When asked, most practitioners will say that the hardest part of any martial art is stepping through the door for the first time. Finding the courage to begin something new is hard enough. Beginning something new in an intimidating environment is enough to keep most people from ever trying. At first encounter, you’re met with what looks like a bunch of meat heads who like to beat each other up for fun. You will find that there is a surprising amount of depth in both the sport and the meat heads.
Before you begin, It can be helpful to reflect on the reason you’re interested in training in the first place. Many people begin as a form of exercise. When I began, I was just drawn to Muay Thai. I knew it was important to know how to defend myself and I really, really, needed a hobby that got me off of my couch. Do you want to compete? Do you want the workout? Are you interested in the self-growth that comes with training? Having an idea of why you are starting will help you find a gym and coach that work for you and your goals.
What makes a good gym?
Right off the bat, you should be met with a clean and welcoming environment. In a place where a lot of sweaty contact is made, it is vital that the gym is well taken care of to avoid health issues like staph infections. It is also extremely important that you’re made to feel welcome. Not only are these two factors important for their own sake, but they are also a reflection of the quality of the staff.
Once you’re in the gym, you should also note how professional the staff is. Indicators of unprofessional staff includes dating students, unwanted or unnecessary touch, disrespect towards anybody, and pressuring you to do things that make you uncomfortable (within reason, learning new things require you to leave your comfort zone after all). I knew when I joined my gym that I was in a safe space because I was instantly made to feel welcome. My coach had introduced himself and took the time to assess my knowledge before beginning class. Any time he wanted to help correct my form, he asked for my permission before touching me. The gym was also extremely clean and well-maintained.
Depending on the kind of gym you’re training at, it is really nice to observe a sense of community. If your gym is more oriented towards workout classes, you will likely not feel this very much. In gyms that are teaching martial arts for the sake of learning the art, it is good to feel that the students are, at the very least, friendly towards each other. Some gyms out there are excessively competitive during training, which can detract from the lesson that is being taught and is unsafe.
What makes a good coach?
I am very fortunate to have wonderful coaches at my gym, but of course that isn’t always the case. In terms of qualifications, not all coaches have to have fought to be able to teach well, so don’t let their fight history deter you from training with them. But, they should have significant experience training themselves before attempting to train others.
A good coach will push you to be better than you were the last time you showed up. On the other hand, they should know that there is a fine line between pushing too hard and pushing to the point of injury.
Your coach should have an awareness of who and why they partner people up. If you are like me, a 5’4″ woman with barely any experience, there is no reason I should be partnered up with a 6′ man who is overly aggressive. This boils down to preventing injuries. Combat sports inherently come with a greater risk of injury, but a good coach will work to ensure that they aren’t setting anyone up for it.
Most importantly, they should respect the art. You want to train under someone who takes it seriously. My coach never fails to wai before stepping onto the mat, showing respect to the space and opportunity to train.
What kind of mindset should I have?
When trying anything new, it is important to keep an open mind. The truth is that any kind of martial art or combat sport is hard. If you are able to push through the hard parts, you will find that you are capable of so much more than you would’ve expected. You will find that as you’re training, some things get easier and other things get harder. The magical self growth that so many people attribute to martial arts is built by pushing yourself to do hard things over and over again.
Be ready to give it a good shot. The benefits of training do not occur overnight or even after a week. The journey of learning a martial art is also a journey of understanding yourself, which takes time.
Be open to constructive criticism. You will not get it right on your first try. Most likely, you will not get it right on your 50th try. You will never get it right if you are not willing to listen.
Be respectful of the people and the space. Rarely do people expect you to understand the traditional ways to show respect in the beginning. The bare minimum is that you clean up after yourself, you are kind, and you try.
You don’t have to be great to start, but you do have to start to be great – Zig Ziglar