MEET your coaches
Panyapol (Bruce) Ratanakul-Owner, Managing Director, and Head Coach
Chonburi Muay Thai (CMT) was founded by Panyapol (Bruce) Ratanakul. Bruce was born in Thailand, where he began training in the art of Muay Thai at the age of 10. Over the years, Bruce has won 16 of the 21 Thai fights in which he competed. He has trained under both Ajarn Petchpayao (2-time Thailand coach of the year) and Kongnapa Watcharawit (Rajadamnern champ at four different weight classes). Bruce received additional combat training as a proud member of the U.S. Army and returned to his true passion after being discharged, teaching and being an ambassador of Muay Thai in the United States.
Bruce continues his mission of expanding this art in America by coaching beginners to advanced students, amateur and professional fighters in promotions that include the UFC, Bellator and One Championship. To date, Bruce has coached over 300 fights, bringing traditional Muay Thai to countless communities. Bruce maintains an active role at the gym and he can still be found teaching beginners class and mentoring the next generation in our Youth Muay Thai program.
David Khamhuang-General Manager (2x Tennessee IKF Heavyweight&Cruiser-WT Champion)
David has been training under head coach Bruce Panyapol for 10 years. His ongoing training and pursuit for more comes from his competitive nature, which he strives to inspire in others. When he is not in the gym, David is coding for web development, pursuing personal projects, or cooking up meals to complement his TV binge watching. In quieter moments, David enjoys reading books such as 'Fahrenheit 451', 'The Plateau Effect', 'The Tipping Point' and 'Woman in the Window'.
Chiké Obianyo (13-7, 3x Tennessee IKF Light Middleweight Champion)
Chiké has trained under Bruce for several years and was the first person whom Kru Bruce trusted to be a CMT coach. He has competed in many fights, within various promotions and had considerable success. Chiké can be found at CMT teaching weekly classes to include beginner, all levels, and clinch while also conducting private lessons. Chiké grew up playing both soccer and football and remains a sports fan. He also enjoys seemingly paradoxical pursuits such as learning about new technology while also studying philosophy. Chiké believes that there are many paths to success and that anyone has the ability to achieve.
Ron Nguyen
Ron began training at Chonburi nearly 8 years plus. Drawing from his own learning and evolution, Ron enjoys teaching the next generation of Muay Thai students and can be found coaching the Youth class and Beginners class, establishing fundamentals and increasing cardio in bag class, or sparring with his student peers. Ron likes to focus on the clinch and boxing techniques, particularly, during private sessions. In his spare time, Ron enjoys binge watching series, with a special affinity for all kinds of anime!
Stephen Jones
Stephen Jones is an independent artist, illustrator and designer based out of Nashville, TN. When he's not drawing or designing Muay Thai shorts, you can find him teaching our Muay Thai Fundamentals class a couple times a week. Stephen started coaching to help others build belief in themselves and to push them to become their best. Stephen served in the U.S. Navy and loves the camaraderie that other Veterans bring to the gym.
Jason Campbell (9-1, Cruiser-WT National Tournament Champion)
Over the past 3 years, Jason has been training at Chonburi Muay Thai. He works hard and he is a stoic, fierce fighter. Jason endorses the positive influence that Muay Thai has had on his life, reinforcing self-discipline and providing him with tools to effectively face adversities. Jason has seized the opportunity to pay forward what he has received and oversees the bag classes. He has an encouraging style and students know that he would not ask from them anything that he was not willing, himself, to do. When Jason is not coaching or training, he continues to grow his modeling career.
(D.C.) Damontez Cox
D.C. moved from San Francisco to Nashville in 2020 after earning a Law degree from Golden Gate University. His first Muay Thai coach recognized DC’s potential and encouraged him to continue training, leading him eventually to CMT. D.C. is a positive and playful being with a palpable energy that is familiar and welcome. DC has the same expectation for others that he holds for himself: to achieve to their fullest potential. He says simply, “If you never fail, you’ll never know what success feels like.”
Hannah Booth (4-0, Straw-WT National Tournament Champion)
During a transition in her life, Hannah began her Muay Thai journey. Hannah found comfort being in an environment that is simultaneously accepting and challenging. After training for 3+ years, Hannah began working at the front desk. During this time, she modeled and maintained the inclusivity of the gym environment, making members feel welcome and seen. Hannah continued training and growing and last summer she won the 2022 TBA-SA Muay Thai Tournament Classic Championship. With a renewed confidence and desire to always push herself toward a new challenge, Hannah began teaching classes. She currently shares her love of Muay Thai by coaching youth classes and conducting private lessons.
Zach DeJesus
Zach has been in the world of Martial Arts for the past 25 years, with a 3rd-degree black belt in Kenpo and many years of training kids and adults. Martial arts is one of his main passions in life, when he and his wife moved to Nashville in 2020 he had the fortune of finding Chonburi Muay Thai. After his first class, he was hooked and could feel the amazing, supportive, and safe environment that Chonburi had established in their gym. He fell in love with the style of Muay Thai when he recognized the beauty of the art of the eight limbs and how it teaches you to stay calm when under pressure and the discipline it takes to become a better Muay Thai practitioner. Zach has a natural gift for teaching kids and can connect with them in a way that can help any new student walking through the doors feel confident, comfortable, and safe. Being able to share his love and passion for Muay Thai and the world of martial arts with a new generation of students drives him to be a better coach, person, and student at Chonburi.
Carleigh Goebel
Carleigh has been part of CMT for 5 years, spending countless hours with Coach Bruce learning the art. Carleigh has a degree in Health Sciences that led to her love for teaching people how to get the most out of their health and wellness, where she began coaching others in the gym on proper lifting technique and nutrition. After many years inside regular lifting gyms, Carleigh was introduced to Bruce in 2019 and quickly found a new way of movement that challenged her in a way she wasn't used to. Finding the challenge fun and enjoying the process, she became a face at the gym that you can still find here on most days. In 2021 Carleigh became a kids coach, getting the opportunity to help build the next generation of fighters and students. That same year, she also began her fight amatuer fight career. These days, you can find her actively training, teaching kids class, giving private lessons, waiting for her next fight.
Marcos Andres
Training under Bruce for 8 years and counting; Based out of Dallas, TX growing up playing soccer most of his life up until college. Competed at the 2022 TBA-SA Muay Thai Tournament Classic Championship and successfully won the Welterweight(142-147lb) division. When Marcos isn’t training, you can find him somewhere around the world being captivated (depending on the country he is visiting) by their culture and cuisines. He has traveled 20 countries across Europe, Asia, and Central America.
Aaron Lou
Aaron Lou is currently an MTSU college student majoring in exercise science. Aaron may be the youngest coach but he is one of the founding members of Chonburi, actively training since he was 12 years old. Aaron can be found overseeing the Youth Muay Thai program, modeling and encouraging growth through confidence, not just on the mat but in the student's personal life as well. Aaron loves Muay Thai because it challenges him to be a better complete person, physically and mentally. Aaron began Muay Thai nearly a decade ago and he has loved it ever since.