5 Things You Should Never Do in Martial Arts Training
Martial arts training is all about discipline, hard work, and respect. No matter if you choose BJJ, boxing, or karate, the rules are the same in any gym. We are not speaking about training soccer where you have a rough tackle every now and then. No, it’s a place where people learn combat techniques, and actually, fight in sparring.
The gyms are places full of testosterone and even ego to some extent where things could go from zero to 100 in a split of a second. But this is where the role of the instructor and his leadership skills come into play. Each gym has a set of general rules we should all follow to stay safe and make the overall experience much better.
Here is a list of things you should never do in martial arts training.
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1. You should never be late
We know this might sound formal and cliche. But arriving late at the gym is one of those things that every single instructor hates. Of course, there are always exceptions where you have a strong reason why you are late. It has happened to all of us at least once. Still, be sure to always give your best to make it on time, or even arrive at the gym a bit earlier.
Showing up late is disrespectful towards the coach and other students. And second, it speaks a lot about your approach to training. It is one of the best indicators that you are either not interested in training, or that you are not serious about it. If you are not aware of this, then the coach will, at some point, pull you aside and give you a serious talk because it’s their job to keep the discipline at a high level.
If the coach and 20 other students can show up on time, you can do it too with a bit of effort. And this is not hard to do at all, even if you live far away from the gym you train in. It’s always better to come 10 or 15 minutes early than being late and embarrassed.
2. Chating while the instructor is talking
Few things are as disrespectful as talking while the instructor is giving their best to explain techniques. This is so frustrating that it often leads to an instant “red card” from the instructor. If you do this enough times, you might even get kicked out of the gym, and in our view, for the right reason.
You see, martial arts training is a place where you can meet new friends and it is a great way to socialize. But during the class, you should focus on working hard in silence and avoid chatting. There is a time and place for everything. Instead of interrupting the instructor, remember what you wanted to say, and do it after the class is over.
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Talking during the class is also selfish because you are distracting other students. The focus must be on learning new moves, applying them in practice, and leaving it all on the mats.
3. Always keep a high focus during the classes
Martial arts training is not rocket science where you must use 100% of your brain capacity. But still, you have to pay attention to what’s happening in the classes all the time. Once the fatigue kicks in, it’s really easy to lose focus and miss what the coach has said or shown. This is notably true for beginners who, for some reason, tend to daydream during the classes. This actually happened to me during my beginnings, and it was embarrassing.
I was tired, close to throwing up, to be honest, and looking at the clock waiting for the class to end. But at the same time, my coach was demonstrating the kickboxing combo we should practice next, and I wasn’t listening at all. Once he said, “GO!” I woke up, not knowing what the hell I’m supposed to do. I tried to look at the partner working on the bag next to me, but I failed to pick it up on time. And trust me, the death stare the coach gave me was enough for me to feel bad, and even anxious afterward.
Still, there are people who tend to get distracted very quickly in every single class which is really bad. It slows down your progress and makes you look bad in the eyes of the coaches and other students.
If you want to become good at fighting, you have to keep a high focus, and carefully listen to what the instructor has to say. In case you don’t, you won’t perform techniques the right way, and the instructor may be patient enough to correct you a couple of times. But sooner or later, they will realize you are living in your own world, far away from the classes.
4. Bully other students
Whether you train Muay Thai, Karate, or BJJ, be sure to always check your ego at the door. In case you don’t, you will be in for a very, very short ride. In the best scenario, the instructor will ask you to leave the class or kick you out of the gym. But there are also various other ways and methods they use to deal with bullies and non of them is nice.
You see, martial arts training is all about respect and having control of your ego. Each gym is one big family that shares the same passion. We are always ready to support each other towards our goals and be kind, which is not hard.
But as in any aspect of life, there’s always that one aggressive person. For some reason, these people tend to get into fights with other students, often beating the hell out of less-skilled partners.
However, martial arts classes are the worst place you can be a bully, notably if you are a beginner. If a person decides to, for whatever reason, beat the hell out of their partner to feel good about it, can you guess what’s going to happen? Let the video below shows you…
5. Be a bad sparring partner AKA gym warrior
Whether you are doing live drills or full contact sparring, be sure to always put safety in the first place, and be respectful. In training, there’s no need for using full power and sparring like you are in a UFC title fight. No, the focus is always on learning and keeping it all safe and under control.
In most gyms, students spar using 50% of the power as the focus is on learning how to perform the right way. Swinging wild punches and kicks is not the way you learn things. No, it only increases the risk of injuries that might put both of you or your partner out of training for months. Over time, you will gain a reputation for being a jerk whom people will start to avoid for the right reasons.
Martial arts training falls into a group of dangerous activities because of these people. For some reason, they are not obsessed with their own progress, they just want to be better than others. Or better to say, to be alpha in the group, which is stupid.
If you want to spar hard, then be open about it. Ask a training partner to dance with you without the gear, and do a couple of rounds of hard sparring. Don’t be a jerk and go too hard when the instructor said you should keep it light.
Final Thoughts
We have to end this article by saying that 99% of students in martial arts gyms are well aware of the things we have listed above. If you are a beginner, don’t worry too much about the bullies in classes or bad sparring partners. People responsible for them are instructors and they all know how to deal with them.
On the other side, showing up on time and paying attention to what’s happening in classes is not hard. If you want to succeed and achieve your goals, you must focus on developing good habits and adapting your personality to the culture and rules of the gym. Don’t be egocentric thinking that the entire world spins around you. No, you are the one who needs to adapt to the rules of training, not vice versa and this stands for any other sport out there.
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