FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Expect a friendly welcome, a quick tour, and an introduction to your coach. Classes begin with a warm-up, technical instruction, and partnered drills. You will always train at your pace — no pressure.

No. Most members start with zero experience, and coaches guide you step by step.

Athletic shorts or pants and a T-shirt. For Gi classes, a uniform is required. Remove jewelry and keep nails trimmed for safety.

For your first few classes you can train without equipment. Eventually, items like a mouthguard, gloves, and shin guards are recommended for striking classes.

No. Sparring is optional and controlled — you always choose your level of participation.

Live rounds involve either Kickboxing or MMA sparring, or Jiu-Jitsu rolling! Instead of practicing moves step-by-step, you’re practicing against a resisting opponent within a safe and controlled environment. Kickboxing rounds are typically three minutes in length, while MMA and BJJ rounds are five minutes. 

Absolutely not. Members range widely in age — you can begin safely with the right coaching.

Yes. Our training emphasizes practical techniques that build confidence and real-world skills.

Advanced BJJ classes are for Green Belts and up.

Our Advanced Kickboxing classes are designed for members who have mastered the foundational mechanics of striking and are ready for higher-intensity drills, complex combinations, and higher intensity sparring.

To ensure the safety and quality of training for everyone in the room, members must meet the following criteria before attending:

Experience & Technical Foundation

• Active Training: A minimum of 1 year of consistent Kickboxing / Muay Thai training (or equivalent experience evaluated by a coach).
• Core Competency: Sound understanding of fundamental stances, footwork, strikes, defense, and combinations.

Required Equipment

To participate in advanced drills and live sparring, you must have your own gear:

• Mouthguard
• Hand Wraps
• 14 or 16 oz Gloves
• Shin Guards
• Headgear

Coach Approval

• Assessment: Approval from Coach Manuel or Coach Peter is required prior to your first class. Speak with an instructor after any open/fundamentals class for a quick evaluation.
• Control & Partner Safety: Advanced classes require high emotional control, light-to-moderate contact discipline, and strict adherence to gym sparring etiquette.

Technical Skill Requirements

Offense & Mechanics

• Clean Stance & Footwork: Ability to maintain balance, balance recovery, and proper hand placement while advancing, retreating, and pivoting.
• Basic Punch Combinations: Fluid execution of fundamental combinations (e.g., Jab-Cross, Jab-Cross-Hook, Cross-Hook-Cross) without flaring elbows or dropping the non-striking hand.
• Kick Mechanics: Proper chambering, hip rotation, distance management, and recovery for roundhouse kicks, side kicks, and front kicks.
• Combination Flow: Ability to fluidly blend hands and feet together (e.g., Punch  Kick or Kick  Punch) rather than throwing single isolated strikes.

Defense & Distance Control

• Guard Discipline: Keeping hands high and elbows tucked under pressure; no turning away, ducking head blindly, or closing eyes when strikes come in.
• Basic Deflections & Blocks: Cleanly checking leg kicks, parrying jabs, shell-blocking high strikes, and absorbing moderate to heavy body shots.
• Head Movement: Basic slips, rolls, and distance management to slip off the centerline.

Contact Control & Conditioning

• Rate of Force Development Control: Demonstrated ability to throw strikes with precision and light-to-medium touch (20%–30% power) during partner drills without losing control or escalating intensity.
• Cardio Baseline: Capability to complete 3 five-minute continuous technical rounds without severe fatigue causing form breakdown.

Competition isn’t rushed. Before anyone is considered, they must show consistent training, solid fundamentals, good conditioning, and the ability to train safely. There is no set timeline—readiness is determined by the coaches. If competing is your goal, speak with your coach to learn the next steps.