Jakarta is not the best city to stay fit. The absence of sidewalks, the lack of parks, the pollution and the heat all conspire to make exercising difficult. It is even worse if you work in an office and spend most of your day sitting down.
If you care a minimum about your health, you are probably looking for a sport or an activity that you can easily do in the city center. Getting a gym membership is often the first thing that comes to mind, but there are a lot more options available: Yoga, Fitness, Crossfit, Boxing, Jujitsu, Salsa, etc...
Today, I will talk about Muay Thai, a martial art originally from Thailand. About 10 years ago, it was introduced to Indonesia and it has gain more and more popularity ever since.
There are several reasons explaining its appeal: It is a complete workout that will train each muscle of your body ; it improves both your strength and your cardio ; it is fun to do and not repetitive ; it helps you gain self-confidence ; and finally it does not require expensive equipment or gear.
There are several reasons explaining its appeal: It is a complete workout that will train each muscle of your body ; it improves both your strength and your cardio ; it is fun to do and not repetitive ; it helps you gain self-confidence ; and finally it does not require expensive equipment or gear.
Consequently, Muay Thai centers have been popping up in every neighborhood in Jakarta. Let’s have a look at the best ones in each areas of the city:
Muay Thai In Central Jakarta
One of the newest Muay Thai camp in town, it has a fantastic location near Menteng and Stasiun Sudirman. This is perfect if you work or live in central Jakarta. They have 550 m² of facilities and 3 experienced trainers. The good thing with this camp is that you don’t need to book in advance or to follow a schedule : you can come anytime and start the training ASAP. The trainers are good and they motivate you to reach your training objectives.
When I went there for the first time, I had a visit of the premises by the manager. It is clean, well-equipped and rather cheap compared with the competition. In particular, I liked the fact that there was no subscription fee.
Open from Monday to Saturday from 9AM to 9PM (until 7PM on Saturday)
Price : IDR90,000 per session
Address: Jalan Blora No.34, Menteng, Central Jakarta (5 minutes from Grand Indonesia)
Phone/WhatsApp: 08 11 81 18 441
Facebook: Bangkok Muay Thai - Central Jakarta
Muay Thai In South Jakarta
This Muay Thai camp is located in Kebayoran Baru, in South Jakarta (Senopati). It is in a traditional house in a posh residential area so you can expect more upper-class Jakartans. They have motivated trainers, some of whom are foreigners with experience abroad. I found the price rather expensive though compared to the other camps : IDR155,000 per session (or 8 sessions for IDR880,000). Women may train separately on specific days. Kids welcome.
Open from 9AM to 9PM during weekdays, from 9AM to 5PM on Saturday, and closed on Sunday.
Open from 9AM to 9PM during weekdays, from 9AM to 5PM on Saturday, and closed on Sunday.
Address: Jalan Daksa I No.1, RT.4/RW.2, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta
Phone: +62 (0) 21 725 0574
Facebook: Jakarta Muay Thai & MMA Training Camp
Instagram: @jakartamuaythaimma
Syena Martial Arts Center
Also in Senopati, Syena provides Muay Thai, Brazilian Jujitsu, Krav Maga (Israeli army combat technique) and self-defense classes (for women). It is family friendly and they have a few expat students. It has long opening hours from 7AM to 10PM on weekdays (7AM to 4PM on Saturday).
Address: Jalan Daksa 4 no. 69, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta
Syena Martial Arts Center
Also in Senopati, Syena provides Muay Thai, Brazilian Jujitsu, Krav Maga (Israeli army combat technique) and self-defense classes (for women). It is family friendly and they have a few expat students. It has long opening hours from 7AM to 10PM on weekdays (7AM to 4PM on Saturday).
Address: Jalan Daksa 4 no. 69, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta
Phone number: +62 (0) 8 11 999 979
This was the first camp I tried in Jakarta. They used to have only a tiny space but they've extended since. It is popular with office workers from Mega Kuningan, Sudirman and Rasuna Said (and with a few foreigners as well). A bit hot as it is in the semi-open air. Be careful as the street where it is located is often jammed after 5PM.
If you have a car, you can park right outside. IDR100,000 per session. Opening hours: From 9AM to 10PM on weekdays and from 9AM to 6PM on weekends
Address: Jalan Guru Mughni No.123, South Jakarta.
I used to go to there when i was living in Kemang. It is also located in a residential neighborhood, inside a house. It is spacious, clean and it has plenty of equipment (including free weights). You also have access to showers and bathroom. There are 6 friendly trainers, 2 of whom are Indonesian MMA competitors (Noldi Manakane, Rusmin Kie Raha). They can also teach you Kapap, the fighting technique of Israeli soldiers. Kids and families are welcome. IDR75,000 per session.
Open every day from 9AM to 9PM on weekdays, from 9AM to 3PM on Saturday, from 4PM to 6PM on Sunday.
Open every day from 9AM to 9PM on weekdays, from 9AM to 3PM on Saturday, from 4PM to 6PM on Sunday.
Address: Jalan Emesde B No.11, Cilandak, RT.1/RW.6, South Jakarta
Muay Thai In North Jakarta
Founded by professional fighter Jerry Luhukay, it is inside Mahaka Square in Kelapa Gading. While not conveniently located for most expats, it is popular among Indonesians and it claims at least 100 members and 6 coaches (including a Dutch and a South Korean). It is a serious club that train fighters taking part in local and international tournaments.
