Southside Muay Thai and Ultimate Martial Arts are both Muay Thai kickboxing gyms in and around Toronto, Ontario. Both schools have locations in the town of Scarborough, and Ultimate Martial Arts has additional locations in the Toronto area. Although both schools offer Muay Thai instruction, the emphasis is different at each school.
Programs
Muay Thai is the traditional art and sport of Thai kickboxing. It is one of the main components in contemporary mixed martial arts, and Muay Thai exercises are also practiced by many people as an aerobic workout rather than a combat sport. Both Southside Martial Arts and Ultimate Muay Thai offer training in both aspects of the art.
The emphasis on the Southside Martial Arts website is geared more to the fighting and competitive aspect, while the emphasis on the Ultimate Muay Thai website is on its coed and women's only kickboxing exercise programs, which can be done with no contact. Southside Martial Arts has a page devoted to the Muay Thai competitive champions its teachers have trained, while Ultimate Martial Arts does not.
Locations
As of 2011, Southside Muay Thai is located at 2115 Midland Avenue No. 4, Scarborough, Ontario, M1P 3E4. Ultimate Martial Arts' Scarborough location is at 690 Progress Avenue, although they also have a number of other locations in the Toronto area at this date. Prospective Muay Thai students in Scarborough could most likely get to either location just as easily, but those located elsewhere in metropolitan Toronto might find it easier to get to one of the Ultimate Martial Arts franchise locations.
Price
Both Southside Muay Thai and Ultimate Martial Arts offer a variety of programs, making a direct comparison somewhat difficult. However, a regular one-month membership at Southside Muay Thai was listed at $74.99 in the summer of 2011. Ultimate Martial Arts did not list details of pricing on its website. However, the Scarborough location did provide pricing information over the phone. The beginner's class is $29 per month, while the "gold sash" class is $59 a month but is only available to those who have graduated from the beginner's class.
Choosing Between the Schools
If you are trying to decide between training at Southside Muay Thai or Ultimate Martial Arts, the decision comes down to your own priorities. If you want to be a competitive Muay Thai fighter, either school can provide you with training, but Southside Muay Thai seems to be more focused on producing a champion fighting team. If your main goal is to get in shape, Ultimate Martial Arts appears to be focused on this aspect. If location is the primary concern, Ultimate Martial Arts does have more options. If the issue is price, Ultimate Martial Arts seems to be less expensive. The biggest difference between the two schools appears to be in the emphasis on either fighting or fitness.
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