Richard Smith

  • Richard Smith is one of the UK’s most respected and accomplished Muay Thai competitors and coaches, widely known for his elite training systems, fighter‑development expertise, and role in shaping world‑class athletes through decades of dedicated practice and coaching.

  • As the founder, owner and head instructor of the internationally renowned Bad Company Gym in Leeds, UK, Richard has been at the forefront of British Muay Thai since establishing the gym in 1992.

    Under his leadership, Bad Company became a Gym King‑sponsored super gym — a training home for elite fighters who’ve achieved major success on the global stage.

    Smith is a multiple‑time British, European and Commonwealth Champion in Muay Thai, and his competitive accomplishments are matched by his reputation as a coach who develops fighters with deep technical understanding and practical fight strategy.

    Coach of Champions

    Richard has guided and developed some of the UK’s most successful Muay Thai practitioners, including elite names such as Liam Harrison, Jordan Watson, Lisa Houghton‑Smith, Richard Cadden, Andy Howson and many others — athletes recognised for their technical precision, intensity and competitive grit.

    His coaching style focuses on fundamentals made advanced, including clinch strategy, feints and rhythm, counter‑kick systems, boxing integration, tactical movement and tailored fight plans — all designed to help fighters excel against diverse styles and competitive contexts.

    Smith’s insight and teaching are highly sought after internationally, and he has become one of the most popular instructors featured on the Warrior Collective YouTube channel, where his instructional contributions have collectively garnered well over 100,000 views — a testament to his global influence as a coach.

    Instructional Volumes on Warrior Collective

    Richard’s full‑length instructional volumes on Warrior Collective make his elite coaching systems accessible to martial artists and coaches worldwide — whether you’re sharpening your personal game or building a structured coaching toolbox.

    📘 Richard Smith Instructional Series:

    The Bad Company Style of Muay Thai
    In this comprehensive volume, Richard teaches the distinctive Bad Company approach to Muay Thai — covering everything from avoiding and breaking the clinch, to feints, drawing and countering kicks, boxing rhythm drills, stance‑based strategies, evasive movement and effective low‑kick systems.

    Muay Thai 101 — A Framework for Developing Fighters
    This foundational instructional breaks down Richard’s step‑by‑step fighter development methodologies: clinching concepts, countering boxing, defending and countering kicks, setting up attacks, pad work frameworks, distance play, unpredictable striking and combining drills for fluid pad work and sparring prep.

  • Richard Smith

  • Why Richard Smith’s Instructionals Are Essential
    🔹 Elite pedigree — multiple British, European and Commonwealth Muay Thai titles and decades of competitive insight.
    🔹 Proven coaching systems — developed through long‑term success producing world‑class fighters.
    🔹 Actionable, structured instruction — from clinch mastery and rhythm drills to tactical fight planning and counter systems.
    🔹 Designed for fighters and coaches seeking measurable skill growth and strategic refinement.
    🔹 Instruction from a coach with international reach and respected global influence — ideal for both personal improvement and coaching development.

    Whether you’re training for competition, refining your fundamentals, or building your coaching toolbox, Richard Smith’s full‑length volumes on Warrior Collective offer elite‑level expertise, structured systems and real fight‑tested insight you can apply immediately.