Testimonials
Been training at Burning Spirits for almost two years and it’s been the best martial arts experience I ever had. If you are looking for detailed instructions and community this is definitely the place. Everyone is friendly and gym is always clean! As someone who’s been to different gyms in the past Burning Spirits and Kru Derek is the real deal!
Have been going to burning spirits for almost a year now. Great coaches, great facilities and friendly people. The harsh learning curve of muay thai has been much easier to handle with a robust schedule of classes and open matt time on Fridays. Whole heartedly recommended to anyone looking to start.
All of the students and coaches are so welcoming and supportive. It’s a great environment to learn the art of Muay Thai and to challenge yourself physically and mentally!
I've only done a few classes here, but so far I'm very impressed. This is a welcoming, supportive, and passionate school, with coaches who are ready to meet you at whatever skill and fitness level you're at.
Burning Spirits is my Muay Thai gym of choice. While there are several gyms in the area, none can match the pedigree or teaching expertise of Burning Spirits. Coach Derrick, who has been a friend for many years and even taught at my MMA gym, has proven his abilities time and again. What really sets Burning Spirits apart is its ability to teach students of all skill levels, from complete beginners to the highest caliber fighters. If you're searching for a Muay Thai gym where the coach truly cares about your skill improvement, Burning Spirits is the place for you.
Joining Burning Spirits is one of the best decisions I have ever made. I first knew about Burning Spirits in 2021, and wanted to join for so long. I finally pulled the trigger and can genuinely say that Burning Spirits and its community are amazing in every aspect. Learning and practicing Muay Thai at Burning Spirits has been so rewarding and I am so happy to be there, and so excited to learn the art of 8 limbs from the best gyms in Fishtown.
Kru Derek is an amazing coach and has been around the Muay Thai scene for decades. His knowledge of Sityodtong style and his passion makes him a great teacher. Highly recommend to train muay thai in the philly area!
I’ve know and trained with Derek for more than a decade while I was competing in kickboxing and MMA. Derek possesses both a passion for and a deep knowledge of Muay Thai. As a coach, Derek is patient, insightful, and dedicated. I have found his instruction to be nuanced and clear, and is easily tailored to meet your skill set no matter what your level of experience. If you want to learn Muay Thai, or sharpen your already existing skill set, Derek is easily the best and most authentic Muay Thai instructor in the city.
I highly recommend Burning Spirits for Muay Thai training.I joined Burning Spirits over a year and a half ago with hopes to get in shape, challenge myself to learn something new and find a healthy outlet for the stressors of work and everyday life.What I got what so much more than that. Burning Spirits is an incredible, supportive and vibrant community and I am so thankful to have met everyone there. Today, I am proud to be in the best physical and mental shape of my life, while also having developed a deep love for the art of Muay Thai.Kru Derek is a phenomenal coach who will support you in your path to achieve your Muay Thai goals - whatever they may be. He is a brilliant teacher with unparalleled knowledge and expertise who puts his heart, sould and care into every student and every class. He has built a truly inclusive, supportive and welcoming enviornment. It is a pleasure to be part of the community.I am so happy to have joined Burning Spirits and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to train.
The training staff is really hands on and responsive. The community is warming, welcoming, and supportive! Thrilled to continue my journey with this gym.
Can't recommend Burning Spirits enough, great coaches, great community! Very welcoming! Fun and challenging workout, will definitely get you in shape. I've been going for about a year and look forward to it every week. I feel myself getting stronger every week. Plus they play great music in class!
Amazing Gym. Caters to beginners and experts alike. Going beyond great workouts, you build confidence, meet some really cool people, and you feel both part of a community and a lineage. The coaches are fantastic. Burning Spirits is such a valuable gym in the neighborhood, I am so grateful to have tried it and become a member.
This gym is fantastic, it has excellent atmosphere with highly supportive and experienced instructors. I felt instantly at ease during my first class and look forward each new session. My Muay Thai journey with this gym has been great!
Great gym! Great Community. From the very first time I set foot in the gym, I felt right at home. The facilities are super clean. The class schedule is super reasonable, and Coach Derek is an excellent teacher.
I joined Burning Spirits with little knowledge of Muay Thai, but it has quickly become one of my favorite places to be. The coaches are great, and the environment is very welcoming to all students regardless of background or skill level. The gym is clean and well maintained, and you can tell that the coaches are dedicated to providing a positive experience for their students. Joining this gym has given me countless physical and mental health benefits, and I've met some awesome people through training here. Whether you're looking to try a new hobby, get into better shape, or fight competitively, Burning Spirits has you covered.
Burning Spirits is a very welcoming atmosphere for all levels of experience. I’ve enjoyed my first few weeks as a beginner and everyone has been very helpful
10 out of 10 gym. Thorough classes with alot of attention from the instructors. Great gym for beginners and pros. Excellent enviorment. Do not miss out!!
Such an awesome gym! Great coaches who are very patient, precise and help you be better every single class. Gave me confidence in ways I didn’t even know I needed. Highly recommend!
The coaches at Burning Spirits love Muay Thai and it shows in how they run their gym. They truly care about their students and teaching them proper form while still having fun. The bag classes are great for cardio and you will definitely sweat. They created a nice community where I feel comfortable going even though I'm not a typical "fit" person.
Whether you're looking for authentic Muay Thai training or just looking to cook up a sweat slugging on a bag, Burning Spirits is the spot for you. Derek and his team are knowledgable about the art and have created a clean and welcoming environment with a vibrant community to boot. With roots to a Thai gym (as well as an annual Thailand gym), Burning Spirits is a traditional Muay Thai vibe with a Fishtown Hardcore twist. You don't need to commit up front - check out the 3 day introductory course (they provide the gloves) to see if it's the right fit for you 🙂
I joined the gym with zero Muay Thai experience. My goal was to get into shape for my wedding. Not only do you get a great full body workout, there really is something special about the gym. Derek and all of the coaches go out of their way to cultivate an environment of hard work and fun with a sense of community. Cannot recommend more highly.
