. Welcome to Student Handbook Welcome to Double Dose Muay Thai! Double Dose Muay Thai is one of the most elite martial arts academies in the country. It was founded in 1990 and over the past 25+ years we have grown into one of the largest most respected Muay Thai Kickboxing academies in the country. We have now expanded even further and have an Affiliate Gym in Gold Coast, Australia. We have trained dozens of champions in the ring and 1,000’s of champions in life. Our Story… It all started in 1972 when our founder Bryan Dobler met Thai Boxing instructor Chai Sirisute. At just 6 years old he began his journey in the art of Muay Thai. In his early 20’s he was introduced to Muay Thai Instructor Kru Rex and began training for competition. Under Kru Rex’s guidance he won a Professional Muay Thai Championship. At age 40 he had his last fight in the prestigious King’s Cup in Thailand bringing home a Bronze Medal for Team USA. He has since had several fighters compete in Thailand and all brought home Medals. During his fighting career he became known as “Double Dose” because of his 100% commitment coupled with 100% Passion for Muay Thai. That is where our gym name comes from…Double Dose Muay Thai! Let’s Get Started! We know that since you are here, you have made the decision to change your life in a powerful positive way. We’d like to congratulate you on taking that first step towards your new compelling future. Since you have decided you’d like to join our elite Martial Arts Academy, we’re going to assign you…your first task. Your first task is simple, read this handbook entirely, until you understand it completely. Set your first S.M.A.R.T. goal for your training. Then, take the short quiz at the end. That’s it! Once you are done give this to your coach and your journey will begin! Welcome to the DDMT family! MEET YOUR COACHES… KRU BRYAN ​ ​ Kru Bryan is our founder and also known by his fight name "Double Dose", which our gym is named after. He began teaching more than 25 years ago starting with one student in his garage and eventually growing his gym size to the unrivaled facility we have today. He was a professional Muay Thai Champion and has fought in the USA and in Thailand. He has trained dozens of amateur and Professional Champions. KRU REX Kru Rex is our Head Trainer. He had an extensive fighting career in Thailand, Mexico and the USA totaling more than 150 fights, with 138 wins. His extensive ring experience coupled with training fighters for 40+ years makes him one of the most highly qualified and sought after trainers in the USA. He is loved for his kind-heartedness and sense of humor. He is a world class referee and judge for Muay Thai and MMA and has refereed World Championship Muay Thai fights and has been seen on TV all over the world. Kru Shawn Kru Shawn brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in physical education as a teacher for the Fontana school district. She is a USA Muay Thai Champion, and brought home the esteemed Silver Medal from the Queen's Cup Muay Thai Tournament in Bangkok Thailand in 2004. She is Head of our Coaches Development Program at DDMT. What is Muay Thai? It is pronounced MOO-AY-TIE. Muay Thai is by far the most effective striking art in the world. It is a martial ​ art that was developed in Thailand. Muay Thai employs different parts of the human body as natural weapons such as fists, feet, elbows and knees. It can be used effectively in close or long-range situations. It is known as the art of eight limbs because it uses fists, feet, elbows and knees. Whether you want to develop self-confidence, get incredibly fit, or compete in the ring, Muay Thai is a sport that is inclusive of multiple goals. There are a million reasons why you may want to train Muay Thai, and at the end of the day, there are no wrong reasons to train ​. Brief History of Muay Thai Muay Thai dates back thousands of years to when the Thai ancestors trained the younger generation to help protect the nation against invaders. Muay Thai was born as a combat art used on the battlefield when soldiers weapons would fail they would use their entire body as weapons. Muay Thai uses the body to mimic the weapons of war that soldiers used in ancient times. The hands became the sword and dagger, the shins and forearms became the shields, the legs and knees became the axe and staff, and the elbows were used like a mace or hammer. It is