OH. EM. GEE.
Y’all, this one is looooong. I’m sorry!
Let’s get to it!
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.
Re: USMTO
Congrats to all our athletes who participated this last weekend at the 2026 Spring USMTO tournament.
We went 2–2, with Clara winning her division and becoming the USMTO 140 lbs C-class national champion.
Congrats Clara! 👍
Proud of everyone for following through and being brave enough to step through the ropes.
THANK YOU to everyone at TBI for your help training them. Thank you to all the members who volunteered and sacrificed their own training time to help them.
Thank you to all the coaches for your help with pad work, drilling, clinching, sparring.
Thank you to Coach Jordan for your help cornering.
Thank you to Erin for your clutch assist cornering Clara in the finals.
Thank you to Amber for driving the team to AZ and around town.
Thank you to 818 Boxing for all your help with sparring.
Thank you to all our opponents and camps for sharing the ring.
And thank you to all promoters and officials who ran the tournament for all their hard work promoting the scene of Muay Thai.
(Sorry if I missed anyone.)
Onward and forward ⚡️
Shirt Preorders Are In!
Congrats to Adam for winning the contest, and thank you to everyone for the overwhelming amount of orders.
You can pick yours up with me or see Tara at the front desk on Mondays.
A few extra sizes left S–XXL, and all shirt sizes have been restocked!
🥋: $30 for shirts (XXL +$5)
🛫: $7 for shipping
🚗: Curbside pick-up available
Venmo: @COACHVIK
Zelle: info@thaiboxinginstitute.net
(Please include size, shipping cost, and address if applicable.)
or purchase by CC through our website: TBImerch.com
Thank you all very much!
https://the-thai-boxing-institute.gymdesk.com/product/tbi-t-shirt-contest-winner/114546
A Fighting Legacy
Did you know Adam is also a long-time member of TBI, artist (@outofstep.art), TBI Comp Team sponsor, and now filmmaker?
His Muay Thai documentary is available through streaming on Amazon Prime!
‘A Fighting Legacy uncovers how a 700-year-old Thai fighting art took root in the American Midwest, following the pioneer who brought it to the United States and the community built around the largest full-contact fighting event in the Western Hemisphere.’
You can support Adam through renting/buying his doc, but also by rating and leaving a review!
Peep the link below to check out his doc and help support Adam!
Class Schedule — Next Two Weeks
Guys — I’ll be gone for the next two weeks. I’ll be visiting and exploring China to see what the Muay Thai scene and life is like out there.
While I’m away, a few of the coaches will be stepping in to cover classes as well as combined classes Monday and Wednesday at 6 PM until I’m back on the 29th.
Everything else will run the same. Thank you to the coaches who are stepping in!
Please lend a hand if you can to help the coaches clean up and lock the gym. Look out for them, the space, and each other please. I’ll be reachable through email (hopefully).
Thank you!
Re: Cleaning
Y’all are killing it with the new 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.
Community Cohesion
I made a video last week on an easy way to be inclusive and build rapport with others:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWm65aWDzQf/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
We know that learning the sport is a team effort built upon trust and familiarity. You can help us be a tighter team by saying hi/bye to each other or introducing yourself/others if you’re engaged in conversation. 🙂
As a current, long-standing member, what can you do to help?
Be kind, smile, and say hi to anyone you don’t know. Maybe ask them what their name is!
Be open to working with a new partner—whether in open pairings, sparring, or drilling classes.
Just remember that all of us, including myself, were beginners at one point.
What can you do as a new member?
Be proactive! Talk, don’t be shy, say hi. Volunteer and get involved.
Say hi to me, ask me questions, talk to me or any of the coaches. We are all very approachable.
Lastly, as coaches we do appreciate you calling us “Coach” rather than first names. It’s a way TBI maintains boundaries and acknowledges the hard work and effort coaches put in to keep the gym going.
Thank you all for your efforts in making TBI such a great place to train.
TBI 14-Year Anniversary
✨ Thank you all for the 14 years of support. ✨
Appreciate you all immensely. 🫡
Please join us as we celebrate the birthday of the gym!
Event is open to the public and we will have food and beverages (non-alcoholic and alcoholic).
Even if it’s your first day, first month, whatever — come through! Bring friends or come and make friends!
There will be freshly made pupusas by @centinelapupusas from 6–8:30 PM.
Also looking for people to spar — it’s tradition every year that we do exhibition bouts between members. Super friendly, no winner/no knockouts, safe moderated sparring in front of the party.
This is a great way to get a taste of what competing is like! Talk to me if you’re interested or sign up on the whiteboard near the bathroom with your name and weight.
DETAILS:
Date: Saturday June 13th, 20th, or 27th (will keep y’all posted)
Time: 6 PM – 10:00ish
Location:
The Thai Boxing Institute
3831 Grand View Blvd
LA, CA 90066
See you there!
No Gifts Please
Yo, y’all listen — I am really flattered when I receive a gift from you, but in all good conscience I cannot accept gifts. Hope you understand where this is coming from and would prefer that no one thinks I have favorites at the gym. Low key, I am annoyed by you all so there are no favorites. 🙂
Aye, pero fo’ real — if you do want to support the gym, please as always:
• Buy merch
• Refer your friends
• Leave a review on Google or Yelp
• Or support the many small business owners that train at the gym
Gifts are not needed and my life is immensely filled with gratitude and love.
I appreciate the sentiment and am always flattered. Thank you for ever thinking of me and the gym.
Label Everything
Label everything — your equipment and your names in the cubbies, please!!!
If you need a cubby, talk to me! Must have a recurring monthly membership. Max two cubbies per member.
Upcoming Events
If you are interested in competing:
(Full Contact)
2026 TBA Classic
June 17–21, 2026
Des Moines, IA
(We have one interested, looking for one or two more.)
https://www.muaythaitournaments.com/2026-june-tba-classic
WKA US National Championships 2026
Aug 13–16, 2026
APG Federal Credit Union Arena, Harford Community College
https://www.kihapp.com/tournaments/24173-wka-us-national-championships-2026
I’ve never done this one but am curious about it — willing to take one person, maybe two, if you’re interested. I’ll be doing some research for my next book.
(Semi Contact)
Eat Sleep Teep
Saturday, June 13th
https://www.instagram.com/p/DVhXGMmE04D/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
https://eatsleepteep.com/events
Interested in competing? Read this before you ask me any questions:
https://thaiboxinginstitute.net/2022/01/19/2022-competition-and-development-team/
Thai Boxing 101
Yes — it’s still coming out!
Yes — I was shooting for mid-April but it’s taking a bit longer!
Yes — We have covers you can vote on if you’re on our mailing list!
Yes — It’ll be out soon, please wait 😣
You can get on the mailing list at:
thaiboxing101.com
April Curriculum
• Pad holding review
• Parrying straight punches
• Checking kicks
• Feinting the jab
• Feinting the push kick
“The vision of a champion is someone who is bent over, drenched in sweat, at the point of exhaustion—when nobody else is watching.” — Anson Dorrance (about Mia Hamm)