I recieved an email from a Jein Syman-Gilbert yesterday, informing of a Muay Thai instructors course in Godalming (about 30 minutes from me)
The email informed me that this was in partnership with the UKMF.
I replied asking who would be taking this seminar and I was told 'a world cup winner in Muay Thai'

I then responded, asking for a name. I was then told "I will provide the course, thank you"

I was genuinly interested in this, as may have been something I could send some of my guys to. The gym that it is being held at dont even teach Muay Thai (the are an MMA and fitness gym)

Does anyone know anything about these courses, or the person that the email is from as want to verify that this is legit. I also spoke to someone from the UKMF who did not know who this person is!

Who is he ???

Done a bit of research for you Jesse;

According to a press release (Spalding, nr Peterborough):

Jein Syman-Gilbert, is a former ladies’ amateur world cup winner in Muay Thai.

She is qualified as a boxing tutor with the Amateur Boxing Association of England, and is the only local Muay Thai coach registered with the UK Muay Thai Federation (UKMF)

Web-Site:
www.jein-muaythai.comlu.com

Her club is also on the UKMF members directory so she is registered with them and therefore they would be aware of who she is, so the course may well be UKMF approved. Other than that I can't find any details regarding the course.

Hope that helpa

SHAUN

www.muaythaiinstructors.com

That site has the details of courses being run

Here's one of the 4 hour courses:

" Become a Muaythai Tutor" (The Educational Program to teach adults in Muaythai, Level 1) Get registered now

Created how to teach and deliver Muaythai, work with pupils and succeed in their development and manage the group, as well to learn more about the sides of ring sports as Muaythai/Kickboxing) Program with view to grow champions.

(1 day course, afterwards you will get certificate as a Muaythai Tutor recognised by UKMF, Classification book for Muaythai Tutor, membership with UKMF and public liability insurance for 3 months, Muaythai Tutor T- shirt, supportive documents, forms, syllabus with lessons plans. Additionally- a support through help-centre, where is needed )

Price: £160

Thanks, I dont mean to cause any harm or disrespect, it just seemed a very short responce to me to what I felt was a fair question to ask.

I hope that the course goes well, although I dont think it would be suitable for any of my guys.

Become a Muay Thai tutor in 4 hours? Have i missed something?

Below you will find listed all the dates,locations and instructors, none of which currently teach or have taught any fighters worthy of a top 10 spot, where are your richard smiths, your joby claytons, kirkwood walker, tony myres, phillip tieus, mark wakelings? Nowhere to be seen, i wonder why? all about the money its a win win for the ukmf and the fraudsters conducting these 'courses' lining pockets time and prevent the development of the sport again.

January:

26 January (Nottingham ) NOTTS

At” SPIRIT DOJO”, Nottingham, 37-47 Colborn Street, NG3 3AW

"Become a non-contact Muaythai Tutor to teach children"+ programme FUNTHAIMOVE 10 am - 3pm
"Become a Muaythai Tutor to teach adults", Level 1 : 4pm - 9pm



February:

2 February ( Ashby de la Zouch ) LEICESTERSHIRE

At "Evolution Fight Team", Hollywell Mill, Burton Road, Ashby de la zouch, Leics. LE65 2LJ

"Become a non-contact Muaythai Tutor to teach children" + programme FUNTHAIMOVE 11 am - 4pm
"Become a Muaythai Tutor to teach adults", Level 1 : 4pm - 9pm



16 February ( Godalming ) SURREY

At "HONE GYM", Coopers Place , Combe Lane,Witley, Godalming, Surrey, GU8 5SZ

"Become a non-contact Muaythai Tutor to teach children"+ programme FUNTHAIMOVE 11 am - 4pm
"Become a Muaythai Tutor to teach adults", Level 1 : 4pm - 8pm



17 February ( Bradford ) WEST YOURKSHIRE

At "ADDICTIVE FITNESS GYM"(www.bradford-thaiboxing.com), Concept House, Blanche Street, Bradford, BD4 8DA

"Become a non-contact Muaythai Tutor to teach children"+ programme FUNTHAIMOVE 11 am - 4pm
"Become a Muaythai Tutor to teach adults", Level 1 : 4pm - 8pm



23 February ( Wisbech ) CAMBS

At: Wisbech Boxing Club, 11 Nene Quay, Wisbech, PE13 1AQ

"Become a non-contact Muaythai Tutor to teach children" + programme FUNTHAIMOVE 11 am - 4pm
"Become a Muaythai Tutor to teach adults", Level 1 : 4pm - 8pm

http://mti.hostei.com/equipment.html

they have it all covered dont worry

"become a muay thai tutor to teach adults leval 1 "

160 quid what a load of shite !!!