the national sport of Thailand and has been used by the Thai people for many centuries to protect their country from invasion. Many of the nations Kings have been well known to practice Muay Thai. It is now recognized as the most effective stand-up fighting art on the planet and is practiced by countries all over the world for fitness, self-defense and competition. The discipline and respect that are an integral part of Muay Thai are also known to build excellent character. What is a Kru? Kru (pronounce like crew) means teacher. It is a term given to teachers in Thailand. A Muay Thai teacher is a Kru Muay (Crew Moo-Ay). In Thailand teachers are revered because a good teacher will impact your life in positive ways for your future by teaching you valuable lessons to guide you. What is a Nak Muay? A Nak Muay (Knock Moo-Ay) is a student of Muay Thai. Once you have decided to join our academy you will become a Nak Muay. Everyone who is a student of Muay Thai and not a teacher is considered a Nak Muay regardless of their skill level. Academy Rules & Etiquette ➢ All dues must be paid before training. No exceptions ➢ As a customary sign of respect, refer to the instructor as Kru or Coach. ➢ Wai to classmates and instructors first when you see them. ➢ Never Wai with something in your hands. This can result in pushups as it is seen as disrespectful. ➢ When you Wai make sure your hands are at the center of your face, any lower is disrespectful. ➢ Wai towards the mat before entering or leaving the mat area. ➢ Be on time for class, being late will result in you having to do the warm-up by yourself before starting class. ➢ Attend class in proper uniform: school shirt, Muay Thai shorts, hand wraps, and armband. shirts are required. ➢ Have your Student Handbook and a pen ready so you can track drills and goals etc. ➢ If you are late or out of uniform; notify the instructor before entering class. ​ ​ ➢ Never step on the mat with shoes on. Cleanliness and sanitation are extremely important to us. ➢ No jewelry, sharp objects, food or drinks (other than water) are allowed on the mat. ​ ​ ➢ Keep your shoes, gym bags, personal belongings in the locker room stored neatly in a cubby or shelf. ​ ​ ➢ To train in any class you must do the warm up. It is designed to prepare you and keep you from injury. ➢ After using any DDMT equipment, you must put it back neatly, exactly how you found it.. ​ ​ ➢ Write your name on all your equipment and shirt tags. This way you know it’s yours if lost or found. ➢ If you have lost or found something tell the front desk about it. We discard items weekly. ➢ When an instructor is teaching or talking you must be in attention and not talking. No cross talk. ➢ If you must leave the training area early for any reason (water, bathroom etc.) you must ask the instructor first. ➢ Absolutely no inappropriate language allowed in class. This will result in 100 pushups or more! ➢ No inappropriate outbursts in class- even if injured. Calmly let someone know what’s going on. ➢ Turn off your cell phone during class or set it to vibrate. ➢ If you are in the guest area during class, keep quiet, if the instructor can hear you, you are too loud. ➢ If you are not part of an ongoing class- do not train or warm up in the same area that class is going on in. ➢ Sparring requires proper safety equipment. You must wear the required equipment to spar. Cleanliness- ➢ Pick up anything left in the guest seating area. ➢ Put all trash in a trashcan. Recycle bottles should be emptied of liquid and put in the blue cans downstairs. ➢ If you spill anything on the mat clean it right away so it does not leave a permanent stain. ➢ Always walk into the bathroom with shoes on. Otherwise, you will spread germs from the bathroom to the mat. ➢ Leave the bathroom clean- If you spill on the floor or seat, please wipe it. Only flush toilet paper, not paper towels. ➢ Lock the bathroom door for your own privacy. ➢ Do not spit in the sink. If you must spit do it in the trash can. ➢ If you are bleeding, stop training and clean the spilt blood with peroxide, then cover the cut before continuing to train. ➢ Maintain good hygiene (clipped nails, clean uniform,clean equipment, deodorant, etc.) ➢ Do not walk from outside and into the gym barefoot. This defeats the purpose of taking off our shoes before stepping on the mat. Our Rank System ​ Traditional Muay Thai does not have a ranking system.