Red Flags For BAD Muay Thai/Kickboxing Gyms

[@GabrielVargaOfficial]

Who's on the hunt for a new place to train? Be sure to be on the lookout for everything I mentioned in today's episode.

[@AbuHabibi]

Please do a breakdown on the fighter cory sandhagen

[@Emotionlessxartist]

Me! There’s nowhere here in Massachusetts that’s close and affordable rob fonts gym cost 250

[@pookiewood]

Me! I go to a gym that is all around MA and they have a Muay Thai night once a week. That's the day I go to. I'm trying to find another gym that will let me train once a week there but most want a big monthly payment. I tried out this one gym that had a 3 day try out. It was good actually great. I loved their instruction method over the gym I currently go to. I get the big monthly but in order to have access to their MT slots you have to pay the 3rd tier membership. Sadly living so far from that gym I wouldn't even be able to take advantage for what I'd be paying ($229). It's tough!! I want to do more MT but having a hard time finding that second day a week.

[@Diamekod]

​@@pookiewood dude I understand the struggle with time, but most actual gyms with some good level will not host a one week class. You can't learn anything with this intensity and it will just be for fun. At some of the gyms I attended you could just pay for a single training, although that was around 50% cost of a monthly for 4xmonth. Maybe try to find a gym with cheap monthly and it'll motivate you to find some time for the second time slot? 🎉

[@Forawrd]

What if your coach is old.

[@djkell78]

My instructor is 65 year's old and still spars with all his students no matter who they are. And he encouraged us to go to other schools to spar to test our abilities.

[@dalexsandroelchapin913]

That’s when you know that you have a badass coach lol

[@djkell78]

@@dalexsandroelchapin913 he is the best coach I ever had. He has taught me a mountain of knowledge.

[@zenmartialartist701]

That also should tell you he still takes care of himself, ain't a lot of 60+ Martial artists still sparring

[@Barack_Hussein_Obama]

@@zenmartialartist701 My judo teacher was close to 90 and he was always active on the mat

[@izukiz]

@mikekelly921 what gym is that mate?

[@huwhitecavebeast1972]

Another one I would like to add: If the coach is willing to let newbies go into sparring without the time invested to get proper training and conditioning, they are setting those students up for serious injuries and gyms/dojos that do that should be avoided.

[@siegfriedo]

💯

[@ricogotgame4687]

i think especially heavy sparring, i think a really LIGHT spar would help out.

[@Anduehan97]

@@ricogotgame4687 this is very true, when i'm paired with someone in sparring, and i notice they are very inexperienced, i just let them work, and just hit them, at a low intensity, when i see an opening. but i personally know people that would just beat the shit out of complete newcomers

[@tristanbutzine8589]

@@Anduehan97 Yeahhh, I'm pretty new but the dude I was sparring just wasn't great. Like he would be reaching for jabs, I'd constantly just tap him in the ribs with kick he was coming in. He would keep pushing because I just tapped him with my kick, close the space and follow up harder than I had kicked him (after I had been nice with a completely free roundhouse to the ribs that would've stopped him). How do I handle this? Do I just need to say, okay that would not have actually landed or do I just hit him a bit harder (to stop him from coming in) so he can't close the space and get free hits that would've never landed? Edit: The coach told this dude to chill out as he was going hard with one of our fighters who has a fight coming up. While I sparred with 2 of our fighters and got no compliants. I also heard a fighter till him to go lighter or he would leave with a concussion (Coach warned the class, him specifically twice, and I'm sure the fighter gave nicer warnings before that). I think every one picked up on the dudes vibe, as he was often without sparring partners.

[@termicaseg4334]

agree, i joined a gym once(it was my first time trying muay thai, but i already har experience in martial arts) and instead of learning the ways of muay thai, they just jumped straight to sparring.

[@nave94]

I’ve been at gyms where they let newbies spar without shin guards, throwing headkicks!! And the coach was standing there watching and didn’t say a word

[@davidevans7477]

That aint good. Talk about injury city. Conditioning has to be controlled so you don't break anything permanently. Hopefully you aint still there

[@nave94]

@@davidevans7477 no that was one of the things that made me leave

[@davidevans7477]

@@nave94 Understandable. Sparring manners should be taught early on. On bag, hit through target, do not hit through target in sparring. Obviously hit through target in an actual match.

[@irdk6891]

I find head kicks completely acceptable as long as it’s very light but no shin guards is very bad

[@Crazy_Schizo]

He’s creating spartans

[@jurhyify]

Super insightful as usual. I stopped going to a muay Thai gym because on my first sparring session(at that specific gym) i was light sparring against a guy who was fairly skilled and experienced in Muay Thai. I didn’t have much Muay Thai experience but i boxed for a some years and i know sparring etiquette and to show respect and control. This guy saw i had a white shirt(means a beginner at the gym) and i was just going light throwing 1-2’s and moving in and out. This guy just started going hard out of nowhere and throwing Superman punches, and actually trying to do damage to my face. He connected with some fairly hard shots but i stayed calm and kept a light, steady pace until the end of the round. The instructor did nothing and just kept walking around in circles. Later, the guy was just joking around with his friend and laughing about how he picked up the pace and went hard on me for no reason. So glad i didn’t end up paying 150$ and getting stuck in a contract over there lol.

[@eyebrow1]

A color coded ranking system in Muay Thai is a red flag to begin with.

[@vindicator75]

Yo bro. I heard boxing gyms are a different animal than Muay Thai or kickboxing gyms. Like in boxing gyms it's completely different etiquette. It's on and everyone is trying to knock each other out. I did boxing for a few months and that's how it was.

