Adult Martial Arts in McCalla: Starting From Zero
The hardest part of adult martial arts in McCalla is not the training. It is walking through the door the first time, convinced that everyone else in the room has been doing this for years and that you are about to look foolish in front of all of them.
Our adult martial arts class at The Dojang McCalla is for ages 13 and up and meets Thursday evenings from 6:15 to 7:15 PM. No experience is required, and most people who join have never trained before. If you want to add grappling, our Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class meets Monday and Wednesday nights. The first class is free.
Do I need any experience to start?
None whatsoever. The majority of adults who walk in here have never trained a day in their lives, and the ones who did wrestled in high school fifteen years ago and remember roughly four moves.
Our adult martial arts class works from fundamentals every week, because fundamentals are what everyone in the room is actually trying to get better at, regardless of how long they have been coming. You are not held back waiting for a beginner cycle to start, and you are not dropped into the deep end either. You learn the technique of the evening, you drill it with a partner who knows you are new, and you go home knowing something you did not know that morning.
Nobody in that room is judging you, because every one of them was the new person and most of them remember precisely how it felt.
What if I am out of shape?
Then train, and you will not be. Waiting until you are in shape to start martial arts is a little like waiting until you can read before going to school.
Class is physically demanding and we are not going to pretend otherwise. You will sweat, and you will be sore in places you had forgotten about. But you set your own pace. Step off the mat, get water, catch your breath, and step back on. Nobody says a word about it. What we care about is whether you come back next week.
When does the adult class meet?
Adult Martial Arts runs Thursday evenings from 6:15 to 7:15 PM, for ages 13 and up.
One night a week is a real commitment that fits into an actual adult life, which is deliberate. If you want more mat time than that, our Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class runs Monday and Wednesday evenings from 7:15 to 8:15 PM and is open to the same age group. Plenty of our adults train both, and the combination of standing work and ground work is what actually makes a well rounded martial artist rather than someone with one trick. The full week is on our schedule page.
Will I have to fight anyone?
Not on your first night, and not before you are ready. This is the fear that keeps most adults out of a martial arts school entirely, so we will be direct about it.
Contact is introduced gradually, and only once you have the fundamentals and the control to keep a training partner safe. Control is a skill in its own right, and a room where people can work hard and still walk out healthy is a room where control was taught first. If sparring never appeals to you, that is a completely valid way to train here.
Who is teaching you?
Head instructor Terry Adams brings 20 years of teaching, a background in Yoshukai and boxing, and a primary focus on Jiu Jitsu. Japheth Hampton is a state champion wrestler who teaches wrestling and fundamentals, which is not a background most schools in the west Birmingham metro can put on the mat. Kimberly Ramkishun rounds out the instructor team, and Maxwell Tucker owns the school.
That range matters more than any single credential. Striking, wrestling, and Jiu Jitsu under one roof means you are not stuck with whichever discipline you happened to guess at first. You can read each coach's background on the instructors page.
Starting
Take a free class first. No card, no obligation, and no sales conversation waiting for you at the end of it.
Wear a t-shirt and athletic shorts or pants, bring water, and leave the jewelry at home. We train barefoot. Arrive about ten minutes early so you can meet an instructor and be standing on the mat when class starts rather than walking in after it has begun.
We are at 4823 Promenade Pkwy in Bessemer, open Monday through Thursday from 3:00 to 8:00 PM, and we train adults from McCalla, Bessemer, Hueytown, Hoover, and Pleasant Grove. If you have questions first, call us at (205) 747-2277. We would rather talk you into the right class than into any class.
Your first class is free.
No card, no commitment. Come stand on the mat once, and then decide.
Book your free classFrequently asked questions
Do I need experience to start adult martial arts at The Dojang McCalla?
No. Most adults who join have never trained before. Class works from fundamentals every week, and new students drill with partners who know they are new.
When is the adult martial arts class?
Thursday evenings from 6:15 to 7:15 PM, for ages 13 and up. Our Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class meets Monday and Wednesday from 7:15 to 8:15 PM for the same age group.
Do I have to be in shape before I start?
No. The training is what builds the conditioning. You set your own pace, and you can step off the mat for water any time you need to.
Will I have to spar on my first day?
No. Contact is introduced gradually and only once you have the fundamentals and the control to keep a partner safe.
What should I wear to my first adult class?
A t-shirt and athletic shorts or pants. We train barefoot, so no shoes are needed. Bring water and leave jewelry at home.
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