[Halls]

How many of you Muay Thai students take classes from unaccredited teachers?

In my area there are a few different schools who promote teaching Muay Thai. When I checked their websites or would speak with them on the phone they had no instructorship backround. Since Muay Thai is the most popular standup game right now schools seem to be cashing in on the unsuspecting public who want to be the next MMA star. FYI, I go to a school run by a TBA instructor.

Is this a factor for you students when choosing a school?

[Judoka101]

Im not a Muay Thai fighter but im the same for everything if its a good instructor thats a big plus but its more about what the instructor and classes.

If your looking for a Muay Thai class, check them out and ask for 2 free lessons then decide.

[Brianjb72]

I completely agree. There are more and more school popping up everywhere that are teaching "Muay Thai" and what they are really teaching is just kickboxing. I swear 90% of the people that use the term Muay Thai don't even know what it means.

Please people, look for credentials. If you are here on the East Coast check out Mark Dellagrotte at Sityodtong U.S.A. in Somerville MA (www.sityodtong.com) or Guy Chase at Guy Chase academy of martial arts in Portsmouth New Hampshire (www.guychase.tv). These are two people who live the art, who are certified, and who continually train in Thailand

There is no way for someone that has never trained in real Muay Thai to know based on meeting the instructor or taking a class or two. He or She may very well be a good teacher but if they aren't teaching you the art correctly then it just isn't real (or safe).

Look for credentials. They should be easy to spot in the school.

[Halls]

I was at a grappling tournament near Sudbury and happened across a TKD school advertising " Tae Boxing". To the unsuspecting public they would actually think they are learning Muay Thai. It's like going to a Greco Roman wrestling coach to learn BJJ.

[Evil Eye Gouger]

Oh, this is becoming more interesting.

Now it's TKD's fault that Thai Boxing quality instruction is going down the shitter.

For a second, I thought that people would think about it and come to the conclusion that the influx of lazy students looking for shortcuts and the lack of really good instructors and the promise of $$$ would result in sub-par schools churning out sub-par students.

And I thought that people would realise that this is exactly what happened to arts like Taekwondo, Karate and most Kung-fu styles in the West when they had their explosion and virtually no certified teachers to meet the demand.

But what do I find? It's TKD guys sabotaging Muay Thai by adding boxing to TKD.

I'm so sad I will cry now.

[fullerene]

The quality of the instructor and the quality of the other students (who will eventually be your sparring partners) should be the main factors. I don't know if there is an accrediting body or a certain resume that is going to help you determine that. Taking lessons at a few places and talking to some of the students is probably your best bet in separating the good from the bad.

One thing I'd watch out for in a MT school is too much or too little sparring. Too much and the guys are either experienced and not training technique (no good for new students) or, even worse, they are the "keeping it real" MMA wannabees who are going to train for 2 weeks and then take 6 weeks off to heal their broken hands and noses in an endless cycle. Too little sparring and you're probably getting a TMA Mcdojo crossover and the instructors and students aren't properly conditioned to do a lot of fighting and/or are afraid of being exposed when they do.

[Halls]

EEG- I don't think it is TKD's fault for providing inadequate Muay Thai instruction. I was just providing an example I happened upon in my travels. It was funny though that the "Tae Boxing" was trademarked on the sign.

Full- There are accrediting bodies such as the TBA who give instructorships after a lot of hard work, dedication, and studying. Arjarn Chai fails people all the time.

I feel as if most unaccredited instructors are teaching based one of three ways : on their prior experiences with a Muay Thai gym and backed up their knowledge with some video instruction, have a TMA, and Boxing backround, or have fought in MMA or Kickboxing and feel as if their training allows them to teach what they have learned.

[fullerene]

^ So would you suggest people trust the TBA certification without trying classes? What if the instructor is Thai--is a good Thai instructor going to move to the U.S. and try to get accredited by a U.S. sanctioning body? IDK, it sounds like a good place to start, but I'd still trust a week's experience at a place over the certification.

[Halls]

I definitly think you should try something before you commit to it. And I'm not saying that the TBA is the end all of all that is Thai boxing instruction. It was just an example of an accredited instruction.
I just think that people should be instructed by qualified individuals. Would you get BJJ lessons from a white belt? Most of these Muay Thai instructors in my area have little to no experience in Muay Thai and have no right to instruct others.
I didn't mean to open a can of worms but I only have experience in my community and wanted to see what is was like in other's experiences.

[ntak]

I agree with fullerene. There's no substitute for a couple of trial runs, as well as a few drop-ins to view the advanced and sparring sessions. If it all seems the same to you, look for the greatest ratio of members exhibiting clean, sharp techniques with real power. Then go with your instincts.

I don't think my instructor is accredited, but he is a 2x Lumpinee champion. I think he qualifies a bit.