United Source Muay Thai

Well, I have come up to my 6 month mark with United Source. It seems like the time has flown by. It has been a world of fun, a ton of hard work, and bucket loads of sweat. I am down 30+ pounds since I started and I am in the best shape I have been in since I was in my mid twenties. From a fitness/​weight loss standpoint, United Source can’t be beat.
Though United Source is a great place to come if you are simply looking for a good workout, there is so much more that is has to offer. Yes, this is a place you can get a workout. A great one. For those who want to learn Muay Thai though, and all that it entails, you’d not be able to find a better place this side of Thailand. The lineage that flows through Khun Kru Tirrell’s instruction is second to none and the community that one has access to through participation here is beyond compare. What has really struck me though is the fact that the physical aspects of Muay Thai here are just a well that taps into something much deeper, much more profound. Art, culture, discipline, respect, community, self awareness, dedication, all are integral aspects of what one learns at United Source. You don’t just learn the form. If you are open to it, in every interaction with Khun Kru and his staff, you drink in the substance.
I came to United Source because of a class my son took at school. I’ll stay with United Source for as long as Khun Kru Tirrell is teaching and with Muay Thai and martial arts for the rest of my life because of the way in which it has, in a small period of time, transformed, and continues to transform, my body, my mind, my focus, and my life.
Come check it out, see what you’ve been missing, and be a part of something truly unique and great.

Our son has been going to United Source Muay Thai for over a year. While he did become more confidant and the classes were good physical activity for him I wouldn’t rate the experience as a super positive one. He was not excited about the classes but one of our family members teaches Muay Thai and we thought he might ultimately connect with it because it was «in his blood» so we kept him in.
We came to the conclusion while it was good physical activity he wasn’t really learning much «Muay Thai» so when our schedules got more complicated we decided to withdraw him from the class.
We provided written notice as per the contract we signed when we joined but they refused to cancel the class unless we signed another contract saying we agreed to pay them any back due bills. Considering we had no back bills this seemed a silly requirement but we complied. Once we sent this in they stopped returning our mails /​calls and continued to bill us.
To top things off they owed us a refund from a prior billing mistake which they agreed to handle at the end of the contract and now they refuse to follow through with that commitment.
When we were able to actually get a hold of Mr Kamara he was accusatory, rude and refused to provide either refund despite having a fully documented with complying with the terms of the contract.
Bottom line is that the service Mr. Kamara provides is a good activity for the confidence and physical well being of kids but don’t go expecting to learn traditional Muay Thai. Also if you do go do not allow him to automatically bill your credit cards and to the extent you can avoid contracts with them do so.
[UPDATED 9/​26/​14] Since writing this review Mr Kamara has refunded the last month of over billing. His position is that since we did not get «the offer to not bill us for the month we were gone» or the subsequent «offer to refund the miss-​billing for that month at the end of our contract» in writing he is not obligated to do so. He also apparently believes he is making a magnanimous gesture by refunding us for the last month of over billing because he only starts counting the 30 day notice window when his «cancelation department» receives and processes the cancelation contract arguing written notice itself is insufficient. I was raised to be a person who lives up to my word and treats people the way I want to be treated, I had assumed someone who studied and teaches martial arts would also live this way and took him and his staff at their word word — this is my mistake I hope you do can learn from it.

What can I say? United Source is amazing! I have been searching for a traditional martial arts program/​system for quite a while now. It wasn’t until recently that I made the decision to undertake Muay Thai kickboxing, little did I know that Seattle has precious little choices when it comes to traditional Muay Thai schools. Although minuscule, my search for Muay Thai schools in the area were limited to mainly MMA, BJJ, and self defense gyms. Luckily, there was one school: United Source Muay Thai.
USMT is located within the Element 5 gym. Upon entering you are greeted with a warehouse-​esque gym of weights, machines, tractor tires. In the back is USMT surrounded by punching bags and a wall of photos of legends, Khun Kru Tirrell’s (founder) teachers, and grandmasters of their respective arts. History runs deep in this lineage.
I have been a student for a month and a half now. I have never been worked so hard in my life! If you want to learn Muay Thai, Kru Tirrell is a student of Grandmaster Surachai «Chai» Sirisute (aka: Ajarn Chai by his students), the President of the Thai Boxing Association and considered the grandfather of American Muay Thai. This is the place to learn it straight from the source! You will also get a grueling yet satisfying cardiovascular workout, build strength, self discipline, confidence, a chance to work with Jeet Kune Do, boxing, and self defense (as these are some of the areas Kru Tirrell is proficient in), and of course you get the chance to meet some fantastic students and instructors as well!