One of the first foreign operated MUAYTHAI Gyms in Thailand, The Lamai Gym in Koh Samui has come a long way from when it first opened its doors to young and eager Muaythai enthusiasts back in 1989. Before the inter-net or fax machines being commonplace office items, the only way you could have heard of it was by word-of-mouth.

People may still remember the outdoor weights area and the old slip ’n slide boxing ring where there were often up to a dozen guys training at once, turning the whole training area into a swimming pool of sweat and aggression, and those who weren’t lucky enough to fit into the ring were placed out the back of the gym in the dirt, or how early every morning when most every one on the island was sleeping, a bunch of Thais and foreigners would be working up a sweat with morning training and by the afternoon the Gym was simply exploding with action.

Now as everyone involved in Muaythai knows as they knew then, this is what every other Thai gym was like, so what made it so special... Well, the major difference can be found in the details: The location of course is definitely unique – Koh Samui, way out on the ocean isle, there exists a very different energy in the air, the people, and most importantly for those into Muay, the energy of the camp - People stayed in Bungalows near the Gym and the old Flamingo Lamai Stadium, where once a week, open air fights were held and, in those days, especially for the foreign visitors to the camp and the occasional tourist, it was like being at the circus, as people from all over the island would show up for the show, having come to see the ring sport rally.

Fifteen years down the road and how things have changed. Even though the gym has moved from its original location it hasn’t lost any of its allure and only increased in it’s charm - It’s a fantastic sight when you see all the guys & girls (Yes, women of all ages get into this too!) at the morning and afternoon training sessions, punching the bags and hitting the pads with all the grunting and gasping of athletes training with such intensity. Even if you have seen it many times before, people driving past can’t help but to stop and take in all the sights and sounds that are going on, even if it’s just for a few minutes.

Run under the umbrella of the Word MUAYTHAI Council, the world sole governing body for MUAYTHAI, The Lamai Gym is now considered a top-class training facility. Like many camps in Thailand, people come to stay and train for long periods of time, but at Lamai people tend to stay on just that little bit extra for many reasons - It could for the beautiful white beaches or the great nightlife, but here there seems to be a perfect balance between an intense training experience and being able to let your hair down all in one environment. Ultimately though, the main reason people come to the Lamai Gym is for the training and this is what the gym is known for around the world. When you have coaches that actually care if you’re improving and not just going through the motions, the right equipment and facilities, the right atmosphere and energy around you, it makes all the difference in the world for the trainees.

The Head Coach at Lamai is the inimitable Hanarong, who has been with the gym since day one - even when he was still fighting he was here training himself and teaching at the gym. Hanarong is probably one of the most traveled Muaythai coaches in the sport as every other week or so he seems to be jetting off to take fighters across the world or to run a seminar somewhere in country - But he’s never gone for too long as he is definitely one of the faces that people associate with the camp.

The next coach in line you want to meet is the famous (and equally infamous), Nokvid Davy - if this man can’t teach you a thing or two Muay may not be for you - The great knowledge of this fighter with over 400+ fights and numerous championship belts, is simply incredible - There are people who come and train twice a day, day after day for months, who can’t believe that every day he is showing them an innovative variation or some little trick he has in his very big bag of tricks. Along side these two great teachers there’s Nokvid’s younger Brother, Daeng, who himself is a former Rajadamern champion, a great teacher and the one who usually gets stuck with the big boys who come down to the gym. This never seems to phase him at all as he always manages to throw these 100+ kilo boys around like rag dolls.

And there’re certainly many other active and highly skilled pro-level coaches in the camp, like the aptly named, ‘Lucky’ who only last week won the ‘Omnoy Championship’ belt again and many other former Muaythai and Boxing champions, so you can never get too used to the one trainer and get too comfortable – as they say, it keeps you on your toes! The idea of this being an international camp is that it attracts people from all over the world and its very common to hear a dozen different languages all being spoken at once, or more often the different variations of physical pain being shown on their faces when they are pushed to the limit and the sound ‘YAAARRGGGG!’ has many variations as well!