Sounds very similar to what the Amateur Boxing Association have done.

They do 1 day Boxing Tutor courses aimed at teaching kids 'non-contact' boxing, more as a form of exercise than a combat sport.

They also have an award scheme: bronze, silver, gold, platinum which, it appears, these Muay Thai Tutor courses also have.

ABA coaches have probably welcomed the fact that more kids, who may otherwise have never experienced boxing, have become involved and may want to take it further at a proper club.

Are the UKMF really involved though, and would that be a good thing or a bad thing?

It is very worrying that someone can do one of these courses, and as long as they pay the money, can go off and teach themselves. In the original email i recieved, they were saying that anyone could become a 'tutor' even parents of kids!

The ABA or AIBA I belive its callled now? has stopped running those courses now.

I can understand how some people may be suspicious so may I explain a little more about the courses.

There is a big difference between being able to do something yourself and being able to teach it to others.

The courses are intended for those already familiar with Muaythai but want a qualification that will allow them to assist in a gym helping an instructor with managing a group of people or to start to teach the basics to children or adult beginners.

The children's course allows you to teach non-contact Muaythai to children in a fun way and with awards to show progression and learn more about Muaythai (a CRB check, now DBS check, is required if you wish to take this course). This is intended to get the interest of the children and maybe encourage them to go further. There is also access given to a post-course help centre and workshops to support anyone if they have any questions or need further help.

The Level 1 adults course allows you to teach the raw beginners the basics but not any sparring which would need to be done in the presence of a more qualified instructor and in presence of a first aider or paramedic.

In both cases there is a complete syllabus which has been checked and approved by IFMA and UKMTF.

The locations for courses are where gym owners have allowed their premises to be used for the course to be taught, that is all. The premises and some equipment are being used, the courses are being taught by myself not the staff at any of the premises.

Thank you.
Jein

apparently the FIA is running a 1-day course on becoming "A Formula 1 mechanic"...


can you imagine if they did that?

Not only would it be laughable, racing would be shut down inside days due to safety concerns. Even if people had legitimate experience looking at engines or even tinkering around under the bonnet.

How many of the people you will be running a course for - and certifying - have training history under their belt in PT/Fitness, Thai boxing fighting and/or longterm training in Thailand? What you say makes up the course contradicts what the caourse is called:-

The Educational Program to teach adults in Muaythai, Level 1

Not assisting an instrctor to Teach kids a fun way to learn muay thai

Genuine question: Is there an examinatio to pass or is it a case of just attending the course?

That is shocking but saying that I did a 1 day course to be a doctor lol. I think its fair to do a 1 day course to be a coach eg holding pads but muay thai is an art that takes years of practise and study andy yet even the best are still learning

Jesse ... about 4 maybe 5 years ago i was doing a fair bit of PT at a big health centre (biggest gym business in england )they asked me to et a girl who came to them with what on paper looked like all singing and dancing qualifications to them .

when i looked at her CV and spoke to her it turned out she did a 24 hour (3 day) course in Samui , a box fit course in london (5 hrs) and a Muaythai Course 1 day somewhere in midlands that had UKMF name to it .

other than that never done Muaythai in her life ... apart from 3 extra sessions in Samui .

I was gobsmacked ... she nearly got the job as a junior PT to .

I let my gym go 2 years ago as proper fed up with all the politics and bullshit but in our area alone as im sure Mark will verify , within 4 miles of beckenham i counted 7 "muaythai Gyms" ..... its wrong, very very wrong ... 1 of them a while ago a lad set up a gym from reading a few books and watching Van Damn films ... me and alan went to see him and he was dead serious pmsl we nearly died laughing .