[@vindicator75]

​@@eyebrow1 no it's not bro. Ajhan Suchart in Toronto uses a coloured short system. He was Simon Marcus and Matt embrees coach.

[@jurhyify]

@@vindicator75 yeah it’s definitely more hardcore in boxing gyms. I’ve been around to a couple and it definitely moves at a different pace but i forgot to mention we didn’t have any headgear in this Muay Thai gym 😅. When i boxed we’d have headgear and a few trainers keeping a close eye in the ring and giving pointers. But in this muay thai gym it was mostly open matt sparring with multiple people going at once +no headgear. It was meant to be light sparring to just get in some work. The boxing gyms i went to were more competitive as well and had active fighters who were serious about competing so it was definitely a different culture. The mt gym i briefly visited was just a money grab, fitness based gym and it was the only MT gym in my area at the time so i wanted to get a feel for it since I’ve been a fan of the sport for so long. Thankfully I’ve been at a legit MT gym for some time now with some trainers and coaches who actually competed in legit thai fights

[@eyebrow1]

@@vindicator75 maybe I was being too harsh. I've learned that in general it's not something you see in Muay Thai. But if there are good gyms that use it. Right on.

[@Blakeadam52]

I love jumping in every now and again as a coach! Its awesome to see your students use the techniques/setups youve taught them, and if they can pull it off effectively thats even better! Getting hit by your students (assuming you actually put in your time as a student yourself) shows that what youre showing works and the name of the game is improvement all around!

[@mariomirquis9393]

God loves you he sent his one and only son and if we walk in the path Jesus walked in we will enter the kingdom of Heaven,’

[@jerryfathouse2009]

In a fight you will get hit. Seeing your coach take a shot and react appropriately is a key part of developing a realistic mindset towards combat. Respect for not letting your ego get in your students way🙏

[@JamieMcG7]

I trained at an MMA gym, every dude was trying to prove a point wouldn't talk during pad drills, and even in training was trying to break my knee cap, and unfortunately it completely turned me away from MMA, I love martial arts but when it comes to mentality in training you shouldn't be out for blood and beating the shit out of beginners and they also were arranging amateur fights for 6 year old kids...

[@lewispole1831]

Go to another one my friend!! Don’t let one gym turn you away from such a beautiful sport!

[@Shadynastys]

thats why i switched to a well run muay thai gym was tired of uneccsary injures from people with something to prove

[@XAXAXA-ok1]

UFC gyms in a nutshell

[@madmaxiemartialartsnerd485]

Honestly my biggest red flag for a muay thai gym, is when it feels like a kick boxing gym. Muay Thai adds in elbows and knees, which really changes the dynamics in how you approach a fight. So when you go to a muay thai gym and the coach/teacher/sensei never once shows you how to impliment those into a fight or how to defend against them, I say leave the gym if what your looking for is a genuine muay thai experience. Nothing is wrong with kick boxing, but a lot of kick boxing coaches will falsely advertise their gyms as muay thai, and then it just ends up being kick boxing or a cardio boxing place.

[@RealNaisuCinema]

I hated this about looking for my first gym. Luckily I did extensive research and found what I’m looking for but so many will say kickboxing but really just mean “workout class” and stuff like that. I’m headed to the gym I found tomorrow to see if their gym is for me and I’m not ready for that cardio at all

[@madmaxiemartialartsnerd485]

@@RealNaisuCinema Yeah to be honest i find mcdojo syndrom to be more common with kick boxing schools for at least with karate and TKD ur almost always guaranteed Kata, some flexibility stuff and pad work. But half the time kick boxing schools are just mcdojo shit

[@brotherhoodofsteel3090]

​@RealNaisuCinema How did your session go bud?

[@RealNaisuCinema]

@@brotherhoodofsteel3090 it was pretty fun and also taught me that I didn’t know how to fight for real lmao. I also learned the hard way that skipping shoulders and leg day in the gym this past year wasn’t a good idea. But it’s pretty fun. So far I’ve learned a few combos and teep/push kick usage which is pretty cool. I’m hoping we get to lowkicks soon as I want that to be something I use often

[@benjaminhusic1351]

thanks bro i have a same problem i train muay thai in this gym in 6 months we did no clinch one teep no elbows 2 knees.they do a lot of 8 to 10 combos in total but kicks and punches.and it is a muay thai gym.if you are new they do not teach the clinch not even after 3 months or 6

[@AbuHabibi]

I would love to see you breakdown the fighter cory sandhagen

[@saure22]

The sandman!

[@GGGxe]

irl button mashing. there you go

[@kutthroatjd6048]

@@GGGxe 😂

[@Secondhandtermite]

Absolutely need to see this

[@Pat315]

mid and will never be champ. there you go

[@MingerHarrier]

I wanted to train MMA instead of just a stricking martial art and when I went to the only MMA gym that are close to where I live I saw a couple of students "resting" cause they were injured, then I asked them if that was normal and one guy told me it was pretty common and he injured his shoulder the first week he got in. They were talking it about it like they were proud of it so I decided to not train there.

[@V12509]

@Angel Irbin Then how come I’m doing boxing for 1.5 years with no significant injuries other than a bit of a sore thumb/shoulder that healed maximum in a few weeks without stopping training? Please don’t spread information that injury is certain. I train 4 times a week as well, so I know. If you take precautions and you’re doing it right you’re NOT supposed to get injured.

[@V12509]

@Angel Irbin I don’t care about competition, neither do most people who go to boxing/fighting gyms. I was offered a fight by my previous coach but I wasn’t interested, I got university and a career ahead of me. So nah, I’m not gonna sit down, fact is: You won’t get injured if you’re not being aggressive. Fighting wise, I’m not arguing with you, you’re correct.

