A lot of people start at 10th Planet Airlock with one art. They sign up for no-gi jiu jitsu in Bastrop because they want to learn how to grapple. Or they sign up for Muay Thai because they want to learn how to strike. Both are great starting points. But many of our members eventually add the other one. Here’s why.
Book a free class if you want to skip the reading and come try it yourself.
Grappling Has a Gap. But So Does Striking.
Jiu jitsu teaches you everything that happens on the ground. How to control someone. How to escape bad positions. How to submit someone who’s bigger and stronger than you using leverage and technique. On the ground, a trained grappler is in their element.
But what about everything that happens before you get to the ground? Distance management, footwork, how to close the gap, how to defend a punch while setting up a takedown. That’s where Muay Thai fills in.
The reverse is true too. Muay Thai teaches you how to fight on your feet with fists, elbows, knees, and shins. It gives you range control and the ability to create or close distance. But the moment a fight goes to the ground, a striker without grappling experience is in unfamiliar territory.
Training both arts fills both gaps. You have a game plan on the feet and a game plan on the ground, and you understand the transition between the two. That’s what a complete martial artist looks like.
How Training Both Makes You Better at Each
Training Muay Thai makes your jiu jitsu better, and training jiu jitsu makes your Muay Thai better. They feed each other.
Jiu jitsu practitioners who understand distance management from Muay Thai become better at takedown entries. They understand when to close the gap and when to create space. That spatial awareness translates directly to how you set up shots to get to the ground.
Muay Thai practitioners who understand body mechanics from jiu jitsu generate better power. Grappling teaches you how to use your hips, how to drive with your legs, how to create leverage with your frame. Those same mechanics make your kicks hit harder and your clinch work sharper.
The two arts were built for each other. There’s a reason every serious MMA fighter trains both.
What a Week Looks Like
At 10th Planet Airlock in Bastrop, no-gi jiu jitsu runs six days a week with morning and evening options. Muay Thai runs three days a week in the evening. That gives you plenty of flexibility to build a schedule that fits your life.
Some members like training both arts back to back on the same day. They’ll hit Muay Thai right after jiu jitsu and get the full session in one trip to the gym. Other members prefer splitting the week up, doing jiu jitsu on some days and Muay Thai on others so each session gets their full energy.
There’s no one right way to do it. We encourage everyone to find the schedule and training rhythm that works for them, and we’ll work with you to figure that out together. The classes are structured so you can mix and match without feeling like you’re missing something if you can’t make every session.
The Coaches
Our head instructor, Rei Villa, is a 10th Planet Black Belt and retired 20-year Army Infantry veteran whose background in Army Combatives bridges striking and grappling naturally. His career was built on learning what works when both arts collide, and he coaches both jiu jitsu and Muay Thai at Airlock.
Coach Billy Van Dyke, a professional MMA fighter, also coaches Muay Thai. Learning to strike from someone who has combined jiu jitsu and Muay Thai in cage fights gives you a perspective on how the two arts work together that you can’t get from a striking-only coach.
Coach Chris Bennett, a 10th Planet Black Belt from 10th Planet Tucson, rounds out the jiu jitsu coaching staff. Two 10th Planet Black Belts and a pro MMA fighter under one roof in Bastrop.
Bundle Pricing
We offer bundle pricing for members who want to train both jiu jitsu and Muay Thai. Instead of paying for two separate memberships, you get one combined rate that makes cross-training more accessible. Ask us about the details when you come in for your trial class.
No contracts on anything. Month to month. If you start with one art and want to add the other later, you can upgrade anytime.
Who This Is For
If you’re already training jiu jitsu at Airlock and you’ve been curious about Muay Thai, try it. If you’re training Muay Thai and you’ve been watching the jiu jitsu classes, try it. If you’re brand new to martial arts and you’ve been reading about MMA training and want to build a complete skill set from the start, you can train both from day one.
The people who train both tend to be the ones who stick around the longest. There’s always something new to learn, always a new connection between the two arts to discover. That combination is what keeps training interesting for years, and it’s one of the best things about training at a gym that takes both arts seriously.
Come Train
No-gi jiu jitsu six days a week. Muay Thai three days a week. Inside Bastrop Fitness Project at 303 Martin Luther King Dr, Bastrop, TX 78602. Right off Hwy 71. Near the Buc-ee’s.
Your first class is always free. No experience needed. No gear required.
Discounts for active duty military, veterans, law enforcement, and first responders.
Book your free trial class at 10th Planet Airlock →
Or call us: (512) 271-5260
Or email: airlockbjj@gmail.com
Check out the full class schedule here.
10th Planet Airlock | 303 Martin Luther King Dr, Bastrop, TX 78602 | Inside Bastrop Fitness Project | Voted #1 Best Martial Arts Gym in Bastrop County 2025 | We Defy Foundation Partner