I can't say enough good things about my experience at Burning Spirits. The atmosphere is so welcoming, even for a beginner like myself. Joining a fighting gym can be really intimidating, but I felt comfortable here from day one. The coaches and other members are super friendly, everyone pushes each other to do better and celebrates one another's successes. Also- the gym is super clean and has tons of equipment. There are bags/gear for boxing but also weights if you want to strength train between classes. I highly recommend Burning Spirits, I honestly can't imagine going to any other fighting gym.
Been a member at the gym for a few months. Derek is a great coach to work with and always keeps the classes exciting. I especially love the bag classes. Gym is always spotless and working with the other students is excellent. If you are in the Fishtown area this is a great place to train. Check them out!
Absolutely sick Muay Thai gym; coaches are awesome and lessons have made me rediscover my love of martial arts.
If you’re interested in learning traditional Thai based Muay Thai, this is your spot. Amazing coaches, stellar training partners with a weekly changing curriculum to keep you focused on learning techniques instead of feeling like you’re muscling through slap box matches.
Having zero experience in martial arts, I decided to go to the free trial class, and felt immediately welcomed. I've been a member for the last month or so, and it's been such a great experience, even as a beginner. Between the experienced coaches, wonderful community, and the satisfying workouts, I have nothing to say but great things about Burning Spirits.
Burning spirits is a great gym. I started on a 6 week trial and tried as many classes as I could, ive always learned and the coaches are great. I'm going to continue training here as long as I can.
Fantastic gym and amazing coaches! A lot of open space and plenty of heavy bags to utilize. The coaches are extremely knowledgeable of the martial art and of the culture, and they do a great job of passing that knowledge down to their students.There's a great curriculum in place that allows beginners to learn and practice a basic foundation each week (boxing, kicks, knees and elbows, defense, etc.). For more experienced students, advanced techniques are also taught in rotation. There are even dedicated classes for strength/conditioning, and heavy bags.Learning Muay Thai at Burning Spirits has been an incredible experience so far. Looking forward to the next class!
Burning Spirits is a very welcoming gym, clean and filled with people who are eager to learn and have fun together! I’m so happy I found it and suggest it to everyone who is interested in training in Muay Thai!
Awesome gym, teachers are all very attentive and fellow students are super friendly and incredibly helpful. I always leave confident and excited to come back again.
I joined Burning Spirits for over a year now! I can not say good things about this place!! the students are super friendly, cooperative, and helpful! The coaches are wonderful and helpful they want you to keep you on your A game!! This gym is more of a community which I really love about this place!!! If you really love Muay Thai kickboxing, your going to fall in love with this place!!! its the best!! come join!!! 🙂
I couldn't agree more with other reviewers! Burning Spirits is such a great place to learn Muay Thai.I feel lucky that my first martial art experience is sooo good. I've never done anything like this before and I see such an impressive result after doing it for 2 months. Big thanks to our coaches as they are always there to help!Other awesome things about this place: super friendly community, only positive vibes, huge motivation boost and visible abs in a short time as a bonus 👊PS: very appreciated that you keep the gym clean! Idk what aroma stuff you use but it always smells so good in there!
It's a wonder how far you will come at Burning Spirits. Coach Derek & his team do an excellent job meeting you where you are & guiding you through each technique. They are with you every step of the way as you master the basics and later progress into more advanced training.Eight months ago, when I first started, I had 0 experience with Muay Thai. That feels like a lifetime ago because of how much I've learned. You'll get in great shape, learn to protect yourself, & gain confidence. Your money & time will be well spent here.
Burning Spirits is an incredible muay thai gym and community for students of all levels. I truly feel like I learn or improve on something in every class, and will continue to. I really appreciate that the coaches are attentive to students’ strengths & style, and that there is an emphasis on learning and appreciating some of the cultural traditions and history of muay thai too. Cannot recommend the gym highly enough, whether you’re a new student or more experienced— the environment is always welcoming & supportive, including in more challenging classes or sparring sessions. Very grateful to have found this place! For anyone who hasn’t tried muay thai or boxing before, give a few classes a try & you’ll probably fall in love with this sport!!
I’ve been going here since April and it’s amazing! The coaches are super friendly, very hands on with training and good with keeping you on your A game. The class format rotates weekly which makes things interesting. Love being part of this gym and community!
I joined Burning Spirit having 0 experience in Muay Thai and then 9 months later competed in my first ever fight. Burning Spirits is a great place no matter what level you are at, from beginner to advanced, there is a class for everyone. Everyone is so welcoming and willing to teach no matter what level you are at. The coaches are amazing and love what they do. The health benefits are amazing as well and has helped me lose over 20lbs. The community Burning Spirits has built and the students that attend make every class fun and something to look forward to. Highly recommend!
Burning Spirits Muay Thai is the gym experience I didn't know I needed. This gym boasts the ability to be a true neighborhood gym as well as a connection to a globally adored and ancient combat sport. Come here to learn the art of eight limbs, get fit, and make friends in the city. You can train at your own pace but once you start, you won't get enough. This gym offers an easy to understand rotating curriculum with classes of differing intensities and for people at different experience levels, so there's something for everyone at any part of their journey with Thai boxing.
I can’t say enough good things about Burning Spirits. Whether you’re a beginner or professional fighter, the coaching and community of students are great place to learn authentic Thai boxing.
