Should a Muay Thai gym provide quality pads?

[The Last Starfighter]

Once you've decided that Muay Thai is for you, you can be expected to have your own gloves and shin pads, but what about focus mitts, body shields and kick pads?

Would you expect a gym that takes £50/£60/£70/£80/£90+ per month from you in subs to provide these? If and when they start looking a bit tired would you expect a gym to make it a priority to replace them?

Not referring to any personal experience of any gym or anything like that, just curious as to what peoples expectations are when they join a gym?

[thaison]

Id take quality coaching over quality of pads and that any day.
I use cheap vinyl pads in my public classes (like most clubs) as there easy to hold, not too heavy or bulky and dont take ages to be changed over. With fighters i se leather pads however as they take much more punishment and condition the fighter. We have easily enough leather pads (good brands fairtex twins top king etc etc) for everyone but some people just find the vinyl pads easier to work with.

[The Last Starfighter]

Yeah, quality coaching is the most important factor when considering joining a club. I was just curious about what people expect from a gym, in terms of facilities and equipment etc.

[ocuana]

Interesting question. My club always had around 10/12 sets of decent leather Boon and they held up for ages, but even they starting sagging and that last time I went to my club there were only 4 decent pairs that were able to take any kind of pressure. I often wonder as Thaison said, maybe it's worth getting some vinyls for the less heavy hitters and replacing them 1ce a year? Personally I bought a pair for myself and I think most people see their own decent Thai pads as a good investment - even at the current atrocious prices of £65+

[thaison]

Decent pads like the boon ones should last for years, ive got a pair of twins mediums ive had since 2002, i used to always get anyone form our gym to pick some pads up when they where in thailand and ended up accumulating about 20+ pairs fairly cheaply over time.

Buying them here is fairly expensive but 60-80 quid for something that will last for years is not really that much, think most places would give a bulk order discount also.

[Torre]

Some of the equipment in the gym I used to go to was atrocious, but the coaching and competitors are pretty good so I couldn't complain.

[The Last Starfighter]

Some of the equipment in the gym I used to go to was atrocious, but the coaching and competitors are pretty good so I couldn't complain.

You see, whilst I've never owned or run a gym so I don't know what the financial pressures might be, I imagine that it would be a point of pride that the equipment that I had in my gym was in decent nick.

[Romeoblood]

Top King do some pretty decent thai pads, very high quality

they are normally £90 quid a pair (pricey, I know)

HOWEVER...

you can buy 8 pairs from fightstuff for £58.77 each (35% off)

[Drill Sergeant]

I would expect that the gym had pads to work with, for obvious reasons, I wouldn't demand that they were always brand new, but when you've had the big boys knocking the stuffing out of them for years then they should be replaced IMO.

To be fair, If you are seroius about training then you will get your own pair, then (again IMO) when you have worn them down a bit and upgrade give them to the club if they are not that battered.

But yes, I would expect clubs to have equipment, ESPECIALLY for £90 p/m

[The Treatment]

We have 25 / 30 pairs in our gym (over 2 floors). Along with 30/40 pairs of focus pads.

Our normal procedure has been to clear the pads at a discount price to students as they start to wear, then use that money to put towards replacement.
However, we have left it a little longer this time because the money has been needed for other things.

The next problem is that having left it for too long we are now waiting for new stocks to be available (in our preferred pad). So I sort of wish we had replaced sooner as per usual.

But to answer the question. If you are charging good money - you should keep the pads up to date and keep them clean rather than just chucking them back at the end.

If you are a good instructor and not charging good money - that's your fault!