Our Gym's Roots
The History of Vermont Muay Thai
The Vermont Muay Thai gym was officially founded by Dan in 2011,
but for the Martin Family, their passion for Muay Thai started long before that.
Chapter 1. Tony Vongsy's Muay Thai Academy
Photos: Vongsy's Muay Thai Academy visit Pat Donahue's Karate Dojo for some friendly sparring October 3rd, 2003
Vongsy's Muay Thai Academy Sweatshirt Logo
Andrew Martin sparring with another member of Vongsy's crew
(circled on the right): Dan Martin (24yrs) & Coach Tony Vongsy.
(circled on the left): Andrew Martin (17yrs)
Tony Vongsy moved to Brattleboro from the sunny West Coast of California, where Muay Thai had just recently been introduced to the United States in the 1990's. Back then Muay Thai was nearly unheard of in the New England area, and Tony was the first coach to bring the martial art to our local community.
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Brothers Andrew & Dan Martin started training at Vongsy's Muay Thai Academy in 2001 and fell in love with the sport. Dan's daughter, Tatiyana, had been born in June of that same year, and by the time she was 4.5yrs old Dan was bringing her to train with the Vongsy Muay Thai Crew in Tony's backyard.
Dan was deeply inspired by Thai culture & traditions; he studied every book available about Muay Thai techniques, and he immersed himself in the local Thai community. He learned to cook, fight, and respect life like a traditional Thai fighter, eventually feeling "more Thai than American".
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Chapter 2. David Jannson's Influence
​After Vongsy's Muay Thai Academy closed and Tony moved back to California, there were no Muay Thai gyms, or coaches to train with in the New England area, causing a lull in Dans Muay Thai career. The Martin family relocated in the summer of 2009 to a farm in Brookline, VT; and Dan focused on building his homestead & logging business while occasionally doing Muay Thai in the backyard with his wife & kids.
By 2011 Dan was eager to find a new coach to train under. He embraced the newfound stability of his business and family, and took the opportunity to fly to Seal Beach, California, to train at OC Muay Thai with David Jansson.
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Dan Martin & Nick Bergeron
doing tire-flips in the driveway
Dan & Tierre practicing timing and distance for leg kick
Dan holding pads for Tatiyana,
teaching range and distance
Chapter 3. Opening the Gym
(the first time)
winter of 2010 the Vermont Muay Thai gym opened for the first of several times; right on 73 Main Street, in Brattleboro, VT.
The gym started with some mats, a few pads, and a bunch of tires in a basement lit by flickering fluorescent lights. It wasn't anything fancy. The gym had grit, and more importantly, it had heart. It was Dans passion for Muay Thai that drew people into the Vermont Muay Thai gym, even though it was often referred to as resembling something out of the movie "Fight Club".
Amongst the fully grown men, training with the same intensity as any of the adults, were little Tatiyana & Chanah Martin. Born into the Muay Thai lifestyle, they trained everyday & were coached into relentless fighters. Even when the kids motivation to train was lacking, Dan made sure they were in the gym learning and sharpening skills.
5yr old Chanah, and 9yr old Tatiyana doing crunches
Dan encouraging Tatiyana not to give up during planking
End of class Ab Circle
Tatiyana ready for spar night
Chapter 4. Sweet Place & Sala Thai
It was in the early months of 2012 that things slowed down for the Vermont Muay Thai gym. Dan found himself with too few clients and too much space. One day, while taking a trip to a candy store, one of his daughters said "I wish there was a candy store in Brattleboro", and Dan was inspired to make yet another business plan. By the summer of 2012, Sweet Place Candy Store on the corner of South Main and Canal Street in Brattleboro was officially open for business. Dan closed the gym on main street and converted the back of their family owned candy store into a small makeshift space to train in.
Just beyond the register at Sweet Place Candy Store was a fully equipped Muay Thai gym
Dan watching Muay Thai bouts in the Candy Store, December of 2012
Unfortunately, Sweet Place Candy Store wasn't a very successful business; people were more likely to steal candy than buy it, an incredibly shy 11-year-old was operating the cash register, and the store was broken into multiple times.
In an attempt to bring more paying customers into the store; Dan invited his childhood best-friend's mother, Toi Anthachai, to work out of the kitchen area that was a Muay Thai gym at the time. When Toi's business "Sala Thai" moved in, the storefront was converted into half Thai Restaurant, half Candy Store, and Vermont Muay Thai continued training outdoors.
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Chapter 5. Bit by the Bout Bug
With the candy store failing, Dan turned his focus back to growing the Muay Thai community in Brattleboro, he started the Vermont Muay Thai Facebook page and began offering free classes for kids and teens at the Boys & Girls club.
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In 2013 Dan was getting serious about promoting Vermont Muay Thai, he had a website built and was actively posting on Facebook to try and get more folks interested in the sport. In the months of June & July he even offered 10 FREE CLASSES for anyone looking to sign up, but by the end of July it was clear that training Muay Thai outdoors was not how most people wanted to spend their summer months, and so, Vermont Muay Thai temporarily ceased operations.
By 2014 Sweet Place Candy Store/Sala Thai Restaurant closed its doors for good but Vermont Muay Thai lived on. Dan was bit by the "bout bug", he loved the sport aspect of Muay Thai and would rigorously study instructional DVD's ordered from trainers in Thailand. He could also watch bouts for hours on end, studying every movement of the fighters carefully.
Dan had the urge to fight in the ring, but he wanted more training and experience.
