How to Start Training Martial Arts? (6 Steps)

How to start martial arts?

To start training in martial arts, first, you have to decide which martial art you will start. That can be anything you can come up with, but one thing to keep in mind is the availability of that spesific martial arts dojo or gym near your home.

Let’s start and go through all the steps to do to get started with martial arts.

Step 1: Choose the right martial art for you

When it comes to choosing a martial art, there are two main factors to consider:

First of all, what kind of martial arts do you like? Do you like it to have kicks and punches, or just grappling without any punching? Here are the easiest martial arts for beginners to learn.

The second thing to look out for is the availability of gyms or dojos near your home.

Let’s say you want to start Karate, but there are no Karate gyms near your home. That might be really difficult if you have to drive an hour or more to attend every Karate lesson.

On top of that, there might be two or even three Karate lessons every week, which means a lot of driving, if the dojo is really far.

So, you could start by checking out all the martial arts gyms near you, and then considering, which one would suit your needs the best. That is the first step: choosing the best martial art for you.

Step 2: Choose the best martial arts gym or dojo

After you have decided on the best martial art for you, or have a few candidates, it’s time to look for the right gym to practice at.

There are several thing to look out for when choosing the right gym or dojo. (Gym and dojo are pretty much the same things, they both mean the place where you practice martial arts).

The things to look out for in a martial arts gym are:

Location
Instructor
Facilities

Fees

Here is a full guide on how to choose the best martial arts gym for you.

The decision might be really easy if there are not a lot of options where you live. I live in a smaller city, and there are only so many options to choose from. Lucky me I guess.

Step 3: Look for a beginner guide online

Getting to know the martial art up to a level, before you even join the gym can help you out a lot.

First of all, you will know some of the basic principles of martial art. For example, what kind of fighting style it represents?

A great way for this is to either search Google or YouTube to look for a beginner’s guide.

Type in “[Your martial art] + beginners guide” or something like that.

Replace the text in brackets with the martial art of your choice and remove the brackets. For example “Karate beginners guide”.

Step 4: Book a trial lesson

Usually, when you first join a martial arts gym, they offer a free trial lesson or a few.

That is so you can really get to know the martial art, before signing up for anything long-term.

Check out the gym’s website or their Facebook page if they have one, to find more information about free trials.

Sometimes you have to book a free trial, sometimes there is a beginner’s lesson a few times a year when it is a good time to start with other beginners.

If you can not find any information, just try to find their training schedule or a phone number and ask directly from them, either on the phone or at the gym.

Visiting the gym is also a great way to see the facilities they practice at. The general spirit, hygiene level, and how good the equipment is.

Step 5: Get the necessary equipment

If you found a gym and martial art you wish to take more seriously and have taken the trial lessons, it’s time to start getting some proper gear for your training.

Not all martial arts require a ton of gear, to begin with, but that might be gloves, helmets, gi, or any other training equipment.

Don’t buy blindly anything that is recommended on the internet. The best way is to ask your instructor or other practitioners that have been doing it for a while and ask what they recommend.

That’s where you typically find the most unbiased opinions for the best gear for that spesific martial art.

Step 6: Keep practicing

The last and simplest step is to just keep practicing. If after a few months of training, you feel like you don’t want to do it, I would suggest sticking it for a little bit longer.

Martial arts have many benefits to them. They are not always easy and can be physically really exhausting.

However, as you go on for a couple of months, you will start to see the progress. Imagine, how much you could achieve in a year or a decade of practicing.

Of course, it is up to you whether to continue or not. If you decide to call it a day, maybe consider another martial art that suits you better.

People are different and martial arts are not for everybody. Don’t feel bad if they are not for you, at least you tried.

If you decide to keep on practicing, good for you! I’m glad that you find a martial art that you are truly passionate about and really enjoy practicing!

Final thoughts

In conclusion, starting martial arts is really easy, don’t overcomplicate it. You just choose a martial art, or a gym to practice at, and sign up according to their instructions.

Do you have to be in shape to start them? Well, no, you don’t. I have a few posts about this topic as well: