Hampus, Merel and Dino - Students at Kobra Muay Thai Gym

On our recent visit to Kobra Muay Thai Gym we were lucky enough to meet with some of their students. It’s always interesting to hear people’s thoughts on the activities they’re taking part in and what they think of Koh Phangan.

Firstly we met Hampus who is from Sweden, he has been travelling for four or five months and after being in Vietnam he felt as if he wanted to settle down somewhere for a month.

‘My friend Sum had been to Kobra and told me stories of it on Koh Phangan, so I felt it would be the perfect place to settle down for one month’.

So what’s your history in martial arts Hampus?
I started with karate at seven years old then I went to continue in mixed martial arts. I then went off travelling, Muay Thai is definitely the most fun thing I have done.

What is unique about Kobra for you?
I actually feel like family, as long as you give it yourself then they give you a lot of respect and professional training.

So you’re training for one month?
Yes I did three weeks then went to meet my Mum in Bangkok and now I am back for ten days.

What are you learning from Muay Thai?
It is like to be a Gladiator! This life at Kobra is serious training for me. The best is to be trained by locals. The training in Sweden is not the same.

Do you think you will come back?
Yes of course, one hundred percent!

And leave us with your life philosophy…
If you can climb the stairs of Krabi the you can do anything!

We also met twenty two year old Merel who is trying out Muay Thai for the very first time, it was her fifth lesson and she was proudly wearing her newly bought gloves…

So has the Muay Thai training changed you at all?
Yeah, back home I’m kind of a quitter, I’m gonna be honest here. Ever since childhood my Mum would put in lessons, guitar, gymnastics but it wasn’t so good, Muay Thai makes it fun!

The only thing I did stick with back then was horseriding but that was because it involved animals. This is different because every lesson you notice that you are stronger and you pick it up, especially here as there are less people. Even a regular lesson is pretty much one on one.

I’m not petite, I have always been stronger but never made use of it. I thought to give this a try and now I think I’m hooked! Even to see bruises on your legs from kicking is like yes!!

We then spoke with Dino who originally came to do a two week intensive, training twice a day but as he told us, ‘when you’re backpacking it never goes to plan’...

So are you enjoying training at Kobra Dino?
Yes, I have spent two years travelling now with almost zero fitness so although it was planned I couldn’t go straight into two sessions a day from nothing but the reason I chose Kobra is of how personal it is.

The first time I threw up and in most gyms you would get the piss taken out of you but here they sat me down and made sure I was ok, they take care of you.

I feel they care more of the person rather than money.

And what got you interested in Muay Thai?
I did it when I was younger, it got me out of trouble so I did it for a while then stopped.

I wanted to learn again in Thailand although I was nervous about coming into a gym, you knew how you were, would I like it? The first session got me hooked, to me it’s about respect.

The training is intense, it’s the most physical thing I have ever done but it’s very good!

So there you have it, insights into the world of Muay Thai training as a traveller on Koh Phangan at Kobra Gym. We hope this encourage some of you to go and try it, Kob and his family will welcome you!