Sparring Kits

I have been doing mixed martial arts for about 3 years, mainly for fitness and flexibility.

This week I was told in my lesson that I could not use my own sparring kit (CE marked) but had to use their own branded sparring kit. (I have been allowed to use my own kit before and no one has said anything!)

Is this a normal thing to do?!?

It will also prevent me grading any higher as I will need a sparring kit at the higher belts grading, which annoys me as this was not mentioned in the contract.

I do not want to buy their kit because:
1. I already have one which is perfectly fine.
2. theirs is well over twice the price of other kits (and not CE marked)
3. their helmet is really uncomfortable!

 

For what it’s worth, I think you are justified in being annoyed, all things being equal. Meaning: if the quality of your own kit is equal to or better than what they are selling, and is appropriate for the type of sparring/training that you are doing in their class. If there is a tangible reason why your kit is inappropriate for the type of training, then they may have a legitimate reason to insist that you buy theirs. See if you can get a very clear answer from them.

If they cannot give you a real answer and this is simply a way to force you to buy something, then yes, you are right to be annoyed. What does that mean in the long run? Will you be disallowed from training in their school? Will you be excluded from aspects of the training that will hamper your development? Is that acceptable to you?

It is their turf and their rules. You might need to accept it for what it is, or go somewhere else. But that doesn’t mean you aren’t right to be annoyed.

 

Sounds like a money making scheme, quick question, is the sparring kit for full contact sparring, (boxing gloves, shin pads etc) or for semi contact sparring?

Also do you grade in MMA? Generally (not always) that's a sign of a bad club.

What do you have to do for blackbelt in MMA?

 

My son has their branded sparring kit (it was given to us) and mine is equal quality. Oddly theirs is not CE marked.

The instructor was adamant that it had to be their own brand and her justification was something about insurance purposes. I asked why a CE mark wasn't good enough but just got the same answer about insurance.

You need a sparring kit for grading, although this has been overlooked with Covid, and no one has questioned my own sparring kit in the past when I have used it. I am quite sure it was the same instructor who previously said I would only need their own brand if I entered a tournament, which I don't want to do. So in the long run it looks like it will prevent me progressing any further. I would also not be allowed to join in any sparring in the lessons (I would only be able to shadow spar), nor attend any of the specific sparring classes.

If their kit was sensibly priced on a par with others I wouldn't mind so much, but my own helmet is MUCH more comfortable for me than their own!

 

It's a full sparring kit (gloves, shin pads, helmet and foot things). But it is sparing for points so not too brutal!

Yes we do gradings. Which we pay (a lot) for. Each grade consists of a hand drill, various kicks and punches, one step drills, sparring drills and kick boxing drills. No idea what you have to do for black belt. It does include forms though.

The first 8 gradings can be done in the lesson grading, but anything above that is a 2 to 3 hour panel grading with "higher" instructors.

Oddly I think you have perhaps hit the nail on the head with the money making thing. Over the past few months I have seen some things I am not impressed by, but as I enjoy the classes and it keeps me fit I turn a blind eye. The sparring kit thing just makes it feel it is all about profit rather than quality.

I didn't even realise people could run their own martial arts schools not even being anywhere near a black belt! And some other stuff that I think would horrify other MA schools/dojos.

I would love to be a black belt one day, but age is not on my side (40 something) and also with everything starting to feel about money and not quality of instruction, I'm questioning the validity of their own black belts.

Thank you for the helpful reply.

 

If I were you, it sounds like it's semi contact / point sparring kickboxing your doing, I'd have a look around and see who else is teaching nearby, many of these schools have an identical syllabus, go and find one that isn't a money grab, if your still at a Matt fiddes gym, he's very very well known for this unfortunately.

Insurance wise, no insurance cares who you bought the gloves etc from, only that it's of the required standard, I had the same pressure in taekwondo years ago, 30 quid for dipped foam gloves, when you could buy the same unbranded for 15 quid, and trade they were only a tenner. It's purely about making money.

 

Well, my own instructor’s insurance does not say anything about sparring gear, but I am not teaching mma. Maybe it’s different. Short of demanding to see the terms of the insurance, you might need to take their word for it. If you enjoy the training there and if you can afford the gear, I suggest you suck it up and buy it. Making a big issue out of it might spoil your relationship with them. But if you really feel like they are just taking advantage of you, or the principle of it really bothers you, you might need to start looking for a new school.

 

I have worn my own sparring kit previously so hence this has just annoyed me, and I don't feel the answer was genuine.

Part of me says suck it up, but when there are 4 of us in the family doing this, it becomes expensive.

Everything seems to be money focused rather than quality MA teaching, so I think I might start looking around to see what else is around there. I guess this might have been the final nail in the coffin.

The younger two do the kids version, and I have also just found out that they just learn one kick, one punch and a hand drill, then I have to cough up a lot of money for a grading if they want them to learn any new stuff. I opted for them to not do a grading, so they remained on the same belt, but they were then only allowed to do the stuff for that belt and nothing else which was disappointing.

