From Perth to Thailand: Pamorn Martdee’s Muay Thai Lineage, and the Life Lessons That Built Champions Gym

Some Muay Thai stories start in a stadium. Pamorn Martdee’s starts in a warehouse that smelled like liniment, where the gym was literally connected to home—and discipline wasn’t a motivational quote, it was a 5:00am knock on the door to get up and go jogging before school.

Pamorn is the founder of Champions Gym in Perth, which he started with Whitney Tuna back in 2012. In this interview, he shares the lineage that shaped him: the trainers who formed his style, the old-school training culture that forged grit (and sometimes broke people), and the life lessons he now passes on to everyday people walking into Champions Gym for the first time.

If you’ve ever wondered why Muay Thai changes people—why it builds confidence, self-respect, and resilience—this is one of those stories that makes it click.

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The first trainer: “No expectations. Just enjoyment.”

Pamorn’s first trainer was Sanapar Noi (Nij)—a six-time world champion at the time. Pamorn was only 11, stepping into that awkward age of heading to highschool.

He remembers the moment clearly: “I was a little fish in the pond… I actually didn’t know how to defend myself.” So he asked the simplest question that changed everything:

“Can you train me after school?”

No pressure. No big plan. Just hitting the pads, and showing up. Pamorn credits that early season of training for something that a lot of people forget:

“There was no sort of expectation. I was just doing it for the enjoyment.”

It’s a reminder that the best Muay Thai journeys often begin the same way: start small, stay consistent, and notice the growth along the way.

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Old-school Muay Thai: hard work… and hard lessons

When Pamorn talks about training “back then,” you can feel the intensity.

Teenagers followed the older fighters. The culture was volume-heavy and brutal:

• 10km runs twice a day
• 2–3 hour sessions, morning and night
• Six days a week
• Sunday as the only rest day

Pamorn is honest about it: a lot of that was “misunderstood training,” the kind that grinds you down.

“If you run 10km a day twice a day, you’re probably going to have no knees left.”

Today, he believes the smarter approach is doing things really well in shorter timeframes—and recovering properly so you can keep improving.

That’s a huge Muay Thai life lesson on its own: effort matters, but direction matters too. Work hard—just don’t work stupid.

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The gym he grew up in: “Fighters like racehorses”

Pamorn’s first gym was his father’s gym—old school in every sense.

“Mum and dad made a warehouse out of a gym and a house.”

He describes watching fighters chase dreams… and watching some of them lose themselves along the way.

“Everyone came with a dream and some left with it, some… never really made the cut.”

But what stuck with him most wasn’t just toughness. It was what Muay Thai does to a person when it’s done right:

“It really does build you into quite a confident sort of disciplined person.”

That’s where the story shifts from “fight history” to something bigger: Muay Thai as a pathway to a better life—especially when you’re surrounded by the right people.

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The three influences that shaped his Muay Thai—and his character

1) Sanapar Noi: “You have to enjoy what you’re doing.”

Pamorn calls Sanapar Noi his childhood inspiration—his version of “Michael Jordan.”

What he admired wasn’t just technique. It was the energy:

“In the ring, he would smile at his opponents… And he was such a jovial person.”

That philosophy lives in Pamorn’s coaching today. Even for absolute beginners:

“It’s my job… to pass that on to them and make it as enjoyable as possible.”

2) His dad: discipline that lasts a lifetime

Pamorn doesn’t sugar-coat it. Some of it was intense. But it built something permanent:

“He’d be banging on my door… go for a run at 5:00am… I hated it at the time, but… I probably wouldn’t have the discipline I have now.”

3) Jar Tui Sangmorakot: integrity under pressure

In Thailand, Pamorn trained in a world where stakes were high and the margin for error was tiny:

“If you stuff up, you were gone.”

But the deepest lesson came from a match-fixing scandal—fighters who threw bouts for money and paid for it with blacklisting and ruined careers. For Pamorn, it became a lifelong line in the sand:

“To throw a fight and back down is one of the worst things you can do in life.”

That’s not just Muay Thai. It’s something that transfers to every day life.

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Undefeated in Perth… then humbled on Thai television

This part hits hard because it’s so human.

Pamorn started his early career in Perth undefeated—eight fights, eight wins—using a kick-heavy, counter-based style inspired by legends.

Then came Thailand.

“You try to play the counter game and they’ve been doing it hundreds of times before you.”

His ninth fight? National TV. And the next day he saw himself on the cover of a Muay Thai newspaper—mid-beatdown.

“It was cool… but it was me getting my ass handed to me.”

And the real lesson:

“You are nowhere where you think you are.”

It’s the kind of humbling moment that either breaks you… or rebuilds you better.

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How he teaches now: same roots, better delivery

Pamorn is blunt about the old style of instruction:

“Do it this way… and if you said I can’t do it… they’d whip you into shape.”

He even tells the story of an old man with a bamboo stick who would hit fighters on the calves if they stopped skipping—something that would never fly today.

His coaching philosophy now is the evolution of that world:

• patient
• bite-sized explanations
• less fear, more clarity
• repetition until it sticks

“You have to break things down… Muay Thai can be very complex, but it can also be very simple by the way you break it down.”

That’s a powerful Perth-based coaching story: preserving tradition, but creating a healthier, more supportive way to learn.

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Tradition matters: Respect, Wai, and keeping Muay Thai real in a modern world

Pamorn speaks honestly about cultural misunderstanding—how the Ram Muay used to get heckled by crowds who didn’t understand it.

So what does he choose to protect most?

Respect.

“The Wai… is a greeting, a thank you, and a farewell.”

Bow at the beginning. Bow at the end. Apologise when you make a mistake. Touch gloves to show gratitude. Keep the heart of Muay Thai alive—even outside Thailand—so the art doesn’t get watered down into just “fitness kickboxing.”

In Perth, that balance matters: tradition with a modern approach, without losing the soul.

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The biggest life lessons from Muay Thai

This is where Pamorn’s message becomes bigger than fighting.

He talks about people who came into Muay Thai with a dream—and what separated the ones who left with something from the ones who didn’t:

“The people that left with a dream… worked hard… dedicated themselves… surrendered themselves to the process.”

And what Muay Thai gives you, long after you stop fighting:

• relentlessness
• adaptability
• self-respect
• the ability to get back up when life hits you

“When you get knocked down… you get back up… I don’t want to be a guy that shies away.”

He also shares something he wishes he could tell his younger self:

“Don’t put so much pressure on yourself… enjoy the process, not just the destination.”

That might be the most important Muay Thai life lesson of all.

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Start somewhere. Start small.

Pamorn finishes with a message that speaks directly to anyone sitting on the fence:

“You’re never going to know until you actually just give it a go… Start somewhere. Start small. Have no expectations and see where it takes you.”

If you’re in Perth and you’ve been curious about Muay Thai—whether for confidence, fitness, discipline, or a deeper challenge—this is your sign.

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Ready to go deeper?

Watch the full video now, and hear Pamorn tell the full story in his own words.
if you want to start your Muay Thai journey — Click here (beginner-friendly, no ego, real coaching).