Muay Thai Academy

This school is incredible, my significant other trains here and it’s so impressive; yes I’m simply just an observer but I have done research and this training facility surpasses any other school, in the greater bay area.

It’s a weird place to train Muay Thai… their floor is made out of wood, they have no ring, and there are no classes, just some pretty «blah» instructors from what I experienced my 1 day there… I felt there wasn’t much motivation at this place, but that’s just my opinion, and I’ve trained at A LOT of different muay thai gyms in my life-time…its worth checking out for a trial, but I’ve been to many other gyms that are full of motivated individuals and great energy and great team/​family vibes…

this place was my first gym, and it will most likely be the standard to which I compare all my training. You really learn the technique here, and there’s no structured class that focuses on 20 – 30 students at a time. You will have an instructor scrutinizing your technique and helping you develop your own unique style. If you’ve learned something elsewhere, they won’t change you. They’ll help you refine your technique since each instructor has had extensive training in the world of combat arts. I loved this place when I trained here. It’s been much too long since I’ve been back, and I’ve tried out a number of gyms and styles. I still love this place. Its instructors are unparalleled. They don’t sugar coat and they don’t beg for your membership. No one who works here gets paid, they’re teaching because they truly love the aspect of passing on their hard earned knowledge. Come here with an open mind. You’ll learn things about yourself as well as your body’s potential. The gym is quite big, but its non-​retail approach to muay thai leaves a lot of students yearning for the limelight that gyms like Fairtex and AKA are under. There are fewer students now, but I trained here when I was 17, and I still look forward to every visit I make. And everything that I loved from three years ago is still here. The staff is just as amazing as ever!

I have been training here for a few years and it is by far the best and most authentic muay thai training facility I know of. The training here is not for the weak of heart, the weekend warrior, or even for the competitor. They train mostly LEOs, military, security, etc.
The staff here is also great. They know their stuff, have very varied backgrounds and experiences, and can help you with all facets of what you may experience or come up against in the real world.

Wish I had found this place sooner! I have trained ring style muay thai before I came here… and honestly this is authentic and original as you can get. It’s like what a real old school gym is like — no classes… you walk in and warm up and the Kru and Sr. Instructors come up to you and provide you with one on one instruction.
Honestly, if your goal focus is to compete then this is NOT the gym for you — not saying there is anything wrong with training to compete — but this gym isn’t for that! But if you want to sharpen your ring technique — in addition to going to where ever it is that you train now — then by all means come here and learn this style. But like i said… if your sole purpose for training is to compete, Muay Thai Academy is not the gym that will be out there trying to get to fights.
Here we focus more on techniques that are more applicable to real life, self-​defense, protection, law enforcement, etc — but with the Muay Thai twist to it.
So what I am saying is… Muay Thai Academy is very welcoming with a team of experienced instructors that you won’t find anywhere else. I wanted a place that kept the authenticity and integrity of Muay Thai and I found it here.

I came to this gym after hearing about it a year before. I finally stopped messing around and decided on doing something outside of work and school that I can be proud of doing.
I’ve been attending this school for over two years now. The knowledge offered here can’t be beaten (pun intended?) and the people you meet are beyond friendly and helpful.
I recommend this place to anyone who wants to learn Muay Thai and Close Quarters Combat (which is exactly what it sounds like if you were wondering).
In all honesty, this is not a place where you’ll end up competing in a ring. Some people will be turned off by the slow start of the basics here but, that’s their own fault. Some people expect to spar as soon as they step in even when they have trouble keeping their hands up. Once you get the basics down of foot work and body mechanics, you will be impressed with yourself and your performance of every technique after that.
If you don’t have patience or want to become an Ultimate Fighter, there are other schools you might want to check out.
Don’t be shy, come visit if you’re interested!

With so many McDojos and ridiculous UFC-​wannabe gyms in the South Bay, the Muay Thai Academy truly is something different. There is a reason people have come from around the globe to seek instruction here — it’s just that unique. While ‘Muay Thai’ is in the name of the school, it is merely the foundation of the principle art taught here: Close Quarters Combat.
Close Quarters Combat is a combination of several martial arts (old style Muay Thai known as Muay Chao Chur, the military style known as Ledrit, as well as Boar Bando and Kalaripayat, a Burmese and Indian Combat Art) and is designed for street applications: law enforcement, VIP Protection, multiple opponent, military, and self defense. They can teach «ring style» as well, but sport/​competition is less of a focus here. In addition to hand-​to-​hand combat, bladed and stick weapons training are also available.
Instruction takes place in a free-​form, semi-​private format. With the exception of a conditioning class here and there, there isn’t a structured class setting like you’ll find at other gyms. The Academy is open from 5pm to 9:30, M-​Th and late Saturday morning/​afternoon, and you can go in any time during those hours and train for as long as you’d like or can handle. Instructors and Junior Instructors walk the floor, answer questions, setup drills, and help you work through techniques on an individual basis, then let you try them out on your own or with others.
The Instructors are all top notch, have been working together for years, yet still have varied backgrounds and unique methods of teaching. Collectively, the knowledge they can impart is unmatched in any martial arts school in the area.
I’ve trained here for the last several years off and on (my hectic work/​travel schedule and frequent basketball-​related injuries keep me from going as regularly as I’d like) and can’t recommend it enough if you’re a self-​motivated, hard-​working individual looking for unique, personalized martial arts training with street-​applicable, self-​defense focus from some of the most experienced combat technicians around. It is a real privilege to live in the same vicinity as this school.

Dear Unilocal,How did all of the reviews disappear? Is it because muay thai academy doesn’t buy advertising from you? I don’t think I’ll support Unilocal by providing reviews if this is standard practice.
btw, this gym is great, no ego’s to deal with, the training is incredible and what you learn her in regards to muay thai, you will not find anywhere in the bay area.

When I moved to the Bay Area, I was looking to find a gym to learn, train, and fight Muay Thai. I visited several places as far north as San Francisco. When I found Muay Thai Academy International, I knew immediately I found my home. Specializing in old style Muay Thai, close quarters combat, blade and impact weapons, not to mention the intense conditioning, this is IT! 8 years later, I’m hear to say that I’ve never learned more about martial arts and myself than being at MTAI. This having trained in various martial arts for over 15 years. Let me be clear, if you’re not serious about training, or afraid to take your training to the next level, MTAI is not for you.

This is not the place you want to train if you are looking for the run of the mill Muay Thai or «ring style fighting» version of the Muay Thai. At the Muay Thai Academy in Santa Clara it’s all about practical combat and street application. Their style is based on the old style Muay Thai, military style Muay Thai — Lerd Rit (Ledrit), Boar Bando and bladed and impact weapon fighting. Its cadre of highly experienced instructors are from various branches of military special forces, including the founder who is a former counter-​terrorism and intelligence officer. I have trained all over the place and the instruction at Muay Thai Academy is by far the best.