Mixed Martial Arts is the fastest growing sport in the world. This is largely due to it's high entertainment value and the way it has been marketed. A resultant of this is the emergence of many new Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) gyms which you have probably noticed over the past few years. It has gone from 1 in your local area to 2 or 3 or more. This is why it is critical that you choose the right gym and know what to look for. Here are 5 important tips to choosing a MMA gym that is perfect for you.

1. You need to decide what you want from Mixed Martial Arts. People participate in MMA very various reasons, so what is your reason? Are you wanting to fight in the famous octagon, do you just want to learn the skills because you are a fan, are you doing it for self defence and confidence or do you think that those Mixed Martial Arts fighters are always in great shape and you would like to be in a similar sort of shape as them. Which ever reason you decide look for this within the gyms you try out.

2. Talk to friends about mixed martial arts and starting up training as they might train somewhere or have heard of a really good gym to train at. If a friend is referring you to start at a gym they must enjoy going there or have only heard good things about the gym. Now that you know of a few local gyms in your area visit their website and get a general feel about them, see what classes they offer, see their prices and see their credentials as trainers. Often you see trainers not qualified in MMA trying to teach MMA, you just will not get the same tuition from a trainer who has not had adequate experience in MMA or knows MMA inside out.

3. Now you are ready to go into the gym and trial a class or two. Most gyms offer a class free to see if the gym is for you. Some gyms run promotions with a free week trial so keep your eyes open for those offers. Trial the class you wish to do and ask yourself afterwards are you going to enjoy this type of training. If the answer is yes and you got a good vibe from the gym then it could be your new MMA home.

4. Mixed Martial Arts involves many individual styles of martial arts including the mainstream styles being wrestling, brazilian jiu jitsu (bjj), thai kickboxing or muay thai, boxing, judo and forms of karate. Depending upon what the gym offers and what you excel at, work on what you are naturally suited for and enjoy most at the start. Try do as many classes as possible but sometimes, time does not permit for this so focus on the styles that you enjoy most. This will become the base of your fighting style as it is the easiest for you to do as you enjoy and learn quickly in it. Train in the other classes as often as you can as you do not want to be one dimensional, but focus at the start on a main one or two then over next 6 months when you have a solid base get more experience in other styles of martial arts.

5. Dedication on learning. Attend your classes as often as you can, listen to the coaches as they have valuable knowledge, keep a positive attitude towards your training, coaches and training partners. Keep expanding your knowledge by picking your coaches brains, reading articles in magazines and online or buying books with information on mixed martial arts.

So there we have 5 tips for starting MMA. I hope they help and give you an idea of where to start in search for a gym. Keep an eye out for more articles if you liked what you read today or visit full combat centre for more updates and articles.