Start MMA
Your first month of MMA training
Use your first month to get comfortable changing partners, following a drill and resetting on command. The four visits below are practice goals you can repeat over as many weeks as you need.
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Visit one. Learn the room
Locate the coach, the clean mat entrance and the place for an equipment problem. Practise the room’s stop signals before anyone applies resistance. At the end, you should be able to stop and restart with a new partner without guessing what is expected.
Visit two. Find your feet
Ask for a stance correction. Follow a partner taking a small step in either direction, then stop when the coach calls. Look down only after the pause to check whether your feet crossed or ended too close together.
Visit three. Name the position
In a beginner grappling lesson, identify who is on top, where the hips are and which direction the coach wants you to face. Ask to start the same escape again with the partner offering less resistance if you cannot recall the first movement.
Visit four. Link two jobs
Ask the coach to choose one transition the group already knows. An example is stepping off after a pad combination, then finding a stable base as the pad holder steps forward. Add a decision only when both people can stop at either point.
Judge your progress by a repeatable skill
Use the first month to learn gym habits. The decision to start sparring depends on your goals and what the coach sees. Common setbacks include chasing a different move each visit, gripping a partner at full strength during instruction and copying advanced rounds without knowing their rules. Bring one of those problems to the next coach.