We offer classes in Thai Boxing and Western Boxing. Four basic reasons people START a striking based martial art like boxing, muay thai, karate or kickboxing.

1.) To get in shape, maintain fitness, and loose weight.

2.) To challenge themselves with new skill acquisition

3.) Participate in sport competition.

4.) Learn an important component of self-defense 

What Makes us different

If you go to one of the many “fitness” boxing and kickboxing gyms that have sprung up recently, you can get in shape. But at these gyms you won’t learn to fight any better than you will at a yoga class. On the other side of the spectrum there is the grungy boxing gym ( think rocky movies). It’s often disorganized, sometimes lacks cleanliness, and, caters to a small clique of regulars.   At Stout PGH we have an active fight team.  We also recognize that not everyone wants to spend the time and risk to be a competitive fighter.  Come and experience our unique atmosphere for yourself.

Our Classes

We offer classes for beginners, intermediate students, and advanced students in Boxing and Muay Thai Kickboxing.  We also offer western boxing ( hands only, no kicks elbows, knees ) classes.  We have “bag” classes that emphasize power and getting a workout over skill acquisition, we also offer a clinch class every week that focuses on the grappling striking interface that is so important in traditional Muay Thai.  We offer the most class times of any place in the area.

Our Environment

Some of our members, after training for a while decide that they DO want to compete.  For those people we offer some of the best support and training for  Thai Boxing (often called Muay Thai) , kickboxing, western boxing and Mma training in the Pittsburgh area. On the other hand there are those who have fought or have trained to fight decide they would rather step out of the sport aspect and keep developing skills in classes. We do not believe in cliques within our team.  Moms, busy executives, and teens with the appropriate skill levels, train alongside fighters. We de-emphasize certain cultural aspects such as flags and rituals that can promote cult like environments in Martial Arts.  After all a uniform, a headband, or a special tattoo do not make you an authentic martial artist.  We believe dedication, and learning means authenticity in Thai boxing ! We are part of Team Renzo Gracie and continue to learn and train with the high level team from NYC.  Technically we are open minded to new innovations as well as traditional aspects of Thai Boxing (also called Muay Thai).  We strive to create a space where men and women can feel comfortable and focused.  If you want all the things listed above , and you want to be in a friendly, inclusive, positive, and service based environment, then Get in touch.  We’ll help guide you to the types of classes or training we offer that fits best for YOU.

Start your training

Fundamental Striking and All Levels Classes: If you are new to striking these are the classes you will start with.

Fundamental striking classes are about 45 minutes long where you will learn stance, movement, fundamental strikes, some defense, and the basics of clinch work. We start out with a simple warmup usually incorporating skills or movements based on the lesson that week. Then students work with a partner on boxing mitts, Thai pads, belly pads, and/or kick shields. There is no sparring and generally low levels of contact in the fundamentals classes. Expect to get a moderate workout where you can push yourself and improve your fitness. Gloves, shin guards, and wraps are the only equipment that is mandatory for the classes, although a cup is recommended.

Boxing classes are for all levels and are about 45 minutes. They include pad work with a partner, and some higher intensity conditioning drills. In boxing classes only punching and punch defense techniques are practiced so more time can be spent on footwork, higher level concepts, and other tactics that are not covered as much in fundamental striking classes. These classes are open to all levels, beginners through advanced.

Bag Classes are 30 minutes and focus on power and conditioning using heavy bags. As with all classes you can push at your pace, but expect to get a vigorous workout. These classes are for anyone from beginners to advanced students who want to increase endurance, lose weight and/or work on striking power. Gloves and wraps are the only equipment that is mandatory for the classes.

Intermediate Level Classes: These classes are for students who have completed the full eight week fundamental curriculum and taken a pad test with an instructor, or those with previous experience who have been given permission from an instructor to attend.

Intermediate Striking is a 45-55 minute long class that introduces partner drills, different defensive techniques, more advanced combinations of the strikes learned in fundamentals, open pad rounds, and more clinch work. The primary goal of these classes is to teach students the concepts involved in fight tactics and strategy while also learning new techniques and refining those learned in fundamentals. Participants need gloves, wraps, and shin guards, although a cup and mouthpiece are recommended.

Clinch is a class that focuses entirely on the stand up grappling- striking interface that is prominent in Muay Thai and MMA. These 45-55 minute long classes include partner clinch drills, padwork in the clinch, and live clinching. No equipment is necessary, although a cup is highly recommended. Students may also choose to use a mouthpiece, elbow pads, and gloves.

Advanced Striking: These classes are for students who have completed the full twelve week intermediate curriculum at least once and have been invited by an instructor, or those with extensive previous experience who have been given permission from an instructor to attend. Advanced classes are an hour and include high intensity partner drills, pad work, bag work, live clinching, and sparring. The primary goal of these classes is to blend all the techniques and concepts learned in the fundamental and intermediate levels for students to develop their own effective style of striking. Many, but not all, of the students in these classes compete in amateur or professional combat sports. Gloves, shin guards, a cup, and mouthpiece are mandatory, while headgear, elbow, and knee pads are optional.

FAQs:

What class should I attend?

This depends on your experience level and goals. Experience wise, if you are brand new or have less than a few months of striking experience start in the fundamental and all levels classes. If you have more experience, talk to an instructor and they will be able to help direct you towards the classes most appropriate for you.

In terms of your training goals, if you are unsure or want to learn striking in its entirety, work your way through the curriculums in all the different classes available at your experience level. Those looking for more of a workout may want to do more boxing and bag classes, while students focused on self defense may want to do more fundamental, intermediate, and clinch classes depending on which of those are available at your experience level.

How do I go from fundamental to intermediate classes?

If you have completed the full eight week fundamental curriculum and feel comfortable with all the techniques taught there, let an instructor know you would like to take a pad test. Pad tests are very simple and include one minute of hitting pads and one minute of holding pads. The instructor running your pad test wants you to pass, will give you feedback throughout the whole experience, and just needs to see that you know and can perform the basic strikes taught in fundamentals and can hold pads safely. Think of your pad test as a fun milestone, not a stressful exam.

If you have more than a few months of training experience at another gym, let an instructor know and ask if they think you are ready for intermediate level classes. If you are a competent pad holder, have some clinch knowledge, and have the ability to do partner drills with control the instructor will most likely give you the go ahead.

How do I go from intermediate to advanced classes?

Oftentimes an instructor will notice that you are ready for advanced classes and promote you. However, if you have completed the full twelve week intermediate curriculum at least once and feel comfortable with the techniques and concepts taught there, let an instructor know you are interested in taking advanced classes. Even if you are not yet ready for advanced classes our instructors will give you specific feedback about what you need to work on to get there, so do not be afraid to ask. Generally speaking a student needs to demonstrate that they can do drills with control, effectively utilize defensive techniques against all different types of strikes, show competency in the clinch, and have a baseline level of knowledge of the systems and subsystems they will be expected to use in advanced classes.

If you have more than eight months of training experience at another gym, let an instructor know and ask if they think you are ready for advanced level classes.

What is the overall training atmosphere like in striking classes?

Our gym prides itself on creating a safe, friendly, inviting, and inclusive environment while providing top quality authentic striking training. While what we teach is heavily inspired by various fighting arts we do not operate with the same traditions seen in those arts. For example we do not expect our students and fighters to call instructors “kru” or wear Pra Jiads and Mongkhons like some Muay Thai gyms, and we do not engage in constant, competitive, heavy sparring like some boxing gyms. If you want to see firsthand what our gym is like come try a class and ask other students what it is like training here.