The best way to train is not always the most expensive, the most intense or the most private. For some people, one-to-one coaching gives them the confidence and detail they need to begin. For others, a group class gives them the structure, training partners and shared atmosphere that make regular attendance easy. Experienced athletes often use both, for different reasons.
The right choice depends on what you want to learn, how much experience you have, how comfortable you feel in a training environment, how much time you can commit and what budget feels realistic.
At Khunpon Martial Arts in Phuket, both group classes and private training are available across the disciplines: Muay Thai, MMA, BJJ, HYROX, strength and conditioning, Circuit and HIIT, with Open Gym access too. The question is not whether private training or group classes are better in general. It is which format gives you the right balance of instruction, practice, structure and consistency at your current stage.
Private training and group classes compared
| Private training | Group classes |
|---|---|
| Focused coaching for one person or a small private group | A planned session shared with other people |
| Feedback aimed at your specific technical details | Instruction for the group, with coaching adjusted where needed |
| Pace and focus adapted to you | A shared structure and timetable |
| Useful for specific goals or a quieter introduction | Useful for routine, partner work and community |
| Booked by appointment with a coach | Runs at scheduled class times |
Neither format guarantees better results. A private session is only useful with a clear purpose, good coaching and enough time to practise afterwards. A group class is only useful if it suits your level and you attend often enough to benefit.
What private training offers
Private training is a more focused format in which the coach spends more time on one person's needs. At Khunpon it is available across martial arts and fitness; the coach, discipline, session format and booking are arranged directly with the gym. Potential advantages:
- More direct coach attention.
- Immediate feedback on movement and technique.
- Time spent on one specific skill or priority.
- A pace adapted to you.
- More chance to ask questions.
- A quieter first experience if you are nervous about joining a class.
- Focus on a particular discipline or sporting goal.
A Muay Thai beginner may want help with stance, balance and basic striking before joining a group class. An experienced BJJ practitioner may want to dig into one position. An MMA athlete may want to work on a particular transition between striking and grappling. A HYROX athlete may want to talk through movement technique, pacing or race preparation.
That does not mean one session fixes everything. Skill still takes repetition, practice and time: private training gives you a focused opportunity to work on it, not a way around practising it afterwards. And the quality of private training depends on the coach's knowledge, communication and ability to give useful feedback. A session should have a clear purpose rather than becoming an hour of unconnected exercises.
What group classes offer
A group class gives you a planned session, a coach-led structure and other people to train with. At Khunpon, group classes cover Muay Thai, MMA, BJJ, HYROX, strength and conditioning, Circuit and HIIT. The content varies by discipline and session, but you always train within a wider community rather than on your own. Group classes can give you:
- A regular timetable.
- A clear session structure.
- Different training partners.
- Shared effort and motivation.
- Repeated practice in a coached environment.
- The chance to watch how other people move.
- A routine, whether you are travelling or living in Phuket.
The social side should not be overstated. Community does not appear just because people share a room. It grows through regular attendance, respectful behaviour, good coaching and people gradually getting to know each other.
Research comparing individual and group physical-activity programmes does not support the idea that one format always wins. A 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis of 71 studies found that both individual and group-based approaches can work; group-based programmes showed small advantages in several areas, but not consistently. That matches experience: some people are more likely to turn up when a class is waiting for them, and others train more consistently with a quieter environment and flexible appointments.
Which is better for beginners?
Both can work well. A private session suits a complete beginner who feels unsure about walking into a busy gym: you can ask basic questions, learn how a session works and get individual guidance without feeling rushed. A suitable group class can be just as valuable: it introduces you to the normal training environment, gives you a clear structure and lets you work with other people. Khunpon's classes welcome every level, including people with no martial-arts experience at all.
A beginner may prefer private training if they:
- Feel nervous about joining a class.
- Have a specific concern to discuss.
- Want an introduction before a group session.
- Need more time with the basic movements.
- Have a schedule that does not fit the timetable.
A group class may suit them if they:
- Enjoy learning with other people.
- Want a fixed routine.
- Would like to meet training partners.
- Are comfortable learning in a shared session.
- Want to feel the atmosphere of the gym.
There is no rule that beginners must start privately, and no reason to assume a first group class will be too much. The important step is choosing a class that matches your level and telling the coach honestly where you are starting. If you start with a Muay Thai group class, our guide to your first Muay Thai class explains what happens from the moment you arrive.
What experienced athletes get from each
Experienced athletes often use both formats for different purposes.
Private training for detail
Private training helps when you have a clearly defined technical or tactical priority:
- Refining a Muay Thai combination.
- Improving a particular BJJ position.
- Working on MMA transitions.
- Reviewing a movement used in HYROX.
- Fixing a technical weakness.
- Preparing for a specific competition demand.
The advantage is not simply that the coach stands closer. It is that more of the session goes into one problem. Motor-learning research suggests feedback supports skill development, but the effect depends on how and when it is given and how much the learner can take in. Too many instructions become hard to process; useful coaching is often selective, one or two points you can understand, repeat and apply. A private session makes that easier, but it still depends on the quality of the conversation between athlete and coach.
Group classes for variety and application
Group classes offer something private training cannot fully reproduce: many different people to work with. In combat sports, different partners change the problem. Height, weight, timing, pace, movement and experience all change how a technique feels, and a group class exposes you to more of that variety than repeated work with one coach. Group sessions also give you:
- Live partner practice.
- Conditioning within a shared structure.
- Exposure to different styles.
- A regular training rhythm.
- Practice with the unpredictability of real training.
