Soul Lab Gym introducing beginners to the Muay Thai mat

A Muay Thai fighter has opened his own gym to share his wisdom and authentic training style with beginners looking to take on a new challenge.

A Muay Thai fighter is helping beginners to the mat, imposing his wisdom and authentic Thai training style to help his clients to get fit while enjoying the “playful violence”.

Joseph Gabiola first delved into the world of Muay Thai when he was 20 years old after losing his fitness routine outside of school and struggling to find passion with other forms of exercise.

“I got into Muay Thai for weight loss initially, I think it’s a very similar story that I hear a lot,” he said.

Muay Thai fighter Joseph Gabiola has started his own Muay Thai/ boxing gym Soul lab. Picture: Shae Beplate.

“I hear from so many people now, when they finish high school and they’re a bit lost, there’s not so much routine around sports and physical activity anymore and they start to put on weight and lose a bit of that routine.”

“I think something about the mix of playful violence is really fun when you get involved with it because you are practising violent techniques but its playful and definitely something about that appealed to me”

Muay Thai fighter Joseph Gabiola has started his own Muay Thai/ boxing gym Soul lab. Picture: Shae Beplate.

After getting the opportunity to train in Thailand for a month, he was inspired to bring his new found knowledge back to Australia and begin his own gym, Soul Lab.

“They just have a different way of life, their lifestyle and their culture is so much different and it leads into the way they train as well, it’s much more relaxed,” Gabiola said.

Luca Lanigan and Joseph Gabiola in action during the Elite Fight Series Main Event. Picture Emily Barker

“I fell in love with it for sure when I went that first month and that’s kind of what I wanted to bring back into my own gym, that more Thai style, relaxed, fun, playful kind of Muay Thai.”

“What I really want to do is expose everyone to that fun style and the Thai culture and give them a little piece of that in Townsville.”

Muay Thai fighter Joseph Gabiola has started his own Muay Thai/ boxing gym Soul lab. Picture: Shae Beplate.

After leaving his position as the head striking coach at Courage Training Centre to venture out on his own, he has developed a love for giving people the opportunity to get involved with the sport he holds so close to his heart.

“For me it’s really all about getting people to fall in love with the training more so than anything else,” Gabiola said.

“I want them by the end of the session to be like ‘whoa that was so fun, I feel so good.’”

“It empowers people to want to do these things and then that way they fall in love with Muay Thai.”

For more information visit the Instagram page @soul.lab.gym

Originally published as Soul Lab Gym introducing beginners to the Muay Thai mat