By Guest Writer James Davis of MMA Station
There’s no denying that learning a martial art provides a ton of different benefits, however one hurdle people often face when starting out is deciding on a gym. This is especially true if you’ve never really been exposed to martial arts before as you might not know what to look out for.
With that in mind, we’ve written this article to provide you with some factors that should be taken into consideration and hopefully get you heading in the right direction. Lets’ get to it.
Factor 1: Qualifications of Instructor and Coaching Team
No matter which martial art you’re planning on taking up, the primary source of information is going to be from the instructor taking the class or running the gym. Therefore, it’s a good idea to have some knowledge on the person behind the class. Who are they? What qualifications do they have? And how long have they been teaching for?
By asking yourself and the gym these sorts of questions, you’ll be able to determine the quality of teaching that will be delivered. Similarly, you could also ask the same sort of questions regarding current students at the gym as this will also be a good indicator of the caliber of your training partners.
Factor 2: Class Schedule
Most martial arts gyms will have a website where you can browse their class schedule. At the end of the day, there’s no point in signing up only to realize you’re going to struggle to make their classes. A lot of the better gyms will have lunch time classes which tend to be popular with people who work in an office and are looking for a way to utilize their lunch break.
The frequency of the classes is an important factor to take into consideration. If you’re looking to get in shape at the same time, attending a class once a week isn’t going to get you very far. With that in mind, see how regularly a class is hosted and assess whether or not this will meet your needs.
Factor 3: Facilities
There’s a couple of aspects to consider when looking at a clubs’ facilities.
The most important is the overall cleanliness of the gym. Due to the nature of martial arts, students tend to be in close proximity to one another in a hot and sweaty environment. This provides the perfect breeding ground for bacteria, meaning that certain skin conditions such as staph infection and ring worm are unfortunately pretty common place among martial artists. Make sure the gym meets a certain standard of cleanliness. Ensure that the mats are clean, rules such as no shoes on the mats are in place, and the overall appearance of the equipment being used is satisfactory.
Next, take a look at what sort of equipment they have to offer, especially for a beginner such as yourself. If you’re attending your first BJJ class, will they have a spare Gi for you to wear? If you’re heading to a Muay Thai class, will they have shin guards, gloves and wraps to lend you?
Factor 4: Ease of Access
One of the key factors that will contribute to your progression in martial arts is dedication and consistency. No matter which martial art you decide to learn, it’s going to be a long, hard process that requires a pretty substantial commitment on your end.
Finding a gym that’s easy to access and doesn’t take too long to get it is extremely important. While the idea of travelling 40-minutes each way to a class may not sound too bad, after a few weeks of this long commute, you may feel otherwise.
If you find a club that you can get to easily, you’ll stand a much better chance of staying committed and attending a class on a regular basis, which of course will allow you to improve quicker and reach your goals.
Factor 5: Range of Disciplines
Are you looking to study one martial arts or multiple? This is a pretty important question that will allow you to determine which gym is right for you. I used to attend Evolve Martial Arts Academy in Singapore, which at the time offered an incredible range of disciplines that really opened my eyes to what I enjoyed and what I didn’t enjoy.
Across 7 days, they offered Muay Thai, Boxing, BJJ, No Gi BJJ, MMA and Wrestling. I didn’t want to spread myself too thin, however I found a love for striking martial arts, something I hadn’t yet experienced.
While Evolve offers a pretty ridiculous range of disciplines, a lot of clubs will often teach two disciplines that go hand in hand. For example, a BJJ gym may also have MMA classes on as as well, in order to make their students more rounded fighters and better prepared for real life situations.
As I mentioned earlier, take a look at the gyms schedule and see what sort of classes they have to offer and whether or not they are something that you could be interested in. Even if you’re not immediately drawn to them, you may find yourself loving a completely new discipline, which is something I’m glad to have experienced.
Final Thoughts
With all this said, the best way to determine whether or not a martial arts gym is right for you is just to head down there for a class. The vast majority of gyms I’ve attended have a free trial class, which will allow you to determine whether or not it’s right for you, without having to make any financial commitment.
Pair this with some of the factors that we’ve discussed in this article, and you’ll stand the best chance of finding a gym you’ll be happy with for years to come.
Thanks for taking the time to read our article, if you’ve got any questions, feel free to comment down below.
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