[@MingerHarrier]

@Angel Irbin Of course you are gonna get injured at some point. But if I see it's common that newbies get injuried in a gym for me it's a red flag.

[@jlogan2228]

Yea "just bleed" is a toxic mentality that has no place in a gym or dojo bc all that happens is you lose time training and you make it more difficult to stay in good condition bc of injuries.

[@IControlTheStatic]

Your all punk bitches lol getting injured is apart of the sport, if you don’t compete you shouldn’t comment on injuries at all people to often want a gym to cradle them

[@YourMakingMeNervous]

You're making such high quality videos at a crazy fast pace!

[@GabrielVargaOfficial]

I try. Thanks for noticing.

[@comosediceesoo681]

​@@GabrielVargaOfficial crazy work ethic i know making videos isn't that easy

[@AlenPesec]

"Learn in sparring and fight in fights" is my n1. rule.. When people don't respect that, i quit sparring them and let them know why. And it took me a while to control anger coming with it, cuz before it used to just escalate into coach breaking us up.. And like.. That's so undermining to everyone who wants to compete. We can train muscles but not brains. Every K.O will reduce your "chin" and then ppl can as much as look at you and you fall unconscious. 👍 Nice recipe for CTE too. Nice video 🙏

[@d0ublemischiev0s]

You nailed my experiences as a youth at McDojos and then discovering legit traditional schools in my 20s and finally my current Muay Thai Gym. Worlds differences in them.

[@ismesheverone7653]

Same here 😂

[@Lektuerekurs]

Total amateur/hobby fighter here, but just to add in minor stuff: + no real training for beginners, not teaching footwork or fundamentals + the owner prioritises fitness classes over fight training (as it pays more memberships)

[@ocshot9136]

I joined my gym about 6 months ago and I love it. From day one I sensed it was well run, and I felt confident to sign up for two classes. Now that I have seen this video I realize why. None of the issues mentioned happen in my gym! I love my gym and the people.

[@ZisisPethanis]

Nice subject, and i would like to add a couple of other red flags that i personally find important. As a southpaw, I've been to more than a few gyms that are not able to adapt their exercises for me. They don't understand the difference in logic, tactics, strategies the southpaw guys need. Another red flag is how much importance they give to warm up. And lastly, when do they let beginners spar, who do they give them as opponents, and if they observer their first spars seriously. Not a good thing to have beginners spar after their first week, against a "bully" or without the proper supervision.

[@pabloer952]

You just said what Hard2Hurt said exactly in a video.

[@JayOG-k4u]

Sick humble brag

[@hampuswallin5942]

@@JayOG-k4u Huh?

[@pat2776]

So true for southpaw, my mma instructor gave me few tips and something to think about for my sparing in south paw stance etc

[@mouten1889]

-coach never spars -is there respect and discipline -coaches don't allow their students go to other gyms -how good are the best members in the gyms, are you the best in the room -people are constantly getting injured after -avoid big lengthy contract that lock you in -lack of credentials in the instructors, do coaches helps students win tournaments and championship -avoid gyms that require you to compete -lack of hygiene in the gyms

[@ASentientPlant]

Thanks 🏆

[@Saltwater_Odysessy]

This Describes the gym I went to recently. I am a beginner in martial arts and was happy to learn the gym near me taught Muay Thai. Upon entering I noticed they blended MMA classes into the Muay Thai. They didn’t clean the mats before switching to Muay Thai. I had no experience in really much of any martial arts. I ended up sparring (lightly) with someone who’s been doing it for 4 years and he wasn’t interested and would stop/turn around and talk his friend doing BJJ durin the match. The coach would walk around the ring blurting what was next and all the experienced people really didn’t show any interest or respect, they would look around when he was explaining the next drills. The used equipment they had was smelly unorganized layin around in a designated area. I found a place 15 more mins of a drive that I’m going to check out.

[@todoranandrei8716]

Oh dear it must had been a nightmare that one work out to train there...

[@danielcreed8520]

Gabriel, your breakdowns are great! Students, whether beginners, advanced, or expert, can all discuss these priority topics in great depth. Thanks for sharing your experience & wisdom!

[@ajm2857]

3:39 only exception to this one imo, is when a coach doesn’t want you cross training before a fight, as my coach put it I can’t properly corner you if I haven’t coached you all camp. He wants our effort in the lead up focused on building a game plan.

[@chairmanprakasit2539]

I have seen a gym that punched a student in the face and said, “condition for pain." Completely delusional. A lot of people today crave for uniqueness like oh look, I am a different breed than other people.. If any of you have been in the gym like this, sue them too.

[@GabrielVargaOfficial]

Yes. That is beyond dumb

[@remyhavoc4463]

Bro watched that one scene in Karate Kid 2012 where the coach slapped his student and made him his role model 😭🤣

[@chairmanprakasit2539]

@@GabrielVargaOfficial I think sueing the gym is a must, sir. The gym should at least pay money for possible permanent damage after doing that every day.

