Guide to Choosing a Mixed Martial Arts Gym

If you are interested in joining a mixed martial arts gym be sure you know what to look for in a gym before you make a commitment. With the spike in popularity of the sport recently, many more gyms have opened offering M.M.A. training. This large number of new facilities can make it difficult to make a good decision on where to begin your training. There are a lot of factors that can make a mixed martial arts facility a quality academy and even more factors that make facilities a poor place to practice the sport. The following is a brief compilation of advice and tips on what to look for in a gym and how to choose a quality M.M.A. facility for your training.

Staff
The most important factor in deciding on a gym is the credentials of the instructors. The rise in M.M.A.'s popularity has led to a lot of gyms offering training in the sport by instructors with little and sometimes no teaching experience at all. Everyone in the industry wants a piece of the huge profits to be made in the sport today so many inexperienced fighters are willing to claim to be m.m.a instructors based on their fighting experience. What some customers don't realize though is that M.M.A. fight experience, even at a professional level, doesn't necessarily equate to teaching and coaching abilities. In fact, some of the best trainers and coaches in the sport today have never been professional fighters. While competitive fighting experience is beneficial to an instructor, it takes a particular type of education, training experience and skill set to be a qualified M.M.A. instructor and coach. The risks of training under an instructor that isn't qualified are extensive, not only will you waste a lot of money but you run the risk of being severely injured. It's just not worth the risk to maybe save a little time and money. Always ask the instructors at a gym you are interested in what experience and training they have. Verify this information as best you can. A good way to do this is to talk to other people in the martial arts community in your city. Talk to other trainers and coaches as well as students and fighters. Other people's opinion of an instructor can usually tell you quite a bit about that person's qualifications. Also you can use the internet to check an instructor's qualifications. There are many websites and databases of records and information about people involved in mixed martial arts. Use your favorite search engine to find sites offering information on your particular instructor.

Facility
The second factor to look at in a prospective mixed martial arts gym is the quality of the facility. Always tour the entire facility prior to joining and take notes on various points so you can compare it to other facilities later. Inspect the quality of the mats first. This is important because poorly maintained mats can cause you injury or serious infection. Look to see that the mats are disinfected regularly. Multiple times a day is preferred but make sure it is done at least once a day. Also check the thickness of the mats and the quality of the cushion material. Mats that are old and worn out offer less impact absorption and make the risk of injury during training much higher. Next check the equipment such as punching bags, gloves, weights and workout machines. Look for the equipment to be properly cleaned and organized in a safe layout. Punching bags and weight machines that are cluttered and positioned too close to each other make it more difficult to effectively train and pose an injury risk. Also see that things like weight machines and gloves are cleaned and disinfected regularly. Like the mats, this is important because neglected equipment and gloves put you at a high risk for infections such as staphylococcus areas. These infections can be serious so pay close attention to the cleaning habits of the gym. While checking the equipment try to get an idea of the equipment to student ratio. Ask what the average class size is at the gym and get a rough count of various types of equipment to make sure it won't be too crowded when you try to train. If there isn't enough equipment at a gym it limits training techniques and forces students to wait turns for each item. Because of this your training will suffer and progress will be slower. Finally, inspect the locker rooms, if the gym offers them. Make sure the facilities are clean and accommodating to your needs. Poorly maintained locker rooms are a potential health hazard and reflect the way the entire gym is operated and maintained.

The last thing you want to look into is the various class schedules and lesson plans to make sure they fit what you are looking for. Ask for a free trial before joining so you can get a feel for the way the program works. Every M.M.A. gym is a little different in the way they teach class and train their fighters, some you will like and some you won't. Sit in for a day or two on any classes you are interested in taking before joining. This way you can be sure the program agrees with your learning style and the classes fit your schedule. Another great benefit of previewing classes is the first hand look you get at the instructor's abilities. This is the best way to ensure you aren't getting duped by an inadequate trainer. Once you have checked out all the classes you are interested in, compare the prices with any other gyms in the area. A lot of times you can get the gym you prefer to match prices with another gym in the area. The mixed martial arts gym business is competitive so try to get them to work for your business. Often gym proprietors will make good deals to keep you from going to a competitor, so always ask and get yourself the best deal possible.

With mixed martial arts booming all over the world the number of gyms offering instruction in the sport is sure to continue growing. Remember, be careful selecting a gym to train at. If they offer deals that sound too good to be true, the most likely are. There are plenty of facilities out there to choose from so don't jump at the first opportunity that you come across. Take your time, use these tips and make an accurate decision on which gym you should use. M.M.A. is a great sport and the training is fun and offers a multitude of rewards both physical and psychological, so find a gym and get involved. Most importantly - Have fun!