Russ

think how long it can take some beginners to pick up techniques...kicking properly, kneeing properly, boxing properly not to mention clinch work. it takes months, and this is people who probably train 3 times a week.

how the hell, can someone who has never done it before, go and learn and develop these techniques in a day.
how can the get a qualification to TEACH it, in one month, let alone one day?

to teach it properly you have to be able to practice it properly and this isnt going to happen over a year never mind a day.

whether its 'non contact Muay Thai' or not is irrelevant. You still need to be able to hold pads correctly, you need to be able to teach proper technique.

Thai Boxing isnt boxercise, to teach it well requires a massively thorough understanding of it and this is never gonna be learned in a day!

saying the course is designed for those 'familiar with Muay Thai' doesnt really cover much does it? What exactly does 'familiar' cover - someone who has been training for a month/year/decades? SOmeone who has trained for an hour in thailand? someone who has once watched a thai boxing show?

I've been doing THai Boxing for years and am still learning all the time. Im pretty certain some of the best instructors who's teaching length is now into decades, are still learning. Why f***ing bother if you can apparently learn enough to make a living in a day!

We are all still learning and will continue to learn every day.
I went on the ABA Boxing Tutor course it was very basic and taught nothing so I am guessing these will be the same. I think some form of course / training path that is recognised is a great idea but target and focused on the correct people.
Martial Arts instructors have been able to get on 1 day coursed and then start teaching all sorts its always been a joke Kickboxing instructors now advertising that they teach Muay Thai ect.

After what the UKMF have been getting away with of late, are you really suprised. Do you really think they care what anyone thinks. It will only get worse the more money people pump into them. Im wise to what they are about now, and will never work with them, or anyone that works with them.

Yes 7 now Russ, how many when people like UKMF sell their one day pappers. Next for a fee you will be able to answer 3 UKMF questions online and pass when funds are clear LMAO

Team Scandle strike again.

I'm shocked and somewhat amazed that for 160 quid you can flash a bit of paper after 4 hours and say you are 'QUALIFIED' to teach Muay Thai!!!

I've been in the sport for 22 years and I'm still learning, I teach people at all levels....only because my Kru believes I'm good enough to do it....but even my teaching methods get corrected.

I'm sorry to say this but save your money, put 20 quid in your petrol tank, travel to some of the best instructors in the country (trust me there is enough), pay them for a session.....you will learn more from them in an hour an and a half rather than walking away with a 160 quid bit of toilet paper!!!

If someone walked into our gym a pulled that out.....they would be laughed all the way out the door.

MT instructors slagging off an organisation for trying to bring some professionalism into a sport that's full of sell certified, self back patting, self importance idiots!

All UK fighters bar none who are at the top of the tree are so through a massive influence and teaching time from and in Thailand. Then the fighter comes back the instructor pulls on a Team X t-Shirt and he's a legend all of a sudden. The 6 months the fighter just spent in Thailand is quickly forgotten and the legend status roles on! That's just as ridiculous as being qualified on this course. The course should be called an introduction to Muay Thai Teaching and a mentoring system set up. Very flawed at the moment but it just needs tweaking

The old timers are getting up in arms because their reputations have come from equally dubious things such as claiming to train someone when they see them two months a year. The other day I had a conversation with a so called top MT instructor about lactate buffering. I may as well have been talking about sausage throwing. Not an effin clue! Big changes will come to this industry soon enough and it won't be the old timers leading the way that's for sure!

UKMF shouldn't be qualifying people on a weekend course as its dangerous! But equally the so called leading instructors shouldn't be fleecing people up and down the country for 30-50 quid a session because they are a trainer of champions when their charge has spent the 32 months of the last three years in Thailand because that's just as misleading as being qualified in a weekend!

Ooooooo....That's put the cat among the pigeons haha

two completely different things though Nigel!

I agree Marianne.,Opposite end of the scales but for a balanced view lets have it in haha. Many of these excellent trainers are hiding behind Thailand trained fighters. If we are outing weekend qualified trainers lets out the fakes at the top because there are a load of em!

nigel has some very good points. more fakes than real people! nigel i see you are into new ideas for training and all that, my best mate is writing a book now called "becoming a supple leopard" its been guaranteed to be a best seller by amazon, the guy is very new age about movement, take a look

http://www.suppleleopard.com/

Will buy that book.

Nigel your a legend hope all is well at your end.