[@chairmanprakasit2539]

@@remyhavoc4463 Tough love. Many people think it is cool and conditioning.😭😭🤣🤣

[@ДимаВеселов-в8и]

Last year I decided to finally train boxing again(trained it as a kid for like 4 years, but as I hit the puberty I started getting frequent headaches, which my mom thought were caused by people hitting me on the head although they didn't, so I had to leave until I turned 19 and could earn some money to pay for the training myself). The gym I attended this time had none of those red flags, but our coach was only seriously fixated on 2 best fighters, while the rest of the group got "nah, go do this exercise for a strangely long time and don't bother me" type of attitude. At first I didn't think much of it-I was basically a rookie so I indeed had to train my basic movements and muscle memory and coach surely knows better what I should be doing, but in the end this attitude basically costed me a leg. I started feeling some discomfort and eventually minor pain in my knee during exercises, but shrugged it off as "my body is just getting used to physical activity after a long period of lying on the couch" and just started taking glucosamine & chondroitin supplements, but the discomfort didn't go away and I realised that 1. It only affects my left knee 2. It only happens during one specific exercise, which is jump forward with a left jab and jump back to initial position. I told the coach about my issue and he was like "ah, yes, you're doing it wrong. You shouldn't twist your foot like that". I left rather soon after that for two reasons: 1. I was doing that exercise for several weeks, the dude went past me countless times and never uttered a word about my bad technique until I asked him what was I doing wrong, so I didn't have much faith that I would grow into something with this kind of training 2. My doc said that I've damaged my ligaments, so I should abandon all excessive loads on my legs and eat pills for at least half a year Now as I'm getting mostly recovered I start thinking to try and make another shot, but at the same time I kinda have a feeling that my boxing path is just cursed Anyway, an addition to the video and a friendly tip to all the other beginners: make sure that your coach is truly involved and don't be afraid of asking questions even if they seem unnecessary or the answer seems to be obvious

[@NickHalden-by8ui]

I have only seen this month 4 months after u posted it. But if ur serious about healing and one day bulletproofing ur knees I suggest looking up knees over toes guy. His exercise changed lives and changed mine. Still working on some things tho but completely pain free thank God

[@crawler9065]

Doctors will kill you if you let them. "Abandon all exercise loads on your legs for HALF A YEAR and take these drugs" is horrible advice unless you have broken bones. We recover by moving.

[@ДимаВеселов-в8и]

@@crawler9065 doctor said EXCESSIVE load, not EXERCISE load, which means that I can(and of course should) walk around and occasionally do squats/jog a bit/etc., but no weightlifting or running&jumping too much

[@crawler9065]

@@ДимаВеселов-в8и Ah, sorry for misreading you. It does make sense that he'd tell you not to sprint or jump 👍

[@leonapoletano]

Also your cross training warning was interesting. I did wrestling then later jujutsu twice a week one year as a second sport. I got a lot of criticism for that. Funny thing is it totally helped my taekwondo! And I wish more kids would cross train. Instead they play soccer or baseball. That's cool. But if you love martial arts why wouldn't you pick up grappling as a second?

[@LightBender777]

What the F did you just say?????

[@sandiego7433]

Any true martial arts is better than none

[@leonapoletano]

@@LightBender777 What do you mean? Grappling made my body strong and my inside striking more comfortable.

[@jestfullgremblim8002]

​@@LightBender777 ???

[@melodiic3247]

@@leonapoletano how did grappling effect ur inside fighting? Just curious

[@ulysses-pact]

I think I found gold. In my city I only found commercial gyms with kickboxing classes that were really just cardio. And in the middle of nowhere, I discovered a smal and humble garage gym. Well equiped, very clean, with a bunch of belts hanging in the wall and nice people. The price is good and the I even watched some of the fights of these guys, they look tough. Going to my first ever class this monday, wish me luck.

[@ryno9508]

Another one is a gym where there is no beginner and intermediate/advanced class. I used to coach at a place where day1 people would train with people that had been there for years. I was always told to cater the class to the beginners so we could sign them up for memberships. But, the advanced people werent really getting much out of class. I found my middle ground by separating them myself and teaching 2 classes in one. But that just got exhuasting after a while.

[@spikeboy101]

I as a practitioner had the same problem on the other side. I was a beginner but had to do the same workout that made the vets/advanced, tired and exhausted. I as a beginner shouldn't be doing a workout that even they had a hard time with. It was too hard and I was told to do all kinds of strikes for pad drills, when I didn't even know the proper form for a jab. Made no sense to me so I left

[@achimsinn6189]

One thing I always watch out for is if they show you around BEFORE you sign a contract. A gym that is confident in what they have to offer would gladly do so. I understand that I can't just walk into random classes while they are happening or something like that and if they tell me to come back at a later time or only show me the parts of the gym they can, that is fine. But if they are like "we can't allow you to enter because only members can enter, I usually just leave

[@NoPallWLeb]

I find it very interesting when it comes to hard sparing, because I only found out couple of weeks ago (when I started to look stuff up on the internet about gyms) that it's a thing. In my gym we always tell each other what types of kicks/puches we want to use and we are very careful with them. It can be due to the fact that pretty much nobody in this particular group wants to be a professional so everyone is chill but I've always seen sparings more like a training of the tecnics and not of the power.

[@jlogan2228]

Imo it's kind of a toxic metric to say look how much and how hard everyone spars and how good they are or how they compete etc. You may have a class full of rookies who are just doing this for fun and have no interest in competing so of course you can plow through them.

[@bigdaddygucciabg836]

Perfect timing. Been trying out bunch of gyms in my area and needed to know how I even know what’s a good gym or not

[@launicamanera]

man Gabriel Varga is so cool it could be a topic ive heard about many times but its just entertaining to listen to him explain things.

[@jayegamer8172]

Coaching and sparring/fighting are 2 different skill sets. Cus D'amato wasn't a fighter and went on to train Tyson the baddest Man on the Planet. Angelo Dundee trained over 15 world champions of which include Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard. Having accolades as a fighter can be beneficial but doesn't always translate to a being a good coach. Managing kids in a class setting is great for gaining experience and aspiring coach should start with working with kids and teens provided they have the temperament. Staying away from McDojos and Bully gyms that don't are HUGE red flags.

