Muay Thai kickboxing in Miami — the striking core of everything we teach
Kicks, knees, elbows and the Thai clinch — the full arsenal, not a sanitised version of it. Muay Thai is the backbone of the striking curriculum at 1423 SW 107th Ave, Miami, FL 33174, taught by two instructors certified at Tiger Muay Thai in Thailand, and it is an adult class in its own right — train it on its own, or alongside Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Adult MMA. Beginners and competitors work the same techniques in separate sections of the same room.
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The free lesson and the 30 days are for South Florida residents, at our Miami location.
Is this traditional Muay Thai, or is it kickboxing?
It is worth answering that plainly, because the two words get used interchangeably and they are not the same thing.
Here is the gym’s own description of the class, unchanged from the class list:
“Kickboxing is the core of our striking curriculum at FFA, and we use elements of Muay Thai, Dutch Kickboxing, Boxing, Tae Kwon Do and Karate. The result is a very versatile striking style that is well suited for self defense and sport applications that can be used by all body types.”
So: Muay Thai supplies the backbone — the round kick, the teep, knees, elbows and the Thai clinch — and the curriculum builds on it with the hand work and angles of Dutch kickboxing and Western boxing. That blend is deliberate, and it is what makes the striking work inside a fight where the other person can also grapple.
The Thai credential behind that is real: Marcos and David Avellan hold instructor certifications from Tiger Muay Thai in Thailand. To be precise about what that is and is not — it is a certification the two of them earned, not a franchise, a branch or an affiliation. FFA is its own gym running its own curriculum. But the Thai material in it was learned in Thailand and certified there, which is a different thing from having read about it.
What this still is not is a traditional Thai camp: no wai kru ram muay, no Thai ring ceremony, no Thai-rules competition circuit. If that is specifically what you are after, we would rather say so now than let you find out in week three.
Why is Muay Thai the base rather than something else?
Because it is the striking art that already assumes somebody will grab hold of you.
Most striking arts train at a distance and treat the clinch as a break in the action. Muay Thai treats it as a position — somewhere you score, control and do damage from. That single difference is why it survived contact with mixed martial arts when several other striking styles did not, and it is why a Muay Thai base transfers cleanly onto the takedown defence and the ground work taught in the rest of the gym.
It is also, bluntly, one of the hardest workouts available. An hour of pads and bag work with the shins involved is a different kind of tired from a gym session, and most people feel the difference in a fortnight.
Who would be teaching me?
Chevenne Moreno
FFA Black Belt on the adult roster, and the coach whose own competitive record was made striking: 1-0 in Muay Thai and 2-0 in amateur MMA.
Edgard Plazaola
FFA Black Belt, teaching across the kids, adult and bootcamp programs — the only coach who does all three. 6-0 in bare-knuckle boxing with five knockouts and 4-0 as a professional in MMA.
Every coach here has also passed the gym’s own 12-week Instructor Program, a pass-or-fail course in the science of teaching rather than in technique. Being taught by an excellent striker and being taught by someone trained to teach are not the same experience, and the second one is what decides whether you come back. See every coach and what they teach.
Where would I start if I have never kicked a pad?
With a free private lesson, one to one with an instructor, before any group class. About 95% of the people who train here are ordinary students, not competitors, and nobody is put in front of a room of experienced fighters on their first night.
You send the form, or call or text 305-225-4610
All three reach the same people. The form asks for a first name, an email and a phone number, and nothing else.
We call you back within 24 hours
A member of staff calls to find a time that suits you, and to answer whatever you have not asked yet.
You come in for a free private lesson and a tour
A one-to-one lesson with an instructor and a look around the gym. You learn the basics: the jab, the cross, the hook, the roundhouse kick, the closed guard, the rear naked choke and the armbar. It comes with 30 days of group classes, a uniform and online video access at no charge.
The free lesson is for South Florida residents and is available at our Miami location only. It stays open for one month from the date we send it to you.
