The Basic Equipment You Need To Start Your Own Gym

So you’ve decided to open your own martial arts club. Congratulations!

First things first. You’ve probably got your space now, but haven’t quite got the equipment yet. To help you out, in this article we will let you know the basic equipment that you will need to start your martial arts club. It’s essential to have great equipment to expand your martial arts activity. Students want to practice in a place that has good atmosphere, and you should offer them martial arts equipment of good quality to make that happen. The studio should be equipped with professional appliances, which implies a substantial investment. Depending on the martial arts you will be teaching, you’ll need different equipment for each technique, but for now let’s assume you are open to all styles.

Flooring

For judo, mixed martial arts training, karate, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and many other martial arts with sparring, you need to have mats to break the fall of students during takedowns or accidental slips.

Sprung flooring is used in many fitness clubs that feature sports which may involve falls, such as dance and of course martial arts. Such flooring features foam or rubber bottoms that can absorb impacts from falls. Sprung flooring often comes in panels that can be laid out and assembled as needed.

Heavy safety mats can be used in throwing practice to further reduce the impact of falling. The mats should be as close to one another as possible, leaving no gaps and providing a smooth fixed surface be fixed so it doesn’t move. Safety mats used in martial arts are often of the kind that interlock like jigsaw puzzles.

The ring

All the martial arts can use a ring for sparring drills or real training fights . Whether it’s boxing, Muay Thai or MMA, you will need a ring. It’s the iconic setup to make your club stand out as a martial arts club.

A ring is not an absolutely essential requirement, particularly if you’re on a budget. However, investing in one will pay off greatly when clients come to train at your club and see that you’re already set up with a ring that will allow even professionals to train.

Training equipment

You’ll need punching bags for many contact sports, including MMA, muay thai, full contact, and kickboxing. These can be standing punch bags or hanging punch bags.

Speed bag platforms and double-end bags are also must-haves in order to improve hand speed in boxing, MMA and muay thai.

Focus pads and jab curved focus pads are useful for boxing, MMA and muay thai. Target pads are a necessity for taekwondo, as well as a strike shield for every martial arts that requires the use of kicks .

Clothing & Protective equipment

The correct clothing and protective gear is always important in martial arts training, as students must wear them to protect themselves from injury during sparring.

Sparring equipment: Sparring gloves appropriate for the different types of martial arts you will teach. Sparring foot protector for karate and taekwondo.

Protective equipment: Head guards for MMA and boxing. Making it mandatory or not for sparring depends on which martial arts you are practicing or which level you are sparring at. Shin pads for taekwondo and MMA, body armour for taekwondo.

It’s impossible to have training in judo without offering the standardized judogi. Have these available for purchase by students to make things more convenient.

Safety

Your gym should be equipped with a first aid kit and you must have a way to contact emergency services. You should also maintain cleanliness at all times, cleaning up any sweat and other fluids from flooring and other equipment after every session. Make sure to have plenty of cleaning materials on hand.