[@Wonderkid44]

Cus was in his 80s and this guy thinks he should have been sparring.

[@Frankcohle]

Cus WAS a fighter. His career was cut short by an eye injury, and he decided to become a coach.

[@Wonderkid44]

@@Frankcohle but this guy said the gyms credibility is reduced if the COACH isn’t sparring. He didn’t mention anything about the coach being retired or being old or having CTE. He just said if the coach isn’t sparring then the gyms credibility goes down.

[@aleks5340]

@@Wonderkid44 Did you even watch the video? He LITERALLY said if the coach is old or has been fighting for years and is not in the right physical shape for sparring then it's fine.

[@joelthomas9]

Cus was a fighter .

[@NeuroDee]

Thanks for the video, I have a great gym and I sensed it right away too. The gym is clean, one of the coaches is Kieron Keddle who's a 3x world champ, never been pressured to spar and the gym has Junior, Amateur, and Professional fighters in it. I haven't attended any sparring yet, but from what I hear from other guys in the gym it's respectful. Otherwise the general atmosphere is respectful when doing drills etc. I have social anxiety and I feel pretty comfortable going to my gym which I think speaks highly of the gym as well.

[@AleMo1308]

Imo another red flag is when the course or the all gym makes you feel univited...like you just entered the wrong room in a hotel...and the fault can be of the trainer or of the students themself like when the most of them is there from years and they start to be a bit snob to newcommers (Sorry for any errors english is not my first language)

[@Wavecheckfoo]

I completely understand this but I’m the type of person that thrives under pressure so personally I love that kind of environment my motivation is usually “I’ll prove you all wrong” but my gym if full of nothing but nice people I gotta make up imaginary scenarios in my head or when my coach points out mistakes I just take it extremely personal to make me work harder but I realize that’s just me and doesn’t work for everyone

[@AleMo1308]

@@Wavecheckfoo I actually understand you quite well...i'm in a situation where between me and my companions there is a sort of friendly competition like lets see who's better today... but after there are only laughs and jokes, and my coach is the tipe of coach that sais "you make a mistake? I will personally remaind u of it untill it disappears every time i see it...EVRY TIME"... so yeah even if my coach is one of the greatest person i know he still makes himself hate-able by doing the "noisy mosquito" until u perfected your tecnique. Btw what do u practice? I practice JKD (jeet kune do) and Muay Thai

[@Wavecheckfoo]

@@AleMo1308 I practice Muay Thai4 times a week and practice for another 2 hours at a local boxing gym. it’s been a month

[@AleMo1308]

@@Wavecheckfoo Nice man! I practice 3 times a week in the gym and every day at home and do muscle training

[@Wavecheckfoo]

@@AleMo1308 funny thing about strength training is my roommate and I have been lifting and cardio 6 days a week for the past year so I just stepped into my gym first day jacked. Everyone kept asking “where did you train before?” Im like bro no fucking where😭😭 if I can give you advice on Strength training it would be Forget all that calisthenics stuff we do in class and just lift heavy ass weights( not literally start at your own pace) bro trust me cus after sparring I’m still good to go while the other beginners are gassed out. Also fancy gyms don’t matter I got jacked at a planet fitness it’s all about consistency and diet and I diet I mean protein and creatine everyday babyyyy

[@mogoes96]

I train at Garth Taylor jiu jitsu in Santa Cruz. I already knew it was a killer gym but this video helped me realize that it’s definitely the real deal. Thanks for the video!

[@tonib111]

I just started full-contact first time martal arts, and the Dojo is very friendly, they dont let me Spar for the first month, so calm with the payment, all clean and we are all so respectfull with each other, the walls full of photos of good old members and the coach is very personal with the students 10/10

[@MannyGrey]

Great video for beginners looking to get into it. Been to a few gyms and have witnessed many of these problem mentioned besides the mcdojo contract. Grateful to have found my gyms where i feel comfortable.

[@oliverschultz4345]

Brilliant and invaluable advice! Thank you Sensei Gabriel.

[@K.R_Mony]

As a Taekwondo Teacher, I have seen alot of bad Taekwondo class and Martial Art class that only teach teach but never connect to any competition, they just teach for health. You never know until it's too late

[@bjed21]

Went to a gym asked to watch the kids class. Suddenly Chris hansen came out of the locker room.

[@vindicator75]

Alright, I currently go to The One Muay Thai and Fitness. My Coach is Simon Marcus, so I'm pretty sure he is the best guy in the room. My gym has all the checklists, but they are renovating for a little bit. I may need to find a gym until they re-open.

[@Condeycon]

Possible follow up video idea: How to make the best of a bad gym. If you're from a small town with maybe 1 or 2 gyms available, you're kinda screwed if they are both mcdojos

[@jlogan2228]

One caveat I will make is on sparring or perception of skills. Some instructors are just older and don't want to get banged up anymore, and some classes are full of beginner level people who just do it for fun. So always temper your expectations and remember that a gyms merit is not based around competition or being full of elite level fighters, ALOT of times it's just hey this seems neat I wanna dabble in it and that's perfectly ok

[@steverogers7601]

Sometimes instructors have day jobs outside of the gym. I train with a coach who is a parole officer and occasionally spars with the guys in our class. It’s always light and at a decent paced but he’s in his 40s and absolutely does not want to get banged up or rocked by a new guy, especially when he’s not getting paid much for this.

[@Dehmitz]

Thanks for the insight. I read a post on the Muay Thai subreddit by someone who's completely new to the sport and saved up some money with plans to train in Thailand for a while. I agree with the people who urged him to find a gym near him to get some knowledge on the discipline beforehand. Regardless, this is good advice no matter the location.

