Starting MMA as a Beginner: What You Need to Know;
Iceni Warriors, has been teaching martial arts to local students for close to 20 years, longer in its previous incarnation. Originally focussed on Muay Thai, in 2009, we started offering Mixed Martial Arts classes in Norwich. This made total sense, seeing as we already had the various disciplines coaches within Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), wrestling, Muay Thai and boxing. With its rising popularity due to organizations like the UFC, the growth of this sport was unlike any other I have seen in my lifetime. There are so many strong reasons as to why this would be the case. MMA is not just amazing for fitness, but can help, in some ways, with self-defence, and mental discipline, to name but a few.
If you’re thinking about starting your journey in MMA as a beginner, here are some key things you should really consider:
Understand What MMA Is
Although more and more gyms provide just pure MMA classes, it is important to recognise that MMA isn’t just one martial art; it's a combination of various fighting techniques from different disciplines. Learning the fundamentals of striking, such as Muay Thai, arguably being the most vital striking tool out there. Grappling, with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, unquestionably being the most vital for that. As well as judo and wrestling, the latter of which is probably the most important element of them all in terms of the scoring system.
Wherever you choose to learn, it is important that you ask the coach what experience they have in each of these fundamental areas. Having a few fights in a cage, does not make someone a coach. It takes several years and lots of trial and error to be able to have this skill and pass on what you know to your students. The likelyhood of injury by learning poor technique is extremely high!
To be well-rounded. It’s important to recognize that MMA is complex, and training in multiple areas will be essential. Having said this, you can start with absolutely zero knowledge, providing you are with the right coach and gym.
How to Choose the Right Gym
Finding the right MMA gym is crucial. Look for:
- Qualified and Insured Coaches: Experienced coaches who specialise in MMA, BJJ, Muay Thai, and other relevant disciplines, experience being that they have taught this to many other people across several years, not, as mentioned previously, that they have had a few fights.
- Supportive Environment: A gym where beginners are welcomed and other experienced students provide encouragement and support, rather than intimidation.
- Class Structure: A good gym will offer beginner-friendly classes that allow you to develop gradually without being thrown into heavy sparring too soon. As 'fun' as this may seem for some people, poor technique in heavy sparring will only lead to stunted learning, as well as injury and head trauma. It says a lot about gyms who let their students tear into each other with no regard for safety.
- Reputation: Read reviews, and try to visit a few classes to get a feel for the culture.
Focus on Conditioning
MMA and full contact sports on the whole can be physically demanding. Whilst from the start, it's really about focussing on turning up to the classes and learning, eventually you should be putting time in to help with recovery and conditioning. Strength, endurance, agility, and flexibility, alongside your technical skills are all things you will need to invest in, but it is important to understand, these are long term goals and focusses, just focus on the small stuff to start with.
Conditioning will not only make you a better athlete eventually but also help you endure those long training sessions, stay injury-free and recover before the next session.
Learn to Manage Expectations
As a beginner, it’s easy to get frustrated when you don’t see immediate progress. MMA is a marathon, not a sprint. It will take months to grasp fully and years to master, if anyone ever truly does. Be patient with yourself and remember that improvement comes with consistency and time.
As mentioned, focus on the smaller wins, like successfully executing a technique or improving your capacity for those longer training sessions or sparring rounds. Most importantly, enjoy the process of learning.
MMA is intense, and it’s important to prevent burnout and injury. Some tips for self-care include:
- Rest: Allow time for your body to recover between sessions, especially any weight training. Overtraining can lead to injury and ultimately, will slow down your learning curve.
- Eat: A balanced diet with plenty of protein, healthy fats, and healthy carbohydrates to help you fuel your training sessions.
- Sleep: People try to get an edge by taking performance enhancing drugs, but genuinely, sleep will boost your testosterone (good for women as well as men) more effectively and safely than any drug you can obtain. Sleep is key, focus on a decent amount for you each night and your learning will increase exponentially.
- Training: Focus on getting the most out of every training session. Listen and ask questions. It is important to not focus on how good someone else is, whether better or worse than you, it's you that you need to focus on to begin with. Saying those words again helps; 'get the most out of every training session.
Maintain a Healthy Balance of Learning
Consistency, as well as repetition are key to progress in MMA and combat sports in general. The more regularly you train, the faster you’ll improve. However, doing too much too soon will not only risk you getting physical but also mental burnout, we see it all the time. People jump in head first and do way too much too soon.
Set realistic goals, whether it’s attending classes a few times a week or mastering specific techniques over time. Your persistence, dedication and focus will determine how far you go in the sport.
Final Thoughts
Starting MMA as a beginner is both exciting and challenging. It’s a journey that will test you physically, mentally, and emotionally, but the rewards are immense. From building confidence, improving fitness and skill, to making friends, building professional relationships and new pathways to learning, you will be glad you started!
Get involved today and enjoy the transformation!