You do not have to train MMA to train here. Muay Thai kickboxing is its own adult class and many students train only the striking side; others combine it with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, or with Adult MMA, whose Intro Program is where adults with no background usually begin. Nothing requires it first.
Classes are one hour long and include warm ups, stretching, technique instruction and practice, and there are open mat sessions every day for extra work. If you came here wanting to defend yourself, the answer is slightly different — and members describe the room better than we can.
Where are we, and when can you come in?
Freestyle Fighting Academy is at 1423 SW 107th Ave, Miami, FL 33174, Across the street from FIU, in the Publix Shopping Center, and we have been here since October 2001. Most people who train here come from Westchester, Tamiami, University Park, Fontainebleau and Kendall (where students travel from).
The facility is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and staffed, with over 70 classes a week running from 6AM until 1:45AM. The class timetable is a separate thing and we do not publish it online — ask us when you visit and we will go through the timetable with you.
There is free parking at the address — a strip mall lot with plenty of spaces.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Freestyle Fighting Academy teach Muay Thai?
- Yes. Muay Thai kickboxing is one of the adult classes at Freestyle Fighting Academy, 1423 SW 107th Ave, Miami, and it teaches the full Thai arsenal — kicks, knees, elbows and the Thai clinch. It is the core of the gym's striking curriculum, and in the gym's own words it uses elements of Muay Thai, Dutch Kickboxing, Boxing, Tae Kwon Do and Karate, which makes it a versatile striking style suited to self defense as well as sport. Marcos and David Avellan are certified as instructors by Tiger Muay Thai in Thailand.
- Is this traditional Muay Thai or kickboxing?
- It is Muay Thai as the backbone of a blended striking system rather than a traditional Thai camp. Muay Thai supplies the kicks, knees, elbows and clinch work, and none of that arsenal is left out; the curriculum also draws on Dutch Kickboxing, Boxing, Tae Kwon Do and Karate. Marcos and David Avellan hold instructor certifications from Tiger Muay Thai in Thailand, though FFA is its own gym and not an affiliate or branch of it. If you are looking specifically for a traditional Thai gym with wai kru, Thai ring ceremony and Thai-rules competition, that is not what this class is.
- Do I need to be fit before I start?
- No. Every program at Freestyle Fighting Academy runs a beginner section as well as an advanced one, and about 95% of the people training here are ordinary students rather than competitors. Adults start with a free private lesson, one to one with an instructor, before joining group classes. Classes are one hour long and include warm ups, stretching, technique instruction and practice.
- Can I train Muay Thai without doing MMA?
- Yes. Muay Thai kickboxing is its own adult class and many students train only the striking side. Others combine it with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or with Adult MMA, which puts striking, clinch and ground work together. Adults with no background usually begin in the Adult MMA Intro Program, but nothing requires it first.
- How do I try a Muay Thai class?
- Send the form, or call or text 305-225-4610, and Freestyle Fighting Academy will call you back within 24 hours to arrange a free private lesson. It comes with 30 days of group classes, a uniform and online video access at no charge, for South Florida residents at the Miami location.
Start your 30-Day Free Trial
Leave your details and we will call you within 24 hours. The appointment is a free private lesson with an instructor and a tour of the gym.
Here is everything you get, at no charge:
- Train mixed martial arts for 30 days
- Get a FREE uniform
- Get a FREE private lesson
- Get instant access to FREE MMA and self-defense instructional videos
In your private lesson you learn the basics: the jab, the cross, the hook, the roundhouse kick, the closed guard, the rear naked choke and the armbar.
And if you join, you have our 60-day money-back guarantee: attend all of your classes in the first 60 days, and if you are unsatisfied, get your money back.
Call or text 305-225-4610. The gym is staffed 24 hours a day, so someone picks up. Prefer not to talk on the phone? Text us and we reply within 24 hours.
For South Florida residents, at our Miami location. The offer stays open for one month from the date we send it. Bring a spouse or your children along if you would like them to take part.