally a one-vote difference, and our winner is:
Adam Wagner of “Out of Step Art” (@outofstep.art) with his Traditional Rose design featuring “The Thai Boxing Institute” in script on the front right breast pocket.
Simple yet elegant.
Thank you to our runners-up for their beautiful designs:
Luis Pinto
https://luispintostudio.com
Alvin Lee
Shirt Preorder
Preorder ends Friday, March 13th!
S–XXXL available
🥋 $30 for shirt ($35 for XXL and XXXL)
🛫 $7 for shipping
🚗 Pick-up available
Venmo: @COACHVIK (last 4 digits: 5678)
Zelle: info@thaiboxinginstitute.net
(Please include size, shipping cost, and address if applicable.)
Shirt Prices Going Up
Yes, I know. It’s unfortunate.
The last time I raised T-shirt prices was 10 years ago. I’ve always felt it was important to keep prices low to increase accessibility. But at this point, everything has gone up in price, and keeping the old price is no longer sustainable.
This is where we choose between maintaining quality or compromising it.
Starting in April:
• T-shirts will increase from $25 to $30
• Hoodies will increase to $60
We will honor the $25 price for all “legacy” T-shirt orders placed before April 1.
Appreciate your understanding.
Since we are out of stock on many designs, we will be placing a preorder for our two most popular shirts. If you’d like to grab some merch or request odd sizes, please submit a request or use the links below.
We will honor the old $25 price for all “legacy” T-shirt orders placed before April 1st.
Appreciate your understanding.
TBI “Minimal” Tee
https://the-thai-boxing-institute.gymdesk.com/product/tbi-%27minimal%27-tee/10996
TBI “Think Lightly” Tee
https://the-thai-boxing-institute.gymdesk.com/product/tbi-%27think-lightly%27-tee/10995
Re: Eat, Sleep, Teep
Congrats to everyone who participated at Eat Sleep Teep (@eatsleep) this past weekend.
Great skill shown by everyone, and our very own @claramccarthy won “Best Boxer of the Evening.”
Thank you to the TBI members who came out to support, and thank you to Coach Jordan and Brian SF for the corner support.
Appreciate the crew at EST for having us. The event ran really well, the matchups were solid, and everything felt moderated and fair.
Re: White “Vamos TBI!” Tee
Thank you to everyone who purchased the Vamos TBI tee over the last three months.
We were able to raise $250 to support The Immigration Center for Women and Children (ICWC) (@icwclaw).
The Immigration Center for Women and Children (ICWC) is a nonprofit legal organization providing free and affordable immigration services to underrepresented immigrants in California and Nevada. ICWC works to provide security and stability for children who are abused, abandoned, or neglected, and for immigrants who are survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and other violent crimes.
All profits from this shirt — until it sells out — will go toward organizations that support immigrant individuals, families, and children in the U.S. and worldwide.
If you have an organization you’d like us to consider for the next round of fundraising, let us know.
¡VAMOS TBI! or “LET’S GO TBI” is one of the mottos we keep here.
Printed on a white unisex Port & Company triblend tee.
The rear image depicts a Thai boxer performing the Wai Kru Ram Muay, surrounded by the Thai, El Salvadoran, and Mexican flags.
Black “Thai Boxing Institute – Mar Vista, CA” printed on the front left chest.
S–XXL available
🥋 $25 per shirt
🛫 $7 shipping
🚗 Pick-up available
Venmo: @COACHVIK (last 4 digits: 5678)
Zelle: info@thaiboxinginstitute.net
(Please include size, shipping cost, and address if applicable.)
Member Appreciation Day
Join us on Saturday, April 11th, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. for Member Appreciation Day.
There will be no training that day. Instead, we will:
• Take a group class photo
• Take individual photos with the coaches
A light lunch and beverages will be provided.
Just bring yourself and wear your favorite Muay Thai shorts and TBI gear.
USMTO Help Needed
Fight camp for the TBI Competition Team starts Monday, February 16th. We are two weeks out.
We will have sign-ups on the back whiteboard if you are interested in helping. We will need:
• Drilling help
• Pad work help
• Sparring help
• Morale support 🙂
Male and Female Muay Thai Coach Opening
We are seeking a female and a male Muay Thai coach to join our coaching staff.
Requirements:
• Minimum 5 years of Muay Thai training experience
• Minimum 1 year of teaching or coaching experience
• Competition experience not required
• Strong communication skills
• Ability to work with beginners and all levels
• Professional, reliable, and team-oriented
This role is ideal for someone who enjoys teaching fundamentals, supporting student development, and contributing to a positive gym culture.
Teen Muay Thai Rates
Just a reminder that our Teen Muay Thai program pricing has been updated.
Families currently enrolled at the $149/month rate will remain grandfathered unless placed on hold for longer than three months.
If you have any questions or need help making changes, please reach out.
Updated Pricing (Effective March 1):
• Teen Muay Thai monthly membership: $199/month
• First-time drop-in class: $20
• Additional drop-in classes: $40 per class
Thank you for being part of The Thai Boxing Institute community.
New Cleaning Protocol
Thank you all for helping keep the gym clean and safe.
We noticed a bottleneck with the paper towels, so we added cloth towels along with more paper towels to help speed up cleanup.
Reminder:
• Clear bottles labeled “Pad Cleaner” are for pads
• Blue liquid labeled “Mat Cleaner” is for mopping
Please make sure you’re using the correct cleaner.
March Curriculum
3/2–3/7 — The Jab + Cross
3/9–3/14 — Push Kicks
3/16–3/21 — Kicking Power Development (All Kicks)
3/23–3/28 — Fight Camp
3/30–4/4 — Freestyle Week
“Each one must teach one.”
— Marcus Garvey