Walk through the door at most gyms for the first time and there is a feeling of nervousness and trepidation. The mood at SIAM kickboxing and Muay Thai is relaxed and fun. Instructors joke around with each other and the students. You can feel a sense of family as they welcome all new comers.
The gym is geared toward traditional Muay Thai training and most people join for fitness, to build confidence, for de-stressing or to manage anger in a positive way.
“The reason why I joined this one is it has a good reputation and when I came to check it out the first time, they were very approachable and so friendly,” said Julia McGregor who joined the gym in January and now trains three times a week.
Craig Moser, 43, owner and head trainer at SIAM, started the gym in a church basement and has since moved several times before settling into the current location on 7th Avenue and Osler Street. Moser just expanded last September because of the growing number of people that have joined. They have 150 members all enrolled in various programs; kids’ class, fitness class, level one and level two classes.
“People are looking for something else to do, most people are not into it for fighting, they just want to get fit and learn a skill and do something besides your regular gym routine and in Muay Thai you can pretty much use every part of your body in training, so it’s an awesome workout,” Moser said.
Moser has 32 years of experience in mixed martial arts including 20 years of Kickboxing/Muay Thai. He has four trainers who are also experienced and champions in various styles of fighting; Alex Dally, Adam Brown, Annie Lockhart, and Tammy De Lefrost. These trainers motivate their students and the students build confidence in the program. The motto at the gym is Respect all…. Fear none.
“I wanted to get into something recreational, try something to challenge myself and I found this place is a good family place,” said Jenny Klempp who joined the gym a couple of years ago along with her eight year old son who attends the kid’s class.
Moser started training in mixed martial arts when he was 13 as a supplement to hockey but after a while he preferred mixed martial arts. He has been trained in different styles before he settled on Muay Thai. To him Muay Thai is the most authentic style and it prepares you for anything anyone can throw at you.
