Starting at a new gym

[CROPopped]

I've been training alot at a local DFW gym called Arlington MMA and with the Arlington Fight Team and even had some amateur fights but I feel I'm not growing as much as I want in all areas. I'm pretty killer at standup and wrestling and even not bad with my BJJ but I want to take it to the next level. I'm a heavyweight around 220. Anyone have advice for switching gyms and if you might get razzed by other fighters who call that gym their home? Also stories of when you first walked in the doors of a new gym

[StueyJAKS]

i support moving gyms to get the most out of your game, and fighters/gyms should be stoked that you feel like their gym is just the place to do that. all egos should be checked at the door or they most likely will get checked in sparring

My boxing coach didnt talk to me for the first month, just yelled combos at me for the bag or mitts. after a month he comes outta nowhere and introduces himself and compliments my left hook. apparently he doesnt speak to anyone for a month cuz he has so many guys who come through, he doesnt show some love till you prove yourself. wierd guy, all this time i thought he hated me

[Rick Dickulous]

As long as you go in willing to learn and not teach, you should be fine. Ive seen guys come in telling people what they are doing wrong, and get mauled rolling as a lesson. Humility is key when you go to a new gym.

[CROPopped]

yeah well I definitely always go in willing to learn no matter if my skill level is higher than some of my partners....I was really just wondering if when you're the new guy trying to join a gym if the guys are all dicks to you or unwilling to give you a shot

[SherShihTzu]

Originally Posted by Rick Dickulous

As long as you go in willing to learn and not teach, you should be fine. Ive seen guys come in telling people what they are doing wrong, and get mauled rolling as a lesson. Humility is key when you go to a new gym.

Very true. There's nothing I hate more than when a new guy comes in and starts trying to contribute.

It's not unusual at all for a guy to come in that's a real bad ass in his particular discipline. So long as that guy is humble until he's accepted, he's very well received. For example, we had a guy come in that had some sick judo skills. He never really mentioned it, but it didn't take long before everybody in class was pulling guard on this guy. After a couple weeks, the instructor asked about his background. Turns out, he'd been competing at a very high level in judo for a long time. The instructor asked if he'd help out and now we all respect him like any of the other assistant coaches.

We've had a few other guys come in just as talented in their respective discipline that bragged and gave a lot of unsolicited advice. All of those guys got "accidentally" hurt pretty bad when they were sparring outside of their respective discipline.

Like he said, humility is key.

[white_lightning]

Originally Posted by CROPopped

I've been training alot at a local DFW gym called Arlington MMA and with the Arlington Fight Team and even had some amateur fights but I feel I'm not growing as much as I want in all areas. I'm pretty killer at standup and wrestling and even not bad with my BJJ but I want to take it to the next level. I'm a heavyweight around 220. Anyone have advice for switching gyms and if you might get razzed by other fighters who call that gym their home? Also stories of when you first walked in the doors of a new gym

Why dont you go train with Felipe at Texas Gladiators?

[SherShihTzu]

Do any of you remember the black guy from the TapouT show that had the afro, talked shit to Mask, and pitched a fit about his George Forman Grill. He almost got in a fight with some little dude that told him what he should have done after his fight?

Anyway, that guy trained at our gym for a couple of months. If you want to know how not to act, follow that guy around for a day. He smoked up before class, talked constantly, always wanted to give advice, etc. He was one of those guys that would always make sh!t up to brag about like the houses he owned, girls he'd f*cked, asses he'd beaten, etc. He even wore a purple belt that we found out he hadn't really earned.

In his defesne though, he was a pretty good blue belt. If he still trains, I'm sure he's a purple belt by now. As annoying as that guy was, after a while he kinda grew on us. I was kinda bummed when he moved on.

[CROPopped]

Originally Posted by white_lightning

Why dont you go train with Felipe at Texas Gladiators?

I'd definitely be willing.....i dont really know much about Texas Gladiators though or where it's located....i took a couple of kickboxing classes at Lions Den Dallas some time ago but nothing too serious....i trained boxing at my great uncles gym for years but there is no MMA there so I moved to Arlington MMA....if you have any info on Texas Gladiators that would be cool...I'm trying to fight like 1 more time and then bump it up to pro

[that1guy1980]

^^^^ good luck with all of that

[bigndn]

I have started at 2 new gyms in the last two years maily due to me moving cities because of work in the first case I came from a no-gi grappling and a kick boxing back ground and moved to a BJJ and Thai gym. For myself i checked everything I thought I knew at the door, even when they asked me if i had training i told them i did and in what and for how long but never stopped listening.

the hardest thing for me was dropping back to the start again, with my first gym i was apart of the fight team and and doing the advanced classes and such but joining a new gym and dropping back down as i was a beginner was hard but i kept my ego in check. now that i have to join a new gym again because i moved yet again the same thing is going to happen which is hard for me but just gotta put the time in and let your skills show.

going from no-gi to full gi was a different transition but at least my prof. saw my skill set and i jumped from a whitebelt to a 3 tip after the first testing (couldnt go for 4 tips some gi stuff i didnt learn)

yeah thats my story but like the rest are saying keep the ego in check and be prepared to put the time in again