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A Trip to Sitan Gym Muay Thai: A Small Gym with Big Achievements

By Ricardo Jean-Pierre

Muay Thai is infectious.

The Thai martial art has been growing in popularity in New York City. I’ve been living in Queens my whole life for 24 years, and recently, not a month goes by without seeing or hearing about a new Muay Thai gym opening up. With local boxing gyms disappearing, I believe one day, Muay Thai will become a part of NY like the graffiti that covers its walls.

I had visited a few prominent Muay Thai gyms in Manhattan, such as The Wat and Five Points Academy. I wondered what would be a more affordable, yet authentic local Muay Thai gym. All signs pointed to Sitan Gym Muay Thai, a small, steamy gym located between the many hookah lounges on Steinway Street in Astoria, Queens.

The first thing I noticed was that the gym was squeezed in between a 99 cent store and a modest Yemeni restaurant. As I approached the gym, I noticed a veil of fog inside its glass windows.

As I got closer, I could hear the familiar sounds of hip-hop, screaming and pads clashing. After opening the doors and feeling the steam mask my face, I smelled the robust stench of feet and leather. I saw what could be best described as organized chaos -- the beginner students filled the gym. They were packed shoulder-to-shoulder, practicing clinch drills and throwing knees to their partners’ gloves.

What really surprised me was how small the interior was. Unlike the gyms in Manhattan, there were no rings or showers, just a few heavy bags and basic closet spaces.

The guy at the front desk had these holes in his earlobes. I assumed they were from wearing gauge earrings. He told me his name was Joel and warmly accepted my request to train. He seemed close to my age.

I waited fifteen minutes for the intermediate class because even though I was a newcomer, I had trained Muay Thai for nearly two years at my former Muay Thai gym.

I noticed there was a “no games we are here to fight” kind of energy in the environment, which I really liked. Jay, an instructor, was running the beginner class. He was wielding a bamboo cane to catch students backside if they slacked.

The class began with 100 knees to the punching bag. Then, a light jog consisting of running in reverse, side-stepping and bear crawls. During the shadow boxing session, I started screaming at the mirrors on the wall as I threw every strike with intensity. We then paired up with another student to practice combinations.

My training mate was a gentle, older man. Seeing the gray stubble on his face, I wondered how hard I should hit his gloves for the drill. We started with the typical jab-cross then progressed to punch-kick combos. My arms grew heavy, but I felt that all eyes were on me and continued to punish my partner as he did likewise. We soon entered a nice flow.

For drilling counters, I leaned back as my partner’s high kick whipped across my face. After throwing about a hundred kicks, I caught a cramp in my right leg. The Biggie Smalls as opposed to the Bob Marley I’ve heard at other gyms pushed me as I threw my cross, liver shot, right high kick repeatedly.

I was soon rushed back to the punching bag to throw 100 knees. This time, I had much less to give to the bag. Then came 100 sit-ups. I could feel each of my abs burning. I was the last one to finish. But, I wasn’t embarrassed because I wanted every rep to count.

It was a well-structured class and I discovered that I had some bad habits. Jay told me to keep my left hand up when throwing my right cross. He also advised me to swing my right arm back to add power and balance to my roundhouse. Worst of all, he told me not to flinch when attacked.

“You’re good, but it’s the little things you gotta worry about,” said Jay.

I looked up the word, “Sitan,” and learned that it's Croatian for “small, tiny and small time.”

In a sense, it’s true that the gym is “small time.” Yet, those who train at Sitan love Muay Thai and are there to fight. Sitan doesn’t have any white-collared martial arts faddists nor the expensive monthly fees only they can pay. No one joins the gym because it looks “hip.” It doesn’t have a ring, showers or much space for that matter. But, what it does have is a wall; a wall lined with photos of Muay Thai champions known all over the city and the world. Sitan is not for the faint of heart and I admire that.

After training, I walked outside with a slight limp, knowing that I would venture back through the fog to experience a piece of Thailand in New York City.


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