[@batgwill]

haven’t watched the video yet but the one I always tell people in a jiujitsu context is if the gym has no women at all, that is a bad sign. If the gym can’t maintain even a small female clientele, its probably because the culture is bit weird or creepy or uncomfortable.

[@GabrielVargaOfficial]

Oooo. Good one. I didn't think of that. Although I haven't trained at a gym that didn't have female clientele

[@huwhitecavebeast1972]

Idk about that, some people just don't want to roll with women for good reasons.

[@sexybluelady]

I am the only woman in my gym, and don't even train there full time anymore nor do I "belong" to the gym, I'm unaffiliated. The culture in boxing has always been extremely uninviting to women for many many different reasons. I have to travel around the country (the USA) just to get work in with other women because boxing is still so toxic towards women.

[@Fierydice]

Simp.

[@kacpermoney2820]

I hate women in the gym. They usually can’t control their strength when you grapple so they’ll attack you with too much ego. If they are good looking then the whole class is going to try to get with them. In striking/sparring they are a joke and you have to treat them like toddlers most of the time.

[@krystofcisar469]

Man speaking gold to all martial arts newbies and intermediates! Thanks.. MC dojos are unfortunately so common, but not between MT and MMA as I experienced and i was lucky to have few realy good coaches and sparrs..

[@deansmith3237]

Woohoo! My gym here in Nashville checks all the boxes 🙌

[@kc0tlh]

Where do you train? I’m looking to try out some gyms here!

[@cofusion2112]

This is huge!! First MMA gym I joined had all but 2 of these red flags. All my major injuries were from that gym aswell. Great video. I hope this helps someone new to Martial Arts :)

[@imperialchalice]

I’d like to add: a lack of direction as another red flag. I’ve been to several Muay Thai gyms now, and I have always found, with these particular gyms, the class just lacks direction. Even if you’re not competing, bad technique is dangerous. When I go in, it’s not a feeling of variety I get-it’s this strange, discombobulated, mish mash of things that don’t build up onto each other, or, there aren’t ANY fundamentals going in. At all. You’re thrown in and expected to kick like a Thai fighter who has built his/her form over years. And instead of correction, adjustment, guidance and instruction, you’re just asked to “monkey see monkey do” it. I truly dislike that. Unfortunately I am currently stuck in a McDojo, but, I’m trying to get my money’s worth. Seeing this after sparring tonight, which was hell btw, seeing as I’m the only tiny ass female who remains in the Muay Thai classes at the moment (according to everyone here, the girls are often scared away, and I don’t blame them, these dudes don’t understand sparring vs fighting lol)-it’s a bit comforting to understand I’m not going crazy haha. It’s not an encouraging environment when your gym is set up like that. People often don’t come back after their contracts much like you mentioned in the video, because they just feel intimidated and humiliated if they can’t pick things up. PS. I am still a beginner, and I don’t wanna give up. I wanna learn to fight. 💪 because fuck yeah. This sport, this martial arts is the reason I’ve become active again in my life again. I love it. I don’t wanna give up looking for the perfect gym. ❤ bless all. Stay safe out there ❤❤❤ and a random shout out to my sparring buddies who do have the etiquette and genius to spar with beginners. You make this fun, you make this exciting, you make this worthwhile and inspire people just like me (I have a few in my current gym and I fucking love those guys, they are amazing, they’re the reason I’m staying).

[@MattyIceBJJ]

I saw the opposite today in terms of females sparring males, I just started at a new Muay Thai gym. This smaller girl needed a sparring partner and got paired up with a tall lanky guy. She was throwing 100% power low key rocking him. Dude looked like he didn’t know how to react because it’s a chick.

[@Bird_Manukilla]

Did you get out yet? Hope you found a real gym.

[@osklud]

Same thing with the gym I started going to, it’s lacking direction. I’m also a beginner and started this week, for starters we were asked to do different kind of kicks with a partner, but I wasn’t even taught how to put my guard up, and I see a lot of that “monkey see, monkey do” mindset. In 20 minutes I’m heading out to my fourth lesson, still haven’t been taught how to correctly put my guard up, let’s see if that changes today

[@siegfriedo]

Another red flag: The instructor/coach is regularly messing around with his smart phone during the actual class and thus not paying proper attention to students.

[@GabrielVargaOfficial]

Ha! Yes. That's a red flag for ANYONE "working"

[@marca.9365]

Maryland has the most mcdojo gyms/schools, good thing I did a lot of my training in Asia such as Thailand, Myanmar, etc. Being a Kru myself.

[@Lith333]

Can you recommend any decent ones in Maryland?

[@mysteryskate8996]

Went to a free muay thai class once, they had loud music on, the instructor you could barely hear him and he wasnt going around seeing if people were doing their techniques correctly and most of the people were chatting more than training, i realized if i stayed here i wasnt gonna learn anything especially cuz there was a lack of discipline never went back and i came to find out that they do belt systems there now. Went to an MMA gym and they were charging for a free trial class, i walked out and came to find out they do ranking system here and you have to buy a new uniform each time you rank up. Went to a kyokushin dojo for a free class and i loved it the discipline they had and the shihan would correct people on their techniques and he would motivate his students also everyone there was helpful it felt like a brotherhood not only that but they allow you to visit their other dojos without charging any fees, and the shihan encouraged cross training in other arts to improve and learn. I stayed in kyokushin but im looking into cross training in boxing too.

