This is a very common question both for people new to the martial arts, and for people with experience in another style looking to make a change. In this article I’m going to answer whether MMA classes are worth your time, your effort, and your money.
As a rule, MMA classes are going to be well worth your time and money. You will receive a host of physical and psychological benefits from training, such as weight loss, self defense skills, and increased confidence. But best of all its fun, which will make sticking to it the easiest thing you’ll do all year.
But before you go and buy your gloves and mouth guard, let’s look a bit further and see if MMA training is right for you.
Your Goals
Why do you even want to train in MMA? Do you want to be a professional fighter? Or do you just want to lose a few pounds? Are you tired of sitting around watching TV after work and want some exercise? Maybe you just want the thrill of sparring? Or maybe you got in a real fight and you lost and you promised yourself that wouldn’t happen again.
“Is learning to fight worth it?”
In general, yes. Even if you never get into a real fight in your life, being trained to handle a physical conflict better helps you manage all other types of conflict, particularly at home and on the job. There is an old saying, “Better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war.”
No matter which of the above reasons is what is drawing you to MMA, joining a gym and training with all you’ve got will get you there.
As a side note, you may have to do some convincing to those around you in order to join a gym. That may be a skeptical spouse or an overprotective parent. You should expect them to have a default “no” answer when you suggest the idea of spending good money to get punched in the face. This is the normal attitude of people who have never felt the exhilaration of combat sports. The truth is, most people are intimidated by people who train to fight and they might be worried that you could be “corrupted” into a different or violent person by training in MMA.
Well don’t worry, the Martial World Academy has got your back! In the next paragraph you’ll see a list of reasons that will combat the excuse any parent or spouse might have that’s stopping you from training.
Benefits of MMA
Another element to consider when trying to judge whether MMA classes are worth it is, “What exactly are the benefits of MMA training?” In the gym, what you get out is equal to what you put in. If you get in there and train to your fullest you’re going to see results like you couldn’t imagine. I could write you a dozen articles on each of the separate benefits you’ll receive from MMA training but in the interest of time, here is a very short list:
- Physical fitness – After a few months of grounding and pounding you’re going to be a much hotter human machine.
- Increased confidence – The “volume” of your boss’s emotional outbursts are going going to be turned waaaaay down after you’ve gotten used to sparring. How intimidating will he even be when you’ve got toe-to toe with someone twice your size?
- Better health – Your heart and lungs will also thank you for the exercise. Which will finally get your doctor off your back, too.
- Sharper focus – When was the last time you devoted all your attention to one thing for an hour? Seems impossible, right? Not in a gym, believe me.
- Reduced stress – Have a rotten boss or a demanding job? You’ll be able to punch or sweat out all the pent up stress before you ever get home. Your spouse will definitely notice how much more relaxed you are at home, too.
- New friends – Making new friends is hard as an adult. But I can think of no better activity than MMA at injecting your life with at least 5 new best friends.
- Self defense skills – Part of self confidence comes from being able to handle yourself in a fight. Through MMA training you’ll learn how to fight not only on your feet but on the ground as well! This puts you ahead of 80% of the population who can barely throw a punch standing up!
- Better flexibility – Can’t forget about flexibility. All the sitting we do at work wreaks havoc on our connective tissues. MMA will help you reclaim that range of motion and stave off a lot of age-related body aches.
- Tougher body and mind – After a few months of hitting and being hit you’ll find that not only is your body tougher, but your mind is as well. You’re less easily rattled, and better able to deal with the daily problems that might have overwhelmed you before.
Is MMA a good way to get in shape?
The above list is pretty impressive, but exactly how effective is MMA at helping someone lose weight and look hotter? Surprisingly effective actually, especially for people who dislike lifting weights or running. In fact, in an hour of MMA training you can expect to burn upwards of 800+ calories per hour!
Value of MMA
We have covered what MMA will teach you, and the benefits that you will reap (and hopefully helped you convince your parent or spouse to support your decision to start training), so the final question is one you’ll have to answer for yourself: “Am I getting value for my time and effort?“
Here is how I think you should answer this question: sign up for classes, attend for two months not missing a single class, and after which ask yourself the following:
- Did I learn how to fight?
- Did I lose weight?
- Do I feel more relaxed and more confident?
- Did I make any new friends?
- Do I feel better about who I am as a person?
- Is this better than spending that hour just watching TV?
- Am I less stressed?
- Am I having fun?
For most people the answers to these are a resounding “YES!” How many other activities can do all these things at the same time and are available to both youths and adults alike? Not that many, I can tell you. All these reasons should be enough to tell us that MMA classes are worth it, but there is one more factor when considering value: cost.
How much does MMA training cost?
In general, you can expect MMA training to cost between $100-200 per month. This accounts for the fact that some gyms offer additional services like individual coaching, weight rooms, nutritional coaching, etc. Some gyms also provide specialized coaching in multiple styles like boxing, wrestling, Muay Thai, etc.
Final Round
Are MMA classes worth it? I can’t think of a single activity that provides better health, lowers anxiety, teaches self defense, increases confidence, and lets someone make a dozen new friends. Oh, and let’s also not forget that MMA is a total blast. So while some MMA gym memberships are a bit steep in cost, the answer is clear: MMA classes are definitely worth it.
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