Welcome to Thailand: My first group class at Phuket Dragon Muay Thai
Arrival on Soi Taied
On my previous visit to Phuket, I had found 2-hour group classes quite hard going, mainly due to my lack of fitness but also the weather. Following that trip I made the solemn vow to increase my fitness levels before returning. One thing I tried was the “couch to 5k” challenge, which is basically going from an absolute beginner (the couch) to being able to run for 30 minutes or complete a 5k. I managed to achieve the former.
Although I had a modest sense of achievement from reaching that goal, it also delivered an unexpected result when I got to Thailand. All Muay Thai sessions start with a run, and I did benefit from my preparation in that sense, but it was the positive effect it had on my recovery that was the most notable benefit. I was determined to complete some 2-hour group classes on this trip, well that was the plan anyway.
Day one of my latest trip and I found myself riding down Soi Taied in Chalong — the famous street lined with gyms, restaurants, pharmacies, and more Muay Thai energy than you can shake a shin guard at. I popped into Dragon Muay Thai’s office, handed over 300 THB, and headed down to the mats 5 minutes before the bell.
I had been to Dragon before for some private sessions, and it is a place with a vibe that’s hard to beat. It can be intimidating to begin with, but the energy is infectious. This was to be my first ever group class at this gym. To begin with, I decided to keep any expectations of my own performance very low, something I really did delivered on.
Muay Thai Lesson Learned #1
Dragon’s group class runs from 08:00–10:00. We started with a warm-up run. I finished this—slower than most but finished none the less. Then came stretches and a beginner ring group: basic strikes, simple defence-attack combos, exactly what you want on day one. Friendly Kru’s, clear progression, great energy.
Right from the off the Kru’s were making corrections to our movements, even as beginners. Training at Dragon is not just a group workout. You are being coached the whole time and learning new things every session. At this stage, for me, the learning curve is still very steep.
Then, a “relatively innocent” right kick meant for the Kru’s belly pad, collided perfectly with the bottom of his bent elbow. If you’ve never tried shinning a brick wall—don’t. The pain was instant, primal, and oddly clarifying.
The Kru, unfazed, grabbed some oil and rubbed it vigorously into my shin. I trust these trainers, they know what they are doing. I tried to keep my colourful language to a minimum, despite the instant lump that had appeared on my leg. Note to self – kick the pad, not the trainer!
This was an important lesson for me around focussing on the technique and exercising some mindfulness in its execution. Welcome back to Muay Thai.
Mixed Classes
Group classes at Dragon are mixed, with students of all skill levels and ages training together. Following the beginners ring and shinning my Kru’s elbow, we moved into general population (yikes!) for the next part which was alternating between solo heavy bag rounds and pad rounds with a Kru.
I started on the heavy bag and despite my injury I decided to make the mistake of continuing to kick with my right leg, something I would regret later of course. I looked to my left, and the guy on the next bag resembled Bolo Yeung in his heyday (reference for the older readers there). Inadequate wasn’t the word. I decided to focus on maintaining my extreme sweatiness, excessive red colour and trying to not go full purple just yet. There were pictures being taken!
Joking aside, you really do need to take care of yourself and manage your own training. Aggravating an injury proved to be very unwise indeed, and it was about a week before I could even kick pads lightly with that leg. I really struggled with the rest of this session and had to throw the towel in after about 80 of the scheduled 120 minutes. The shame!
Although this was a mixed class, the Kru’s who had started with the beginners kept checking back during pad rotations, so you get some continuity working with the same coaches. I liked this approach although part of me did think “oh no, here comes that guy with the concrete elbows again”!
My Exit
Once I had finally ground to a halt (more through exhaustion than injury really) another Kru wandered over to inspect my shin injury. He just smiled, gave me two thumbs up, and said “good, good”. He looked genuinely pleased. I love Thailand!
I hobbled to the pharmacy for an ice pack, then fashioned a DIY ice wrap back at the hotel with a bag of ice from the restaurant. I froze my hot-cold gel pad for later. The advice was cold for 24 hours, then heat—so I did just that and wondered how things would look in the morning. Spoiler alert: pictorial.
Despite the bruise-to-be, the class was brilliant. Welcoming Kru’s, a positive vibe, and a proper first-session reminder: you’re responsible for managing yourself, even as you’re being pushed. Lesson learned. More focus needed. And yes, I’ll aim for the pad next time.
Meeting New People
For this class I had the wonderful Phuket Fight Photography with me capturing some footage for the blog. There’s always an opportunity to meet new people whilst travelling and it was great to meet the super friendly Kev from Scotland at Dragon. This was Kev’s first visit, and he was travelling with his son Aiden who was fighting for Dragon at Bangla Boxing Stadium on this trip. Super cool.
I was also introduced to a UFC Strawweight Champion no less, Dejdamrong, who now runs his own gym in Khatu Sor Dejdamrong Muay Thai Gym and is also running a Muay Thai promotion at Patong Boxing Stadium each week. The Muay Thai community is not that big and everyone I have met so far has been so friendly and helpful. I look forward to this part on every trip.
Takeaways from the Day
- Pace like a pro – cardio prep helps, but don’t sprint the warm-ups. Save gas for pads.
- Protect the shins – aim for the pad, avoid the elbows. Your future self will thank you.
- Know your limits – stop kicking with the injured leg. Commitment is great, recovery takes time at 50+
- Laugh at the chaos – younger, fitter, and more Instagram-able people will surround you. Humour is your guard – and it never gasses out!
- Celebrate tiny wins – finishing the run, surviving mixed class, learning some combos, getting a “thumbs-up” – these are the reps that build your journey.
Accommodation
Dragon is situated on Soi Taied in Chalong, Phuket. This road is quite famous and is sometimes referred to as “fitness street”. There really is nowhere quite like it. The Dragon complex now has some great accommodation on site, adjacent to the gym, in the form of a series of bungalows which are very easy on the eye. I rented one for a night to have a look. It was low season, and I was able to just pay cash on the day (1200 THB), so the whole thing was hassle free.
The rooms have aircon, Wi-Fi, TV, safe, Kettle, fridge and on suite shower / toilet (complete with bum gun of course!). These bungalows are probably classed as standard accommodation, but I found the room to be perfect for someone wanting to stay “on the soi”, and it had a very comfortable large bed. You are just one minute from great food, convenience stores, massages etc. The site also has a swimming pool which is so good straight after training. As you are so close to the gym you also get the background soundtrack of Muay Thai pads and bags being hit. These rooms are a very good option if you are training at Dragon.
Dragon also has a small gear shop in their office with some nice, branded gear. I did treat myself to one of their training shirts whilst there, look out for that in future posts.
