Muay Thai kickboxing training Venice CA

Kaizen Academy · Venice, California

The Art Of
Eight Limbs.

Muay Thai and Kickboxing

Striking Built
For Everyone

Muay Thai — known as "The Art of Eight Limbs" — is one of the world's most complete and effective striking systems. Fists, elbows, knees, and shins work together in a unified system of offense and defense refined over centuries of real-world use.

At Kaizen Academy, we teach Muay Thai the same way we teach everything else: slow down, learn it right, and build something that lasts. This is not a fight gym. We don't throw beginners into the deep end and call it training. We build fundamentals, develop technique, and help every student — regardless of athletic background — find their footing in the art.

Whether you've never thrown a punch in your life, you're looking for a serious workout that's actually engaging, or you're a BJJ student wanting to add striking to your game — this program was built for you.

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Class Schedule

Monday · Wednesday · Friday

5:00pm – 6:00pm

2014 Lincoln Blvd, Venice, CA 90291

Membership Options

Muay Thai — $115 / month

BJJ + Muay Thai — $265 / month

No contract. Month to month. First class always free.

What to Bring

  • Athletic or fight shorts
  • Rash guard or t-shirt
  • Hand wraps
  • Boxing gloves
  • Water bottle

2,000+ Years of Tradition

Where It
Comes From

Muay Thai traces its roots more than 2,000 years back to Thailand, where it was developed as a combat system for the Thai military. Soldiers needed close-range techniques that worked without weapons. Muay Thai gave them exactly that — elbows that struck at inches, knees that devastated in the clinch, kicks that kept enemies at distance, and punches that controlled everything.

Over centuries it evolved from a battlefield necessity into Thailand's national sport. Bouts were held at temples, royal courts, and festivals. Fighters who excelled became celebrated heroes. The art became inseparable from Thai identity and is now practiced in over 100 countries — as a competitive sport and as one of the most demanding conditioning systems ever developed.

A single hour of Muay Thai burns 500–800 calories, demands full-body coordination, and builds cardiovascular endurance few training systems can match. But beyond the physical, there is a depth to Muay Thai that keeps practitioners learning for decades — technique, timing, range, and the mental discipline of working through discomfort without quitting. At Kaizen Academy, we honor that tradition while making it genuinely accessible to anyone who walks through the door.

Wai Kru Ram Muay

The ceremonial pre-fight ritual performed before every traditional bout. Fighters honor their teachers, family, and the spirit of the art through a series of precise movements — a meditation as much as a ritual.

The Mongkon

A sacred headband placed on the fighter by their instructor. It carries a blessing and is never allowed to touch the ground. Earning the right to wear a Mongkon marks a meaningful milestone in a practitioner's journey.

Sarama

Traditional Thai music played during bouts, rising in intensity as the action escalates. The music and the fighting intertwine — rhythm and combat as a single experience.

Ram Muay

Each gym develops its own Ram Muay — a unique sequence of movements performed before bouts. Learning your gym's Ram Muay is a rite of passage and a sign of belonging to the lineage.

The Eight Weapons

Fists. Elbows.
Knees. Shins.

Chok

The Fist

The foundation of Muay Thai striking. Punches set up every other weapon — they create distance, close range, and force reactions that open up elbows and kicks.

  • Jab
  • Cross
  • Hook
  • Uppercut
01

Sok

The Elbow

One of Muay Thai's most dangerous weapons. Elbows work at close range where punches lose power — they cut, they stop, and they end fights in the clinch.

  • Horizontal elbow
  • Uppercut elbow
  • Diagonal elbow
  • Spinning elbow
02

Khao

The Knee

The clinch is where Muay Thai separates itself from standard kickboxing. Knees in the Thai plum are devastating and central to the art's identity as a complete system.

  • Straight knee
  • Diagonal knee
  • Curving knee
  • Jumping knee
03

Teh

The Shin

Muay Thai kicks land with the shin — not the foot — making them some of the most powerful strikes in martial arts. The teep controls distance; the roundhouse ends fights.

  • Roundhouse kick
  • Teep (push kick)
  • Switch kick
  • Low kick
04

What You'll Learn

The Kaizen
Curriculum

Our Muay Thai curriculum is built the same way we build everything at Kaizen — fundamentals first, always. We don't skip steps. We build the base, then we build on it. Every class has structure, every technique has a purpose.

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  • Stance and FootworkProper guard, weight distribution, and movement that keeps you balanced when striking and safe when defending. The foundation everything else is built on.
  • The Muay Thai RoundhouseThe signature kick of the art — thrown with the shin, chambered through the hip, and powered by the full kinetic chain from foot pivot to follow-through.
  • Punch CombinationsJab-cross-hook sequences that set up kicks and elbows. Combinations are how Muay Thai flows — and how you keep opponents reacting instead of attacking.
  • The Teep (Push Kick)Muay Thai's range manager. Used to create distance, disrupt rhythm, and set up counters. One of the most versatile and underused tools in striking.
  • Elbow and Knee StrikesClose-range weapons that define what separates Muay Thai from kickboxing. Proper entry, angle, and power generation — taught safely with full control.
  • Pad Work with a PartnerStructured pad rounds develop timing, power, and conditioning. Working with a partner also builds the trust and communication that makes Kaizen's culture what it is.
  • Defense and Head MovementBlocking, parrying, slipping, and the Muay Thai guard. How to make offense land less — and how to counter off defensive moments.
  • The Thai ClinchThe double-collar tie (Thai plum) and how to use it to deliver knees, control position, and sweep opponents. What separates Muay Thai from every other kickboxing system.

Everyone Welcome

Who This Program
Is For

You Want a Real Workout

Muay Thai burns 500–800 calories per session, demands full-body coordination, and builds cardio that very few training systems can match. If the treadmill has lost its appeal, this is your answer — conditioning that doesn't feel like conditioning.

You've Never Trained Before

Zero experience required. Our curriculum starts from scratch and builds from there. Most of our Muay Thai students had never set foot in a martial arts gym before their first class. You'll be welcomed, not thrown to the wolves.

You Train BJJ and Want More

Adding Muay Thai to BJJ creates a complete striking and grappling game. The Hybrid membership at $265/month gives you unlimited access to both programs — the best value in the building.

You Want Something for Yourself

Whether you're a parent dropping kids off at BJJ, between fitness routines, or just curious — Muay Thai is something genuinely yours. Real skills, real confidence, real results. Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 5pm.

Ready to Strike?

Your First
Class Is
On Us

Come try Muay Thai before you ever pay a dollar. No equipment needed. No experience required. Just show up.

Book a Free Trial Class