Muay Thai Training at Muay Saigon - Part 1: Discovery

The moment we decided that we were moving to Vietnam for an extended period of time, I drafted a mental list of all of the things that I wanted to do while in the country.

One of these things was practice Muay Thai.

Now, I know that Muay Thai doesn't originate from Vietnam, but I had a good feeling--quickly confirmed by a quick internet search--that there would be Muay Thai classes in Vietnam given the proximity of the two countries. During our search we came across the Muay Saigon website, and our curiosity was instantly piqued. It was one of the few classes with a website that looked remotely updated and reputable, and they offered classes that matched our schedule. We quickly agreed that it would be worth a visit.

Around late-November, we allocated time on a Tuesday night to check out a class. Tuesday night classes were held at an athletic center right next to the Galaxy movie theater on Nguyễn Du street. The taxi driver knew exactly how to get there. A short 10-minute drive later, we arrived at our destination.

The parking attendant directed us to an entrance on the back side of the building. As we approached the entranced, from the outside I could tell that we were in the right place. I looked up and noticed students practicing knee strikes close to the windows facing out from the second story above us.

Our first visit to Muay Saigon

We made our way inside and walked up the stairs to the second floor. There we found the Muay Thai class. We took off our shoes and quietly walked inside the room. We stood off to the side and off of the mats so as to avoid being a distraction...well, more so than we already were for being two foreigners in a class filled exclusively with locals.

The room was far more basic and barebones than I had expected. The entire practice room consisted of nothing more than padded puzzle mats, windows, and a few mirrors. Three large ceiling fans hung overhead, but either they didn't seem to work or the instructor opted not to turn them on.

The instructor and his students took notice and gave us curious looks. One student introduced himself and invited us to stay for a while so we could talk to the instructor after class, a recommendation we happily followed. As the class progressed, I remember marveling at the techniques everyone was practicing and the rigor with which they trained. Head level round kicks. Sharp elbow strikes. Punching combinations. I was starting to get excited.

As students were practicing their technique drills, the instructor stepped away to one of the nearby windows. He lit a cigarette. "What instructor smokes during the middle of their Muay Thai class," I thought. The room quickly filled with the smell of burnt tobacco.

A simple training room tucked away in the corner of a second floor of an athletic facility, students in their Muay Thai uniforms practicing under the sweltering heat of the Saigon summer, an instructor barking out corrections to students' techniques, for whatever reason it all had the look and feel of some obscure martial arts film from the early 90's...

...and we loved it.

Once class ended we talked to the instructor about class times, tuition, and required equipment.

Class schedule and pricing

Students who chose to take his Muay Thai classes at this particular location could sign up for the M/W/F or T/Th/Sa schedule. All classes start at 7:15 PM and end at 8:45 PM. We'd need to buy a uniform (200,000 VND/person) and bring our own boxing gloves. Shin guards and mouth guards were optional. Despite taking up some space in one of our boxes, we were sure glad to have brought all of our own training equipment from home. The shin guards, in particular, would be a life saver...or, more specifically, a shin saver.

As for tuition, it was 140,000 VND per month. Yes, $7.00 per month to take three classes a week for a month.

This class was close to our house, offered at times we could attend, and provided the bare minimum in what we wanted in a training facility. Monthly tuition was under $10.00 USD. Furthermore, I was the only foreigner in the class, which meant that I had all of the opportunity in the world to improve my Vietnamese language skill. There was absolutely no reason why we shouldn't join.

Muay Saigon would be were we would train in Muay Thai.