Stepping into any kind of combat sports class for the first time can be intimidating for people. You’re not alone or crazy if you feel insecure about this. After all, you’ve seen combat sports athletes on TV or at a live event getting knocked out, injured, or beaten up.

Clearly, you don’t want this to be you.

Despite all of the positive things you’ve heard about training, these negative images can be a powerful deterrent to people who want to try combat sports for the first time. However, you’re here, reading this. You’re interested and ready to do this.

So, what can you expect as far as safety?

Well, the first thing that you should know is that serious injuries in combat sports are relatively rare- especially compared to other popular sports. We take great care to ensure a safe, fun, experience for everyone. In our business, safety HAS to be the main priority, or we could never train. Trust when I say that we are human just like you, and have no desire to be injured in a training accident. The structure of our training drills and insistence on proper safety equipment greatly reduces the risk of you getting hurt.

In addition, you will never be forced to do anything that you’re not ready for- especially something like contact sparring. You will very soon develop a bond of trust with the trainers and other students. This trust, combined with the design of the class, plus the safety equipment is what allows us to train safely and effectively. It also goes a long way towards building the community that makes training such a rewarding social endeavor.

Of course, there is always a risk of injury in ANY sport or exercise that you participate in. There’s no getting around that, but I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the low risk of training with us.

If you have any concerns about being healthy enough to train, please consult your doctor!

So, when you come to your first class, try to relax, ask a ton of questions, and have fun!

-Coach Myron Gaudet