You are probably an avid UFC fan (who isn’t?) and if you are thinking of dipping your toes in the water and trying a few classes, you certainly wouldn’t be alone in your thinking. Mixed martial arts exploded onto the scene in the late 1990s and quickly grew in popularity and with the birth of the UFC, the sport was soon to become a global phenomenon.
MMA Camps
Much like boxing and Muay Thai, there are MMA camps in most cities and towns and when you train MMA in Bangkok, the instructor would assess your fitness levels and take it from there. One important factor that the school would bring up is your reasons for wanting to learn MMA; it might be to learn some effective self-defence techniques, or to attain a higher level of fitness, or even that you are aiming to compete one day. Once the instructor knows what you expect from the experience, he can prepare accordingly.
Friendly Atmosphere
If you are thinking the MMA gym is a serious and aggressive place, you couldn’t be further from the truth; generally, the atmosphere is upbeat and everyone has a voice and you will meet like-minded people. No one is judgmental and working out in groups is a lot of fun! Search online for the nearest MMA camp and visit in the early evening (4-7pm), when classes will be running and there’s no pressure to come and see how things are. Talk to one of the instructors and see where it takes you and if you would like a short trial lesson, they are always happy to oblige.
Self-Defence
Many people take up MMA for this very reason, as it teaches you how to block kicks and punches, plus some great submission holds to incapacitate an attacker. You can never be too careful these days and learning valuable techniques could literally save your life one day! Many start with this intention and enjoy MMA training so much, they decide to take it up a notch and before you know it, you are sparring with others.
It might be watching Usman or Chandler that fires you up to get into the MMA gym, but whatever the reason, there will be an MMA gym near you. Take a trip to the MMA camp and watch how people prepare and train and if you like what you see, take a free trial class.
