Michael Godfrey
First of all; don’t be fooled by the title!
My name’s Mike Godfrey. I’m an Assistant Director in Film & Television, and undertake work for the BBC as well as many other top UK Film & TV companies.
I’ve always been into “fighting”, but until I went to Tiger Muay Thai I had no professional experience.
Let me start what is set to be a long review by telling you a bit about me. I travel the world working, was an Assistant Director on Louis Theroux’s “Most Hated Family in America”. I attended Tiger Muay Thai for two reasons; to train and to scout the facility as a location for an upcoming Documentary. I have so far led a varied and exciting career, and have experienced a lot of different things in a lot of different countries, to say the least.
However none of my previous experiences prepared me for my time at Tiger Muay Thai.
I arrived after travelling for 26 hours, and was met at the airport by Tiger Muay Thai’s car service. This was really easy to find, and the driver was more than helpful with my luggage. As aforementioned; I’ve travelled a lot, but have never been to Thailand. I therefore wouldn’t say I was nervous, more interested to see what it was like after reading so much on the internet and hearing so much from friends. I was about to find out how incorrect my pre-conceptions had been.
I was expecting to get to the facility and feel like an outcast. I thought everyone was going to be a super-ripped professional fighter, but I couldn’t have been more wrong.
I began with a tour of the facility by Will, the General Manager. Will was really helpful, and explained a lot about Muay Thai, how it is taught, learnt and accepted in Thailand and also about the facility itself.
There’s one word for the facility. Amazing. I don’t think there’s one person who’s ever been to Tiger Muay Thai who can fault them on facilities. There’s an abundance of rings and matted areas (all are kept exceptionally clean), toilet and showering facilities around the entire area, on-site accommodation etc. There’s not much point of me listing everything here as you would have seen it on their website, but let me tell you that they deliver EXACTLY what their site says PLUS MORE.
I stayed in Floraville accommodation, Managed by JiJi. JiJi was like my concierge. Anything you needed to know she knew, from nights out to cheap places to buy things; JiJi, like many other people at the facility and surrounding accommodations, is a textbook of knowledge which is a huge help to your stay.
I’d heard a lot about food and accommodation before I went, and can only really comment on my experience. My accommodation was amazing – the restaurant was really good, cheap and everyone was very efficient and friendly. Of course you will get what you pay for. The fighters rooms around the camp may be a bit hot and noisy, but they’re so cheap it’s ridiculous! For the money you pay you couldn’t expect any more. Obviously rooms with air-con are cooler and more comfortable than the ones without, but if I was working on a tight budget and had to choose accommodation I’d be happy to stay in the fighters rooms. If I was in Thailand at TMT I’d be happy, simple as that.
The training at the camp really was second to none. I went to the group sessions, but decided to concentrate on private sessions. After being at the camp a week I was called back to work in England due to the General Election which was at that time under a hung Parliament, and I only got to spend three weeks at TMT. I therefore wanted to get the most out of it, and thought private sessions would be the best way.
I began sessions on my first day with Krue Gae. I really don’t know what to say or where to start. I couldn’t have asked for a better trainer. I decided to train at 6AM and 6PM, when it wasn’t too hot. Gae was there on the dot, every day, working 14 hours sometimes. Then every night we’d see him at a fight, cornering someone or just out himself, watching. He is a true Muay Thai master and literally, like all the other instructors, lives, eats and breaths Muay Thai. The passion and integrity of the people at TMT really is second to none.
When I began with Gae I was shocked at my improvement. I’d trained in London for a few months, and didn’t realize how rubbish I was until I got to Tiger Muay Thai and MMA. After my first session I was kicking almost twice as hard, and after the three weeks I was there my improvement was absolutely massive! I always intended on going there and working hard, getting better as I went, but nothing could have prepared me for how much of a difference you see in such a short space of time. Gae’s English isn’t perfect, but it doesn’t matter or need to be. In fact I think it makes a stronger bond between you. Within the first hour you learn to read your trainers body language, and feel a strong rapport with them. Gae seemed proud of my improvement, and it was his pride which gave me a huge amount of inspiration to push myself. Getting up at 6AM every day by choice whilst on holiday is a true testament to how keen and motivated Tiger Muay Thai makes you.
The camp is surrounded with restaurants, shops and spas. It’s convenient to everything. Central Festival shopping centre is a few minutes away, with a huge cinema, food court, loads of shops etc.
Whether you want to train all day long, shoot a pistol, go to a zoo, do some sightseeing or ride an elephant – you can do it ALL during your stay at Tiger Muay Thai. Basically anything you’ve ever wanted to do can be done, from jet skis to all terrain activities – you can do anything!
But, if you’re there for the training and training only; don’t worry. You will NOT be disappointed. TMT have a great infrastructure, providing exceptional facilities to the complete beginner AND to the professional fighter. Whatever you want to achieve you CAN and WILL achieve it at TMT.
I’d heard a lot about Tiger Muay Thai and didn’t want my work background to affect my stay. I wanted people to act normally around me, not in the view that they may be the subject of an upcoming documentary. I therefore tried to keep my presence and job information to a minimum. I was expecting all the professional fighters to be one side of the fence and me the other, but my expectations really were incorrect. I made some amazing friends for life, from Nick the Accountant to Alex the professional fighter; all of us were out with each other every night, having the best time at what I think is the best training facility in Thailand, if not the world.
I’m already booking my next trip there. If you have ANY reservations about going AT ALL then take this advice…. BOOK YOUR TRIP NOW.
I can’t wait to get back there. Yes you may be scared, nervous, shy etc, but it DOESN’T MATTER. I went on my own and of course I was apprehensive, but it really was the best thing I’ve ever done, and will probably ever do.
Don’t waste any more of your life deliberating about going to Tiger MT. Get your card and book your flights NOW.
If you’re on this website then Tiger Muay Thai will become one of two things to you….
1) You’ll go and have the time of your life, and TMT will be your fondest memory that you’ll be telling your grandkids about
OR
2) You won’t go and looking back on not going to TMT will be the biggest regret you’ll ever have
So why is TMT the most depressing place on earth?
If you’d been to what you consider to be the best place in the world, after having the time of your life with the most amazing people and training ever; wouldn’t you be depressed to be back in cold, windy England?!