AMS Muaythai Club at UBC

The AMS Muaythai at UBC was founded in 2022 by a small group of Muaythai enthusiasts who had the vision of spreading Muaythai throughout the UBC community. There’s a common misconception that Muay Thai is simply a violent fighting sport, but we sought to show that there is so much more to the martial arts – self-defence, Thai culture, character building, and more. Thus, our mission statement was born: “To promote physical and mental health through Muaythai group training.” Following our vision, the club has established a loyal and supportive Muaythai community, bringing in over 300 members and 800+ followers on Instagram. We’ve had numerous performances and collaborations with other clubs, ranging from the Men’s Mental Health Club to the UBC Pilates Club, showcasing what Muay Thai has to offer. Our influence has gone beyond the UBC community, performing a Muaythai demo at the 2023 Royal Thai Consulate’s Thai National Day Celebration. In the past two years, we’ve become one of the hottest and fastest-growing clubs, and our goals are only getting bigger!

Each class is led by our teaching team who has a combined 30+ years of martial arts experience. Ryan Han, our Co-President, is a 2nd degree kickboxing black belt who began his martial arts journey in 2012, ultimately leading him to earn Gold Medalist at the 2019 Canadian Nationals and Silver Medalist at the 2022 Canadian Muaythai World Cup. Our other Co-President, Leo Wang, began his Muaythai training 5 years ago and trained at Khongsittha Muay Thai in Thailand over the summer of 2023 to further his experiences. Finally, Erin Lau, our VP Communications, began training kickboxing and karate in 2011, achieving Gold Medalist at the 2020 Champions Martial Arts Tournament for Advanced Kata and her SKF black belt in 2021. The trio, who met during their first and second years at UBC, share a profound appreciation and passion for martial arts, which they continue to nurture by teaching Muaythai to the greater university community.