How can you tell if a MMA gym is a McDojo?

Say the owner makes $30 on the uniform (more likely than $15 for 2 items that you can't buy anywhere else) has 300 students with 3 uniforms and that change gear every 2 years, that's quickly turned into over $13000 a year.
You can twist figures anyway you want, bottom line is that it creates a monopoly on where you get your gear from.
As well as looking a bit cheesy.

"No one ever won anything wearing a t-shirt tucked into sweatpants with a belt."
 
What are the ranks? I don't understand who decides on a ranking criteria in MT?
TKD, karate, etc have a history of belts so I can understand that, but for MT some guy must have sat at his kitchen table with a pad and made stuff up.
As for the uniforms, I can understand that a team might want a matching t-shirts or tracksuits at events to look proffessional and to promote the gym. Day to day uniforms in the gym though, that's a cash cow the owner is using to rip off his students.

1st khan through to 10th khan, trainee kru, kru, senior kru (kru yai) , arjan and grandmaster.

The uniform is what everybody wears to compete in AND train in anyways, so erm.... yeah. And I assure you, it is not cheesy.
 
Muay Thai Grandmaster eh?

In my opinion there is alot of difference between making gym T-shirts available if somebody wants one and having a uniform that must be worn at all training sessions and events! For me personally, a uniform policy and ranks in MT would be a couple of huge red flags.
But Raphael Cordoba gave Werdum a black belt in MT, so who knows?!?!? Not sure how he wears it ether?
 
Muay Thai Grandmaster eh?

In my opinion there is alot of difference between making gym T-shirts available if somebody wants one and having a uniform that must be worn at all training sessions and events! For me personally, a uniform policy and ranks in MT would be a couple of huge red flags.
But Raphael Cordoba gave Werdum a black belt in MT, so who knows?!?!? Not sure how he wears it ether?

I was wondering about that. My traditional teacher - kenpo / Kali / Silat gave me sashes for Kali, really nice ones to, but no one ever wore them to class and in 5+ years I never saw anyone put it on. In Kenpo, we wore belts over t-shirts, which looked really stupid.

When I teach, I don't know what I will use. I like color coated rank systems. I like t-shirts. I hate color by rank t-shirts. I hate t-shirts w/ karate belts. I was thinking of arm bands, but then all the top students walk around with black arm bands on like someone died.

I haven't trained with people that use ranks of any kind in close to a decade, so I could just let it go, but unfortunately I like them.
 
my gym has t-shirts required for classes...open workouts and training don't require any uniform.

there are many cheaper gyms around my area

but for the quality of teaching and amount of attention you receive...i wouldn't go anywhere else in my area. we have fighters from 14-40something years old. a handful have won belts.

the most important thing is the instructor and the training you receive...plus the students. you go to a gym and see the "advanced" students who look like beginners...not good.
 
Muay Thai Grandmaster eh?

In my opinion there is alot of difference between making gym T-shirts available if somebody wants one and having a uniform that must be worn at all training sessions and events! For me personally, a uniform policy and ranks in MT would be a couple of huge red flags.
But Raphael Cordoba gave Werdum a black belt in MT, so who knows?!?!? Not sure how he wears it ether?

Lol rankings are free and we aren't pushed into them so no big deal. And I love the muay thai shorts anyways, I would have had to get them elsewhere if the club didnt sell them sooo... and tbh nobody cares whether you wear the kit or not, a lot of the time I wear something different if I've forgotten to wash it, and a couple of people rarely ever wear it.
Tbh, as long as the training is good, who gives a fuck?
 
Last edited:
I've seen more and more TMA gyms starting to call themselves MMA gyms.
 
I was looking at another gym with "MMA fitness"?
 
Does anybody know a Boxing gym that has a ranking system (i.e., belts, sashes, colored shirts, ability to wear boxing shorts)?
 
Does anybody know a Boxing gym that has a ranking system (i.e., belts, sashes, colored shirts, ability to wear boxing shorts)?

Not mine.

We do get a pair of black or white trunks and two singlets (one red & one blue) when we are ready to compete but thats because of the AIBA rules. Our team logo is displayed on the singlet/trunks but we are under no obligatio to wear them whatsoever.

I have yet to seen anyone strutting around with them in the gym tbh.
 
1st khan through to 10th khan, trainee kru, kru, senior kru (kru yai) , arjan and grandmaster.

The uniform is what everybody wears to compete in AND train in anyways, so erm.... yeah. And I assure you, it is not cheesy.

Who made this ranking system up?
 
1st khan through to 10th khan, trainee kru, kru, senior kru (kru yai) , arjan and grandmaster.

The uniform is what everybody wears to compete in AND train in anyways, so erm.... yeah. And I assure you, it is not cheesy.

Never heard any Thai speak of rankings like that. Sounds fishy to me.
 
Back
Top