How to Choose an MMA School
Learning the sport of mixed martial arts can be a rewarding,life-long pursuit, but finding the right gym can be both tricky andintimidating. The sport’s recentexplosion in popularity has given rise to many gyms that advertise their styleas mixed martial arts but have no expertise in the sport. In this climate, how does one spot the fakesand find a legitimate gym to learn MMA?
To begin, an easy indicator of a legitimate gym is theselection of martial arts being taught. Generallyspeaking, MMA is a blend of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Boxing, Kickboxing andWrestling. Other martial arts such asJudo, Sambo, and Karate, while not as common, have also given rise tosuccessful fighters at the highest levels of the sport.
Traditional martial arts such as Aikido, Taekwondo, JeetKune Do and anything advertised as Ninjutsu, however, have not provedsuccessful inside the cage. Schoolsteaching these martial arts and advertising themselves as MMA schools areplaces to avoid. It’s also a good ideato avoid gyms that bill their instructors as “street fighters” that can teach“secret moves.”
If you’re hoping to learn the MMA game, there are noshortcuts or secret moves. Successfulfighters know that to win in MMA, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Boxing, Kickboxing andWrestling are all essential.
The selection of martial arts offered at a gym can be a goodindicator of legitimacy, but there are gyms out there that advertise themartial arts that form the cornerstone of the MMA game with no qualifiedinstructors to teach them.
A good way to sort the real deal from the fakes is toresearch results in competition. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, for example, has a largeand flourishing competition scene. Manygyms will have competition results or footage that can easily be found online. It might be easy to hang a sign for BrazilianJiu-Jitsu in a gym’s window, but it’s impossible to fake winning a bigtournament like the Pan Ams or the Mundials. Credible MMA gyms will usually have an active competition record forboth grappling and MMA.
Once you’ve done your research, call and ask about freetrials. Most legitimate gyms offer someform of trial period where a new student can take some classes and see thelevel of instruction first hand. Don’tbe intimidated! Take advantage of this trial period and attend all of theclasses that you can. In addition togetting a feel for the different martial arts that make up MMA, trial periodslet you experience the gym’s facilities and amenities first hand. There’s no better way to get a feeling for aschool, than by making use of this trial period, and since it’s free, there’sabsolutely no risk!
While in class, don’t be afraid to ask questions if you getconfused or overwhelmed. All of theinstructors and more advanced students started exactly where you are, and theyremember what it was like to be new to the sport. Asking questions and being eager to learnwill show you how the instructors respond to students and how they teach.
Being active during your trial period will also show you oneof the most important and unsung aspects of MMA: the team atmosphere and camaraderie that growbetween teammates. Take advantage of thetrial period and you’ll see how you can fit into this atmosphere. Chances are, if you stick with MMA, you’llmeet some of your best friends at the gym.
Whether you’re looking to step in the cage, trying to get inshape, or learn a practical system of self-defense, mixed martial arts is afulfilling pursuit. Once you’vethoroughly researched the classes and level of competition that a gym has tooffer, take advantage of trial periods and experience the classes firsthand. The knowledge, self-confidence,and physical fitness that are direct results of learning MMA are well worth it.
See you on the mat!
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