They have training sessions from 9AM to 9PM (Monday to Friday), from 9AM to 5PM on Saturday and from 3AM to 5PM on Sunday. Price per session = IDR150,000 (Buy 8 = IDR600,000).
They have training sessions from 9AM to 9PM (Monday to Friday), from 9AM to 5PM on Saturday and from 3AM to 5PM on Sunday. Price per session = IDR150,000 (Buy 8 = IDR600,000).
Address: Mahaka Square Sportsmall, 14240 Jakarta
Phone number: +62 (0) 896 0676 1670
Facebook: Zealot Muay Thai
Instagram: @zealotmuaythai
Elite MMA
One of the pioneer center in Jakarta for martial arts, Elite trains hundreds of members every year. They occupy a massive 650m2 space, fully-equipped with a boxing ring and an MMA cage. They also have a small gym and a sauna (men and women separated) if you need to relax after your session.
Its main focus is on Muay Thai but they also teach English boxing, Brazilian Jujitsu, Krav Maga and Wing Chun.
Prices: IDR799,000 per 10 sessions. Open from 9AM to 9PM on weekdays, from 9AM to 6PM on Saturday and from 9AM to 4PM on Sunday.
Address: Ruko Centro Metro Broadway, Blok A45-46, Pantai Indah Kapuk (PIK), North Jakarta (Near Happy Puppy)
Phone number: +62 (0) 21 300 10 262
Website: Elite MMA Jakarta
Facebook: Elite Jakarta PIK
Instagram: @elitetc_pik/
Elite also operates two shops with boxing and MMA items. One in PIK and one in Lotte Avenue. See more: Elite MMA Shop.
Zeus MMA
This is a small camp, friendly and cheaper than average. It does not have a lot of equipment but if you are on a tight budget, it will do the trick. A single session is IDR100,000 (IDR50,000 with a Student Card) and 10 sessions cost IDR680,000 (IDR480,000 for students). There is also a special promo for moms.
Address: Ruko Elang Laut Blok M3, No. 5-6, Pantai Indah Kapuk, North Jakarta (Near Grand Family Hospital)
Facebook: Zeus MMA PIK
Instagram: @zeusmma
Phone number: +62 (0) 8 22 101 12 231
One of the pioneer center in Jakarta for martial arts, Elite trains hundreds of members every year. They occupy a massive 650m2 space, fully-equipped with a boxing ring and an MMA cage. They also have a small gym and a sauna (men and women separated) if you need to relax after your session.
Its main focus is on Muay Thai but they also teach English boxing, Brazilian Jujitsu, Krav Maga and Wing Chun.
Prices: IDR799,000 per 10 sessions. Open from 9AM to 9PM on weekdays, from 9AM to 6PM on Saturday and from 9AM to 4PM on Sunday.
Address: Ruko Centro Metro Broadway, Blok A45-46, Pantai Indah Kapuk (PIK), North Jakarta (Near Happy Puppy)
Phone number: +62 (0) 21 300 10 262
Website: Elite MMA Jakarta
Facebook: Elite Jakarta PIK
Instagram: @elitetc_pik/
Elite also operates two shops with boxing and MMA items. One in PIK and one in Lotte Avenue. See more: Elite MMA Shop.
Zeus MMA
This is a small camp, friendly and cheaper than average. It does not have a lot of equipment but if you are on a tight budget, it will do the trick. A single session is IDR100,000 (IDR50,000 with a Student Card) and 10 sessions cost IDR680,000 (IDR480,000 for students). There is also a special promo for moms.
Address: Ruko Elang Laut Blok M3, No. 5-6, Pantai Indah Kapuk, North Jakarta (Near Grand Family Hospital)
Facebook: Zeus MMA PIK
Instagram: @zeusmma
Muay Thai In West Jakarta
Real Muay Thai
Real Muay Thai has a good location if you live near from Central Park or Taman Anggrek. It is housed in a 3-floor modern and clean building, easy to access by car. The equipment is limited yet some of their students manage to take part (and win) local tournaments.Member registration is IDR200,000 (including 1 free class, 1 free t-shirt and 1 body consultation). Then you'll just pay IDR80,000 per visits (non members pay IDR150,000). You can also buy 10 sessions for IDR600,000.
Phone number: +62 811-1812-347
Facebook: Real Muay Thai
Instagram: @realmuaythai
Sabai Muay Thai Tebet
One of the cheapest Muay Thai center in Jakarta, it is unfortunately a bit far for most expats. 1 session costs IDR65,000, 8 sessions IDR400,000 (IDR350,000 for students). They also offer private classes for IDR800,000/10 and group cardio classes (fitness classes with Muay Thai movements). If you qualify as a "Fighter", you will need advanced training that costs a little bit more.
The center is open from 9AM to 10PM from Monday to Friday, and from 9AM to 6PM on weekends. The sessions from 4PM to 6PM are dedicated to cardio training.
The Sabai Group has a branch in Bandung as well.
Website: Sabai Muay Thai Indonesia
Facebook: Sabai TebetInstagram: @sabaimuaythai
Note: This article about the 10 Best Muay Thai Centers in Jakarta was written by my friend Clément. I've never tried any of these personally. Thibaud.