Jim Glasgow

Founder & Head Coach

Jim Glasgow founded Chicago Muay Thai in April 2011 and brings more than 30 years of Muay Thai training, coaching, and competitive experience to the gym. Jim began training in 1994 under Wayne Gregory and Pat White. Wayne Gregory was notably the first foreigner to defeat a Thai opponent at Lumpinee Stadium and trained under legendary Thai fighters Apidej Sit-Hirun and Jongsanan Fairtex. In 2000, Jim made his first trip to Thailand, training at Rompo Gym in Bangkok and competing in one of the gym's in-house smokers. Since then, he has made more than a dozen trips to Thailand to further his training and understanding of authentic Muay Thai. His training has included time at Rompo Gym, Tiger Muay Thai, Dragon Muay Thai, Kru Dam Gym in Phuket, Watchara Gym in Bangkok, and Hongthong Gym in Chiang Mai. Prior to focusing exclusively on Muay Thai, Jim competed in Shidokan Karate for 18 years. Shidokan is a full-contact, bare-knuckle fighting system derived from Kyokushin Karate that incorporates Muay Thai as well as throws, and submissions. During his competitive career, Jim was the 2001 Shidokan Middleweight Team Champion, earned second place at the 1998 International Shidokan Cup, and attained the rank of Black Belt. Jim also trained Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for more than 11 years, earning the rank of Brown Belt, and wrestled competitively from ages 13 through 18. Beyond combat sports, Jim has completed two marathons and more than twenty triathlons, including a Half Ironman. These experiences helped inspire Chicago Muay Thai's motto: "Hard Work Starts Here." As a coach, Jim has worked with students of all experience levels, from complete beginners to professional fighters. He has coached Glory Kickboxer Ryot Waller and UFC fighter Abdul Razak Alhassan while helping hundreds of students develop confidence, fitness, discipline, and authentic Muay Thai skills. Today, Jim continues to lead Chicago Muay Thai with a commitment to hard work, continuous improvement, and providing world-class instruction in a welcoming and supportive environment.