The Lamai Gym has built a very good reputation as they get a lot of the big name fighters from all over the world down here for a fun and fighting-filled visit, fighters like, Mark Hunt, Alexie Ignashov, Jurgen Kruth, Martin Holm, Paul Slowinsky, Amy Birch, Lisa Houghton-Smith, Bruce McFie, Kurt Finlayson, just to name a few of the guys and gals who have passed through the doors of the Lamai Gym. These are just a few names that most people know but beside these big names there have been hundreds more a year coming to Lamai, whether its to improve particular skills or in preparations for upcoming fights or just to improve their fitness.

The camp has two boxing rings, punching bags in all sizes, hook and uppercut to improve boxing and elbow skills and a suitably large training area with scheduled training time. When your not doing the training for Muaythai, there is a fully equipped weights gym with everything you need from smith machine to leg press. But it’s the latest improvement that has the camp buzzing – the new Health Club - There is nothing better than having a great two-hour work out and then going into the herbal steam room or getting a great massage just after training - The Staff at Lamai health club are skilled in both traditional Thai massage and deep muscle sports massage, so you can be sure there’s something special waiting for you after finishing a grueling work out.

As they have many different levels of fighters and non-fighters alike they make sure that everyone is instructed at the correct level - They don’t want an advanced ring boxer sparring with a complete novice. This is a very critical part of the camps structure to make sure everyone is put into the correct groupings – for example, they have a special group of trainers just for the guys who get into the ring on a regular basis or who are in Samui to have a fight at the local Stadium. The great thing is that this is something that is open to all levels, as many people just want one fight in Thailand on their record - They can do this for everyone coming to the camp as the pairing process is closely scrutinized by the head coach to make sure everyone is perfectly matched, as safety of the boxer is the number one priority around here - This is a great achievement for a lot of people and an unforgettable experience.

Now, about the typical training day there are some points to be made - imagine the feeling of getting’ up at dawn and taking in all the beautiful sights of a tropical paradise as the sun comes up over the ocean whilst getting into shape at the same time - Each session of the Lamai training day starts out with a relaxed run along the beach at a very leisurely pace to get the blood going and the body loose, then it’s a quick sprint up the hill and back down to the gym to prepare your heart for what’s comin’ next - Once back to the gym you will do a light stretching routine, then be put through your passes. Each training session covers all aspects of the sport from learning correct technique to partner training - finally, the favorite for most boxers, rounds on the pads.

Then, when you’ve completed this early morning workout, you can go into the Camps restaurant and get yourself a healthy breakfast to start the rest of your day off right – I personally love having a platter of fresh fruit after a great workout, but there’s plenty of other fare to choose from. Then, after a refreshing breaky, it’s time to ‘relax’ until the afternoon session, when training starts up again. Now, when I say relax, this can mean a lot of things - You can take the two-minute walk to the beach and top up your tan or go swimming in the pristine waters of the Gulf of Thailand. Or you can do one of the various water activities that line the beachfront from paragliding to deep sea diving. There are so many things to do on the Island that people seem to fill their days quite easily with different activities until they (often regrettably) realize their time in Samui is over.

Participants will be divided in different groups, beginners, advanced and fighters. Beside this they are special courses, RAMMUAY Classes, MUAY Boran and Krabi Krabong courses with some of Thailand’s leading Masters. There is something for everyone any level any age.

Even though they run the training side of the gym very traditionally this doesn’t have to mean that the accommodation is anything like any other camp around – it’s one of the few camps that actually have different styles of accommodation all on one site, ranging from the basic ‘Fan room’ where many of our long-term boxers stay. This is a very simple fan room w/bathroom but quite comfortable. Next in the range are either single or double rooms with hot water and A/C in each room. Then there are the deluxe rooms, if you really want to spoil yourself - These rooms have a king size bed, A/C, large bathroom and balcony, and even cable TV. Once you stay in one of these beautiful Thai-styled cottages nestled amongst the trees it’s hard to leave.

Lamai Gym has a strong tradition in looking after all the people that come through their doors and this explains why so many boxers or people who want to get fit keep on coming back.

For all enquiries regarding coming alone or in a full tour from your home country to Thailand you can contact them at muaythaitour@hotmail.com or check out the new website on www.wmcmuaythaicamp.com