For HYROX and fitness, group classes give shared pacing and a clear format. In BJJ, partner rotation and live rounds expose gaps that drilling alone may hide. In Muay Thai and MMA, partner work connects technique with timing and movement. Private training sharpens a detail; group training tests whether that detail still works when conditions change.
How the choice differs by discipline
Muay Thai
Private Muay Thai suits focused work on stance, balance, combinations, pad work, timing or ring movement. Group classes give a broader environment, with shared instruction, bag work, partner drills and other students, and they help a visitor feel the rhythm of training at Khunpon. A beginner may book one private introduction before joining regular classes, but that is an option, not a requirement. More in our Muay Thai guide.
MMA
MMA has many ranges and transitions. A private session helps you examine one area, such as linking striking to a takedown or improving a defensive movement. Group classes matter because MMA depends on working with partners and responding to changing positions, often against different body types and styles. The coach decides what level of contact and resistance is right for each person. More in our MMA guide.
BJJ
BJJ needs both technical explanation and practice against resistance. Private training helps you understand a particular position, movement or concept; a group class lets you drill and roll with different partners. A private lesson cannot replace live practice, and live practice without technical understanding can become repetitive rather than productive. They work best together. More in our BJJ guide.
HYROX
Private HYROX sessions are useful for event preparation, station technique, running transitions or pacing. Group HYROX classes give you a shared structure and a chance to work through running and functional movements alongside other athletes, whether you are preparing for Singles, Doubles or Relay or just training to get fitter. Khunpon is an official HYROX Training Club. More in our HYROX guide.
Strength and conditioning
Private S&C allows closer attention to exercise selection, technique, loading and individual priorities. Group strength and conditioning, Circuit and HIIT classes give you a scheduled environment and a clear structure, which is useful if you would rather not design every workout yourself. The right choice depends on whether you need individual planning or a well-coached group format already meets your needs. More in our strength and conditioning guide.
Training partners matter
Some training depends on another person. Pad work needs a coach or partner, clinch practice needs someone to work with, BJJ and MMA involve grappling against resistance, and group HYROX sessions may include partner or relay-style work.
Private training does not mean training alone: a coach can interact technically, hold pads, guide drills and create controlled practice. But group classes generally give you more partners. That variety matters most in combat sports, where a technique that works on one partner may feel different against someone taller, stronger, faster or more experienced. Learning involves more than hearing an explanation. It means trying the skill, getting feedback, repeating it and applying it as conditions change.
Feedback, repetition and live practice
Private training and group classes emphasise different parts of learning.
Feedback
Feedback tells you something about the movement or its result: a balance issue, a timing problem, a position that needs to change or a more efficient way to do an exercise. Private training usually gives you more individual feedback, but group coaches still give corrections and guidance during a session.
Repetition
A skill becomes familiar through practice. Repetition helps, but it is not enough if the movement is consistently wrong. That is where coaching comes in: the goal is not endless information but useful information you can understand and repeat.
Application
Application means using the skill somewhere less predictable: a position against resistance in BJJ, responding to movement and timing in Muay Thai or MMA, holding technique through fatigue in HYROX. A useful training week usually includes all three: feedback, repetition and application.
Time, budget and length of stay
Your schedule may be the most important factor. A group class runs at a fixed time, which makes it easy to plan around but may not fit a traveller's arrival, sightseeing or work. Private training can offer more flexibility where appointments are available.
On the pricing page, a single class is 450 THB, with larger class passes available, and Open Gym is 400 THB for one day, 1,500 THB for one week and 2,500 THB for one month. Private-training prices are not listed online, so ask the team for current rates and coach availability.
For a short visit, a private session may help you use limited time well if you have a specific goal. A class pass may be more practical if you want to experience the wider Khunpon community across several scheduled sessions.
Can you combine private training and group classes?
Yes, and combining them gives a useful balance of focused instruction and regular practice. Some approaches:
One private session before joining group classes
This helps a nervous beginner understand the environment and learn some basic movements before a group session.
Group classes as the base, with occasional private sessions
This suits someone who enjoys the community and structure of classes but wants occasional help with a technical priority.
A short private-training block during a Phuket visit
A traveller may book several private sessions to focus on one discipline while also joining group classes during the stay.
Private support around competition preparation
An experienced athlete may use private training for a specific need while keeping group sessions for live practice and conditioning.
These are options, not prescriptions. The best combination depends on you, the discipline, the timetable and the coach's availability.
Finding your format at Khunpon
Khunpon's multidisciplinary set-up gives you several ways to train. Choose Muay Thai, MMA, BJJ in Gi or No-Gi, HYROX, strength and conditioning, Circuit or HIIT. Join a group class, ask about private training or use Open Gym.
Start by looking at the timetable, choose the discipline that interests you and contact the team if you are unsure which option fits. If you are visiting Phuket for a short time, tell us your dates and goals. If you are a regular member or an experienced athlete, tell us what you are working on. The clearer you are, the easier it is to find the right starting point.
There is no single correct way to train at Khunpon. Explore the options, choose the format that fits you and train with us in Phuket.
Sources and further reading7
- Kritz, M. et al. Individual versus group-based interventions: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nature Human Behaviour, 2026.
- Moinuddin, A. et al. The Role of Augmented Feedback on Motor Learning.
- Jowett, S. et al. Motivational processes in the coach-athlete relationship.
- Golaszewski, N. M. et al. Group exercise membership is associated with forms of social support.
- James, L. P. et al. A Systematic Review of Combat Sport Literature.
- National Strength and Conditioning Association. Basics of Strength and Conditioning Manual.
- Khunpon Martial Arts. Pricing, timetable and contact.
