Mixed Martial Arts Gyms – Morning Coffee Thoughts From Dan Ives

I was sitting around this morning waiting for the summer camp kids to arrive and I got to thinking…

These days it seems like Mixed Martial Arts Gyms are popping up everywhere. Not just here but all over the world. Some good and some not so good.

When I first came here to Annapolis back in 2008, there was only one other place in town that had anything even close to MMA. Now it seems like they’re on every corner.

Let me tell you this, not all mixed martial arts gyms are created equal. Many of these so called “mma” gyms/academies are nothing more then repackaged karate centers or just a plan jane Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy.

So today I wanted to talk about the differences between great mixed martial arts gym and the…how shall I say…not so great ones!

So today let me give you just a few pointers that should help you choose the best mma gym in your area. Like always if you have questions please email me dannyives@gmail.com

First thing first, a good mma gym should offer all the different styles that accompany MMA. Those styles are:

• Muay Thai Kickboxing
• Brazilian Gracie Jiu-Jitsu
• Wrestling

If your mixed martial arts gym does not have all three of these styles then I’m sorry to say, you might be getting cheated. That’s the first thing you need to look at.

If your gym is lacking any one of these three styles you’ll be sorry. You’ll end up being an incomplete fighter. You need to be able to fight standing up and on the ground. Pay attention to the details!

Next you have to take a look at the instructors. What have they done in the world of MMA? Have they even fought? You’d be shocked to know that many of the guys and gals teaching MMA classes have never fought in a cage.

Maybe you don’t care that they haven’t fought in a cage, just that they can fight? Okay that’s fine but know that these same people may very well have never been in a real street fight…ever!

You need to be learning from coaches that know what they’re doing. Instructors they’ve been in the trenches and know what that’s like.

Anyone can say they can fight but until you actually do you never know…

Another thing to look at, and this is big, how good are the students? Can they execute the techniques with good form? Have they won anything big like an MMA fight or maybe some local kickboxing bouts?

The sign of a good teacher is stamped right onto his/her students. After all, what’s the use of a great fighter who teaches classes but can’t seem to make you great, or good for that matter.

Last but not least I’d say the main piece of the puzzle when it comes to a top level MMA gym is attitude. Attitude is often times over looked but let me assure you, it’s big.

Good programs have good people running them. Those same people have the kind of attitude that gets folks fired up and ready to achieve. Leaders leading the way, that’s how I look at it.

Okay I’ve ranted enough for today. You get the idea. Find the best mma gym you can but before you enroll into a program be sure to do the homework.

The stuff I talked about above should give you a pretty good cheat sheet. Make sure you use it.

Below you’ll find some new videos to check out. I hope you like ’em.

–Coach Danny Ives