Couldn't be better pal. Haha

I dont see where it says "the next Richard Smith" or you are now a certified Kru? It is what it is, people are putting way to much into this I presume because is has UKMF next to it.

JMHO every industry/sport seems to run this kind of thing, is it a money making scheme? possibly but at least its a way of giving a basic standard across the board which im sure most will agree is a good thing?

Seems that alot of other Orgs are doing some very questionable things at the moment but no one is bothered?

To be honest there are some valid points made here, for and against. There currently is no government legislation as to who can or cannot teach any Martial art let alone Muay Thai. All you need is adequate public liability insurance and Instructor indemnity plus a CRB check to train children and that's it, you can even create your own 'style' of fighting and name it what you want.

So setting up an instructors'/Coaches'/trainers' course is equally not against the law.

It is up to the individual to decide if the quality and authenticity of the said course is valid and of use to them.

If someone wants a 'quick-fix' course to become a teacher then that's up to them, if they lack in any general experience or other qualifications then it is unlikely that they will succeed as instructors or trainers of fighters for long, our sport is very visible.

Perhaps it is better that a 'foundation' course like this is out there, so at least some platform is created to offer those without experience some basics of teaching. Maybe a better format, structure or syllabus is needed?

Is it a pass or fail course with an exam at the end or is it an attend and pass course?

It is unlikely a course that should threaten the well established instructors out there and I am sure it is not the only course in operation.

We all make/train/qualify our students at some time to become instructors/coaches etc.

Having a structured course may be a good idea, if it is run correctly, if it qualifies good, knowledgeable instructors. Having a government recognised or Sport England recognised course would be even better.

SHAUN

I'm waiting for the 2 hour modified muay Thai course so I can teach k1 :)

Much a do about nothing IMHO.

Everyone with any common sense knows that Rome wasn't built in one day and it takes more than a day to learn most of the techniquea and rules of Muay Thai.

I personally know of schools run by trainers with very little Muay Thai experience that are placing their students in interclubs and shows. (little off topic) Almost all the MMA Gyms in America offer Muay Thai kickboxing classes and if you go check em' out some are good, but most are awful.

the WMC run these courses in Asia where everyone is 'wmc certified instructor' and these idiots teach tai-bo type crap in the regular gyms. all about the $$$$$$$$$ - the people do these one day courses taught by guys who have no idea how to score muay thai or even teach it - they do the same to be a 'qualified judge' the guys dont allow clinch, allow kickboxing sweeps etc... its money / business pure and simple.

at some point down the line like most other jobs an instructor will require 'the correct bit of paper' which usually means paying someone to do a course that doesnt really qualify them in the eyes of an experienced professional but is required by governments or councils.

Who in the uk is qualified to be an mt coach/trainer/instructor/kru of whatever title they go by?

& who has the authority to give these qualifications?

a "grand master" would surely be able to tell when its time to become kru but who decides the grand masters? is there a grand masters union that vote to see if anyone elkse can become a grand master too??? what is the criteria? being thai?

fucking heck its grand master kev!!! what an honour!

http://www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/news-features/8/news/59094/kevins-grand-in-thai-circles

The only grandmaster I respect is Grandmaster Flash ;)

it isnt the idea of a course thats bad, at all! Thats a good idea, and could be great if it was structured and ran properly. Its the fact it is a ONE DAY course for £160 thats the problem and the fact it doesn't specify what the experience factor covers (to do the course...i.e anyone can do it whether they have ever done thai boxing before or not). Totally impossible to get 'qualified' to teach thai boxing (whether its just holding pds etc etc) in one day! Its just not the same as other things that can be qualified in a day. Its like saying become a wrestling coach in one day or become a tennis coach in one day (whatever your previous experience). Any type of Sports coaching in general just isnt something that could ever be safely delivered in one day, especially to someone with very little previous experience...

I agree with Shaun as usual a sensible arguement, anybody who has a trade was taught by another trades man, not always using a good amd valid training proceedure. This results in a difference in the ability of that tradesman to carry out their occupation, the same will happen here those dedicated people will learn and move on to learn from beter and better instructors, those who justy want to say I know Muay Thai will fade away. perhaps we should start checkaninstructor.com.

I think it's called Rate my Muay Thai Instructor or something like that.