The Beginning of Thai Jai

Thai Jai came to life because we realised there was so much more we could share beyond what we were doing at our gym, Hertford Combat Academy—also known as Jai Dee. Our founder, Andrew (Andy) Newall, has been dedicated to Muay Thai for over 30 years and wanted to take that experience to a wider audience.

Andy's journey with Muay Thai is pretty unique. He was one of the first fighters from the UK to really immerse himself in Thai culture. He lived, trained, and fought in Thailand at a young age, becoming the first Brit to fight at the legendary Rajadamnern Stadium. Not only did he gain an incredible amount of skill, but he also became fluent in Thai and got a deep understanding of the sport from its roots.

Even though the gym has been successful, and we've trained some amazing fighters, we knew we could do more. Andy’s knowledge and passion for Muay Thai are something special, and people were keen to learn more from him. So, we launched Thai Jai, which means "Thai Heart." It’s a nod to our gym Jai Dee, which means "Good Heart."

With Thai Jai, our goal is to showcase Andy’s deep expertise and the talented fighters he's developed. It’s just the start, and we’re excited to grow this platform and share more with everyone who loves Muay Thai as much as we do.

- Andy Newall & Morgan Bennett