top muay thai instructors?

[corygoose]

I plan on moving in the next year, not sure where I will move. I am gonna be moving based primarly where I can train. I would like to know what are some of the top muay thai trainers in the united states. If you know of any top level instructors please let me know. I am gonna try and stay living in the midwest, but if I find a good place I will move outside the midwest.

[Maxx]

The best concentration of Muay Thai instructors is probably in Southern California, particularly in the LA area. I understand that Melchor Meynor is also actively teaching in San Diego. The fairtex Muay thai camp is in San Francisco

Master Toddy runs a school in Las Vegas and Master Kak Koonala (My old teacher) and Kroo Vut Kamnark currently operate out of Marquette Michigan, although Vut is currently busy running a restaurant and is not actively teaching.

I'm sure that there are a lot more excellent teachers out there though. Those are the ones that I'm familiar with.

[TheHorror]

hmm.. I don't think there are any gyms in L.A besides the Insanto acemdy, but I am searching for a boxing/ mauy thai gym.

[blitz]

Maxx, could you give me some more information on Melchor Meynor? I'm going to SD in a couple of months and plan on training there.

[GonzoStyles]

Melchor Menor is a great Fighter as well as a awesome trainer, I had the honor of training with him during my time at Master Toddy's camp, if you are going to be anywhere near his area I'd recommend training with him if you have the time!

http://teammenor.com/

[corygoose]

Do u guys think the famous Duke Roufus would be a good teacher? He has a school in wisconsin. http://www.milwkick.com/

[Python]

I think you have an awesome concentration of top Muay Thai instructors right here in the midwest, and you mentioned you would prefer to stay in the midwest:

Mick doyle is in Omaha, NE.

Dean Lessei is in Dubuque, IA...Khuen Khru in T.B.A.

Greg Nelson and rick Faye are both in Minneapolis, MN. and also under Ajarn Chai (I think Greg is one of the very few "full instructors" under Ajarn Chai).

Duke Roufus is in Milwaukee, WI, producing top notch fighters repeatedly.

Pete Peterson is in Carroll, IA...Khuen Khru in T.B.A. (promoting many Muay Thai fights within Iowa and taking teams all over the midwest to fights.

Chicago: Peter Farias, Tim Tokarz, Marius Dan, Ricardo Perez, Ron Hill.
Peoria, Bloomington, Il.: Ryan Blackorby, Dave Rogers(Associate instructor within T.B.A.)

Indiana: Jeff Wesfall, Dave Miller (Associate instructor in T.B.A.), Raul Llopis

All of the above mentioned are fantastic Muay Thai trainers, many are past champions themselves or are still fighting. I know there are a few more I am forgetting to mention. You cannot go wrong with any of them. If I had to choose just one, I probably could not do it, all of them have much to offer. I guess it depends on where you want to live, whether you want the art for competition, or simply learning the tradition. With some you will get one or the other, but with most you will get it all.

I hope this helps a bit. If you want more details, just let me know.

Take care!

[Maxx]

I know here in the LA area there are a few, depending on what part of LA ou live in. As someone else mentioned the Inosanto academy is in LA, I believe Kroo Rex teached in Van Nuys, there's a school in Hollywood, I believe it's called the the American Muay Thai Academy. The teachers there are Kroo Puk and Kroo Pong. They're closely associated with Saekson Janjira. There is also a heavy concentration of schools in Long Beach but I couldn't give you names. You could probably do a web search

[corygoose]

anymore opinions?

[LoneHusky]

It's more about the training than the instructors. I wouldn't leave the midwest just to go to some school in LA. It's just not worth it imo. Many midwest instructors are top notch.

[TheHorror]

any Muay thai gyms in Torrance, santa monica, el segundo, redondo beach, hermosa beach?

[Tom Yum]

"The Horror!.....The Horror!..."

-Heart of Darkness?

[Pla Chalarm]

you gotta look at the fighters one produces to claim who is one of the best-

try Kru Scott Hicks in Gerogia. 2 national champions and 1 world champion coming out of small town, GA. Not to mention a whole stable of good fighters who win nearly every time they fight.

https://www.megalodongym.com

[Maxx]

any Muay thai gyms in Torrance, santa monica, el segundo, redondo beach, hermosa beach?

Torrance, I'm sure that there are but I'm not too familiar with that area. In Hermosa Beach there is Boxing Works. The instructor there is Bryan Popejoy. He's a very good instructor and a hell of a great guy. He's also married to Ajarn Chai's Cousin or sister... I keep forgetting.

In El Segundo, there is the R1 Academy... it's more of a Mixed Martial Arts Academy but Ed Wedding Teaches Muay Thai there several times a week.

There's the IMB under Richard Bustillio in Carson. They teach Muay Thai among other things.

It's actually all over the place out here but those are the major schools that I know of that teach it.

[Garland]

In the U.S.
Adjarn Chai, the whole family of TBA instructors...Khuen Khru Greg Nelson and Will Bernales are two of the best. (Erik Paulson is also an instructor under both Chai and Inosanto, I think {if not, then they are all fairly close friends}...he's really cool.)
NON-TBA guys
Saekson Janjira in Texas.
Sakasem Kwathawong in UT.
Arunlueng Fairtex in San Francisco.
Toddy in Vegas.
there are quite a few more, but I can't remember them all off the top of my head.

Thailand.
Apideh is the top guy in Thailand, named fighter and trainer of the century by the king.

Dutch gyms produce extremely good fighters as well.