[@wopaolon7478]

It's weird because the gym I go to has some red flags (long contracts, coach doesn't spar much and doesn't go enough around the room), but also great points. People are respectful, friendly, coach got national titles in the past etc. I guess feeling good about going to each session and feeling like you are learning are the most important things. Best point for me is the coach understood I'm completly out of shape, and he is both making me adapt the exercises to my body limits but pushing me and motivating me to train.

[@elgringolobo97]

All the points you made here are applicable to any martial arts school, whether they teach Muay Thai, Jiu Jitsu, Boxing, MMA, Judo, etc. It really seems like all bad martial arts gyms have a lot in common.

[@Ztaylor3388]

Definitely like this video. I just started at a UFC gym ran by a former flyweight champ in the UFC, Ricardo Lamas. And I have to say, he does a really good job at showing no signs of these red flags!

[@KM-iv9xy]

That's one reason I like and respect my instructor to much. He fought in Pride FC and actually has a win over Anderson Silva back in the day. But he will do demonstrative exchanges and things with us, and he's been clipped by students before, and just says "oh, you got me" like no big deal

[@xxfloppypillowxx]

I just started Taekwon-do this year and I'm glad to find this video and see that my dojang does not have any of these red flags. One thing that is particularly good for taekwon-do in general is that if you are in a ITF backed dojang it means you are going to be following the same rules, style, curriculum as all other ITF dojangs. My instructor told me on my first day there "where ever you go in the world if you see the ITF sticker on the wall you know that they will be teaching the same thing that is taught here" also because it has the governing body overseeing things it means that the instructor's credentials can be verified as well because all official ITF Dojangs are run by 4th dan (4th degree black belt) or higher and the ITF has a registry online for all 4th degree black belts or higher. I haven't been to any other gyms so I don't know what it's like there but when you walk into our dojang it tends to smell like a pool which is a good sign that they are keeping things clean as well as visually it looks clean.

[@ruedassueltas]

Happened to me every time I moved in the past 10 years (even across continents 😅) - Thanks for a very important and informative video!!

[@xavierwatson9325]

This video has made me realize the gym that I go to is a high class gym and I just need to go more thanks man

[@waynnosthestrange6054]

My first Muay Thai coach had a bung knee and still moved around. He loved to train and coach.

[@jessica-mh3os]

not doing muay thai/kickboxing but the thing about the most skilled people in the class is bang on. my coach only lets us go for our next belt when he thinks we're ready and every black belt in the room earned their belt fair and square without taking the fast route. that's the sign of a good coach. not caring about how many black belts there are, but the standard of the black belts we have.

[@ruedassueltas]

The bit related to respect is such a major red flag!!

[@kanelbullar01]

this is the best video ever for beginers, i will reccomend this video to every amateur friend of mine

[@Aglai76]

My problem is my instructor didn't teach skillsst-based classes. On day 1, I was instructed on how to do these crazy combos when I've never thrown a trained fighting punch in my life. I feel so far behind & i can't keep up with the instructions, as well as i feel like I'm holding my fellow classmates back

[@christianoraimondo1993]

My gym has a point fighting champion. Multiple karate champions. Blacks belts etc. Since pennslyvania is a big wrestling state we have a ton of D1 wrestlers and guys that went to states. I definitley enjoy it there.

[@adhdmed]

I've been to a gym where the owner who loved selling fight tickets over weekends for extra cash, made me Compete in an internal gym competition against the top fighters without ever sparring or learning anything except basic bagwork and fitness training. She just wanted to sell tickets for a crowd of spectators to see fights at the gym without proper training. I left that gym as soon as the year long contract ended. In my opinion, it's safer to first learn Karate or at least boxing Padwork before moving to a Kickboxing gym because you'd at least know the basics Incase you need it.

[@markasmaclean420]

Wish this was made when I first started haha I remember stepping into a Gracie barra in Novi Michigan they check all the red flags lol. And they got me into a contact I had to get myself out of the first day!

[@diedannuss2132]

Thanks for your experienced opinion on this topic!

[@ryanoneill6481]

I reckon a good indication of a bad gym would be if the coach has students who are left handed fight orthodox to make them easier for their sparring partner to work with .

[@darienbrewer8317]

Definitely ran into a McDojo once, so glad I'm not with that gym anymore! The new gym I'm with is exactly as you say. All you have to do is give them a notice before the next billing cycle letting them know you won't be attending anymore. I fell on hard times and couldn't train at one point with the McDojo gym and was still required to pay regardless. Like, they allow you to freeze your account for 6 months, but what if you don't find another job before then depending on your credentials? Fortunately, I had enough money saved up to get through it, but I will never go to that gym agian!

[@dannynicholson6195]

My coach had me fighting guys wayyyyy passed my skill set, and I had only been boxing like a month. I ended up re-injuring my shoulder in following weeks and worry about ever joining another gym

[@nacktheslayer9882]

My old dojang used to require 5 tournaments before you could test for your black belt. It wasn't that bad. Just one or two a year and back then there was at least 3 to 4 tournaments a year. But later on the dojang became less competitive and they took that requirement away.

[@JayOG-k4u]

5 weekends = a black belt? Lmao what the fuck

[@martialartsunlimitedvictoria]

We appreciate the referral! Pretty sure you just described our gym. 😉 Jokes aside, these are all great points. I'm trying to think of anything else to look for but I think you may have covered all the bases. ✅✅✅✅✅✅✅

[@pepehorhae]

you know, to add , as to the cleaning part, i believe if the gym is clean, it means u got people who have the discipline and initiative themselves to be orderly. its d same principle in fixing your bed in the morning prior to everything else. its a subtle psychological sign that these people are good and they mean what they do even in the little things - and you cant trust people on the big things if in the little things they cannot handle it. coach always told me to put things right where they belong its a sign of discipline and respect to others who will use the equipment and to the gym staff in lessening their stress. your observation of that part is an important factor. nice vid btw good sir have a great day!

