Picking an MMA Gym

These are tips directly from an article in FIGHT! magazine written by Sam Caplan:

He writes: "If you were going to buy a car, would you just go to the lot and choose whatever looked nice and was available? Or would you go online and research the safety record of the models you were looking at? Would you not look at other dealerships in order to get comparative pricing? You need to adopt a similar approach when searching for the right gym. Granted it's a lot cheaper to train MMA than it is to buy a new car, but training in a martial art is not inexpensive."

"The reality is that many people out there are being ripped off. There are instuctors claiming to hold a black belt in Jiu-Jitsu when they do not. There are former Karate instructors who claim they can help people become pro fighters even though they've never fought or trained MMA. Simply put, you need to be careful of wannabes with false or otherwise meaningless credentials. A lot of people recognize the mounting appeal of MMA; they see how much money can be made. Instead of starting over and paying their dues in a new martial art, they allege to be able to teach you something they aren't actually qualified to teach."

Here are excerpts from the eight tips he gives when considered a gym:

1. Are the people willing to answer questions?
If an instuctor is running a legitimate gym, there should be nothing to hide.

2. Does it look reputable?
You can tell a lot about a martial arts gym by its appearance. If you are at a gym that resembles a shack or garage, chances are that's the level of instruction you will receive.

3. Price.
In martial arts, spending a lot of money doesn't always guarantee quality training. However, a safe rule to follow is if you buy cheap, you get cheap. A legitimate MMA gym located in a major metropolitan area is going to cost you around $125-$250 per month for a full program.

4. Be sure to inquire about the MMA credentials of the instuctors.
After brainwashing their students for years that MMA was just a fad, many Karate, Kung Fu and Taekwondo schools are closing up shop and re-opening as MMA schools. There is nothing wrong if an instuctor has a background in traditional martial arts, you only need to be concerned about an instuctor if the only thing they have to fall back on is their traditional martial arts background. Don't be afraid to ask for credentials and be sure to check them out.

5. Read a contract before you sign it.

6. Ask if pro fighters train at the gym.
If you have pro aspirations, your chances of developing into a pro-caliber fighter are depressed if you are training at a gym that has no current pros or has never produced one.

7. Observe the demeanor of the student body.
MMA is attracting a lot of people who are insecure with their place in life. Legitimate gyms do not allow a**holes to run the risk of soiling their gym's reputation just so they can get an additional $150 a month.

8. Take advantage of any trial offers and then trust your gut instinct.
There is no better way to determine if a gym is right for you than to take advantage of this free trial. If you find that there are a lot of unanswered questions and too many red flags, take that as a sign that you should probably keep looking for a gym that feels like a better fit.