The owner of a Johnstone Muay Thai Gym has revealed he accidentally got involved in the sport over 30 years ago – and now has title-winning fighters in his set-up.
John O’Brien, 62, runs OB’s Muay Thai Gym on William Street and has called the facility home for 15 years. Muay Thai, also known as Thai boxing, is a full-contact combat sport and martial art that originated in Thailand.
Last year was deemed a very successful year for those at the gym with a total of 49 titles won across a number of different categories – two of them being the WKA Scottish Championship and three being the WKA USA Championship.
However, despite the success of those in the gym, John says it is the people who come in, having never tried the sport before, and improve their ability that he is most proud to see.
“The most satisfying thing for us is the development of the gym and the progress that we are making,” he said. “We are a well-established gym now and we have been down there for well over 15 years.
“It shows that groundwork and the hard graft that went in to make the place what it is has paid off. What I love seeing is any junior improve when it comes to the sport, whether they win a title or not.
“When you see them get better, see them become more confident as individuals, that is when I get a sense of satisfaction from that. It is not all about the title-winning fighters.
“Yes, they are the peak of what we have in the gym, but seeing any person progressing and getting better is always a good thing.”
The 62-year-old found his love for Muay Thai in a peculiar way after accidentally taking up the sport after stumbling into a gym one day.
In his thirties, John was a runner and he had taken someone else into a gym to train and people were training for Muay Thai in the same place.
After being impressed by the intensity of the training, the runner stayed for the physical training side of the sport and took part in the circuits before getting fully involved.
John also admits that the reason he owns a gym came about by chance, too, saying there was an “opportunity to take it” as he was looking for better facilities to help Scottish No 1 Muay Thai fighter Lloyd Cochrane train.
He went on to say: “It was all an accident and I have been involved in it all for 30 years. The sport has grown so much in that time, and it is great to see as it was once a very niche sport.
“It is great to see children, as well as the growth in women too, taking up the sport. Now, you see Muay Thai fighting in almost every major tournament.
“I never ever planned to have a gym but the opportunity came up and I had a champion in Lloyd who was fighting for world titles.
“I was looking for a better place for him. It has all been great and 2025 is set to be a busy year with our calendar full already.”
Don’t miss the latestRenfrewshire headlines –sign up to our free daily newsletter here