[@kylehansen2577]

I’m lucky enough to find a good gym. It’s small but from the first week I went they told I can just pay whenever I got the opportunity. It’s easy to tell they care about the teaching and helping people before worrying about money.

[@patrickking2108]

This made me realize how great my gym truly is.

[@bulletclub4life]

the first one is spot on, even if they arent able anymore, they still will get in with you because they love what they doing....Anyone that dont just taking your money.

[@closeredge5198]

This is a GREAT topic and one I'm experiencing currently....still training on my own, waiting to make a choice

[@kyejinlee1]

My gym is the absolute best. Lacks a bit of credential but it is relatively a new gym, and our guys are starting to go out to tournaments now!

[@rutummaling5143]

New fan brother btw I'm watching ur glory fight nd ur old content in order to better understand you because brother u are insane beast

[@TimKerman]

This is very helpful Thank you

[@BIGSID320]

I don’t know if not sparring necessarily means that the coach is bad. After a career in fighting, you don’t want to take shots to the head endlessly, I don’t care if you’re Ernesto Hoost, endless shots to the head is not good. Also, many coaches are older and past their prime. Some have heart conditions or bad injuries. Look at fat Mike from Mike’s gym in Holland. He never spars and he trains many champions.

[@Corey91666]

Im not teaching muay thai or kick boxing or mma. I do kendo for half my life and i can relate to many things being said here. Our classes are well visited and although i have some shortcomings as a trainer due to Training myself all the time and thus having less time to correct people, i still do well i think.

[@stefanpfau6049]

In some rural areas of Germany all of this is a huge problem😢.

[@theawesomest2850]

Good list definitely things to look out for. One thing I didn’t hear you say that I want to add is to watch to see if the coach corrects people or not. If the coach just allows his students to perform improper technique(ie: not pivoting, hands down, flaring elbows, or not breathing)then I don’t think it’s a good gym and I assume they care about money more than teaching people

[@laurence345]

I’m lucky I go to a great Muay Thai gym with a good coach and bunch of guys who are extremely respectful.

[@YO-Finny]

The main thing with cross training to worry about as a trainer is to not send killers to other gyms to mess up their dudes in sparring.. it makes your gym look like you sent them without reaching out to the coaches at the opposite gym first.

[@hazyboi1]

I'd recommend if you can to check out one of their fight events. See how they corner their fighters. And it's also a good chance to check out the coaches of the other local gyms aswell.

[@robertarnold6192]

Came here from curiosity. Thankfully my gym has none of these red flags. My first day there I saw the coach sparring 1-on-1 with my friend and got introduced to a couple fighters who won local titles. We're encouraged to compete if we want to, but a lot of people just train for the fun/stress relief/exercise/mental health aspects. Contracts are offered for 1, 6, or 12 months, and they're flexible with deducting from the cost if you're out of town for a while. $15 drop-in classes are also offered. Never heard anyone discourage anyone from training other arts or at other gyms.

[@WolframtheBlessed3499]

As always coach, great video great information!!

[@harlind99]

Went to join a new gym in new city. Ego was big With the one of the sub coaches. Noticed his behavior from the start was aggressive towards me. One or two weeks in I went sparring, and we got paired. He Said : you do Muay thai Ill just box ( he got shoes on aswell ). I go With three sloppy jabs just to feel him out. He threw a powerful and very fast overhand that caught me flush on the nose. Didn’t feel good at all. I left that gym and found another one.

[@carmelo5320]

Maybe keep ur hands up bum

[@CoachKen10]

Great video!

[@ibrahim__alsayed]

Great video I also like to add:if they don't offer one day free trail. RUN!

[@AdudenamedVince]

I'm just glad I lucked out and the dojo near me has a decent teacher, every other martial arts place is 30+ minutes away.

[@eldelsanti9925]

This video has the perfect timing for me.!

[@chefj2596]

3rd week at 10th planet and it passes by this videos standardsa, very good instructors

[@JustinGarfield1]

I end up going into mma gyms and sometimes get into real fights. The gyms have their small circle of crew that are all in own it. I always feel like the outsider. Hell, I just want to go to a place I can learn technique, light and technical sparring and go home. Maybe something wrong with me 😂.

[@mpforeverunlimited]

1:35 my boxing coach was almost 70 when I started and he retired over 30 years prior. He went to a decision with ernie shavers so I knew he was good, but he mever sparred. Nobody expected an old man to spar with people 20 years younger

[@Wonderkid44]

Exactly this point was so asinine the whole video fell apart after that.

[@Wonderkid44]

Most of the guys I know who have gone on to become coaches where guys who were decent fighters, nothing special but were hardworking disciplined young people who wanted to do everything to remain involved in the sport.

[@mpforeverunlimited]

@@Wonderkid44 yeah, not every coach is able to spar. When they were able to spar they were active fighters

[@AcknowledgeMeKid]

W Video, as always!!! 💪

[@JadeaRS4]

Trained at/with Mike Miles in Calgary. He was/is amazing!!!

[@max_hanma]

Thanks for the insight I'm looking for a place to train boxing and tkd

[@eviloutionise]

I’m not sure I agree with the first one. One of my best and most loved trainers. He never sparred but his attention to detail was amazing. He went from teaching at a normal gym to training pros. He travelled across Europe to improve his teaching too. That being said, that’s just my experience.

[@erikbudrow1255]

I might assume he was getting older, maybe got injured at some point, has a family to provide for, and was teaching a more intense type of martial art...