Muay Thai (and MMA) in Portland, OR

**retrograde** · Posted On: 3/03/2010 4:43am

So I'm looking at moving halfway across the world to Portland, Oregon.

I currently train and fight Muay Thai. I'd like to keep doing this, but from what I can tell, Portland isn't a huge MT town. It does, however, offer some pretty amazing MMA opportunities. And although I'd prefer to continue training and fighting at a serious Thai-style fight gym like the one I'm at over here, I'd RATHER train at a serious MMA fight gym and probably give up fighting for now (I'm a 50kg female and have never been any good at grappling and really just prefer stand-up fighting) than at a mediocre/karate-style Muay Thai gym.

I'm not a n00b and have done the requisite Google-fu-ing, but it's hard to know who's talking crap and who is just focussing more on their MMA/BJJ stuff because it's more marketable, so I'd love to hear from anyone who has actual first-had experience/knowledge of the scene there.

Are there any decent/serious MT gyms there (i.e. has a fight team, trainers who know how to hold pads properly, spars regularly, clinches regularly, uses/teaches proper Thai technique)? Do any of the good MMA gyms have Muay Thai training that isn't just "Muay Thai FOR MMA"? Or would I be better off just throwing in the whole MT thing for a while to start MMA/BJJ from scratch?

Enquiring minds want to know.

**Emevas** · Posted On: 3/03/2010 9:13pm

It's been about 4 years since I lived in Portland, so my info is not the most current, but there was Team Quest in Beaverton for your "serious MMA gym". I trained at a place called "North West Fighting Arts", which was a cool place, but it doesn't sound like it'd be your speed in terms of intensity. It did offer Muay Thai, but it wasn't a "Thai style" gym.

We used to have a pretty good group up in Portland. Feedback (a bullshido member) still posts here on occasion. You may send him a PM and see where he trains, or if he has some more current info.

**Lindz** · Posted On: 3/03/2010 9:15pm

There's an SBGi there http://www.sbgi-pdx.com/

**Emevas** · Posted On: 3/03/2010 9:18pm

Oh yeah, totally forgot about SBG.

**kiltedninja** · Posted On: 5/19/2010 12:44pm

I train at NWFA now, but I hear that a Muay Thai gym just opened up somewhere in town. It's called Portland Thai Boxing. I read about it in Portland Tribune, they said the address is like NE 600 Couch st. I could be wrong about it, but if I'm not check it out and let us know about it.

**Matt Phillips** · Posted On: 5/19/2010 6:10pm

OK, the club is called Portland Thai Boxing http://www.portlandthaiboxing.com/PDXMuayThai/Home.html
I called and spoke to the head coach Jeremy Wijers. I mostly asked him about the curriculum, and whether it was a pure Muathai gym or a JKD place. He told me that they have some Kali and BJJ but it is his gym and he is pure MT.

I asked him some questions about other trainers and associations just to make sure he knows who is who, and what is what. He sounds like a competant trainer who knows his ****.

The number is 503-841-8591 in Portland.

His guys compete and they run smokers in the gym. Seems like a good match.