Is there such a club where kids can just do martial arts and have a go at new stuff, have fun, kick pads etc... without constantly having to pay for gradings in order to do something else?

(sorry, so many questions... there are so many different types of MA that I need to find out a bit more!).

 

Yes, it is Matt Fiddes that we are with.

 

This sounds like it could simply be one symptom of a bigger problem: that you are fundamentally not happy with the training and not happy there. When it begins to feel like you are being taken advantage of financially on top of other issues, that may well simply be the last nail in the coffin. At the very least, look around at the other options in your area. Take a free trial if they offer it. Then you know what the options are, before you tell these guys that you are leaving.

 

If it makes you feel any better, I question the validity of colored belts, generally. We live in a modern world built on hierarchy, a lot of which is foolish, and martial arts belts fall into this category, because of the cost and the usually false sense of progression they convey.

I think a much better test of validity is simpler things, like someone's physical endurance, their striking speed and prowess, agility on their feet (like, can they even dance?), but most of all their serenity and health.

I've met more serene boxers than any other type of martial artist. Schools that run on belts and ranks and promotions always seem to include lots of egotistical self righteous types, and not necessarily instructors but also senior students. The whole industry turns me off because of its fraternity like theme. That's before we get to the legions of babies and children who get black belts before they are adults, and act like thugs the rest of their lives because they think they are fighters. They're babies. Fighters get up at 6am to jog so they can be warm for roadwork by 8am.

You said MMA for fitness, like boxing MMA training has it in abundance...but sparring and competition are risky in both and I think the safety gear is the most important aspect, so you are right to question things. But, any school has the right to impose their rules. The nice thing is at least with boxing and MMA, there are usually more than one option, and you shouldn't have trouble finding the right fit. Ultimately no one should ever feel locked in or institutionalized to one school unless they have a serious personal investment (it's their school, or they're close to the owner). Otherwise, caveat emptor, always.

 

So Matt fiddes only had experience in point sparring kickboxing, he's just calling his classes MMA but it's not actually MMA training, if you want to get away from gradings etc, then either an actual MMA class, a kids BJJ class or a Thai boxing class will be what your looking for!

 

I have trained at this club in the past.

I had the same experience, my fairtex boxing gloves I was told, could not be to to standard, and wouldn't be covered by insurance.
Yes, probably one of the best quality gloves your can get.
I did laugh about it.

They do not do "MMA", it is sometimes referred to that, but it is Tae Kwon Do based style which is essentially kickboxing.

The sparring kit is not the best, but not the worst I've seen (I.e. they are not dipped foam), and is on the expensive side for what it is.
Essentially they are putting you in a position to buy their stuff, a common theme with that school.

I did find that some of the teachers are more reasonable and relaxed about these rules (usually the ones who were pretty competent as teachers, unfortunately the exception for this organisation) the problem comes when you are doing grading or competition where the other instructors who follow the club rulebook put you on these situations.

You also won't get anywhere if it actually want to read what the insurance is about, I'm sure, like most martial arts insurance, doesn't cover injury from sparring, and is about injury from circumstances outside of the class activity (e.g. someone walks into a door, or trips over a wire)

In addition to this, most of the schools only do sparring once every few weeks, unless you have one teacher that is more involved in to. So this also weighed in on my "why should I pay for expensive kit when my kit is much better quality, and you only do sparring once every few weeks".

 

Thank you for all the replies.

Since I originally posted I have quit as the whole thing feels like it is about profit rather than martial arts.

They are still insisting that I can only wear their own sparring kit which then means I am excluded from all sparring sessions which I actually really enjoyed.

Their own sparring kit is almost £150, so for all of us that would be nearly £600. Ludicrous. And even more so when another instructor admitted their sparring kits are not the best quality and fall apart rather quickly!

Gradings are £45, but I also discovered that the kids program just learn one kick, one punch, a hand-drill then cough up full grading price if they want the opportunity to learn any other "moves". Not what I want for my kids.

I have also seen so many people put into gradings when they haven't got a clue, and passed when they can't even demonstrate basic stuff in the actual grading. It's quite a joke. Not to mention the son of an instructor who has somehow got to a really high belt but again cannot even do the basic stuff.

You can even pay to do an accelerated instructor course with "no experience necessary" which will automatically take you up to the 5th belt. They are then using these people to open new schools where unsuspecting newbies will have absolutely no idea that their instructor hardly has any MA experience.

They do have a panel grading for the last 3 belts, and I kept going with the training because I thought that at this point it would weed out the weak, and only the dedicated and talented people would proceed to these higher belts. But unfortunately I was wrong as I have now seen high belts awarded to people who really are mediocre at best. It made me feel deflated, completely devalued the belt, and highlighted that it really is all about money. Interestingly these mediocre people getting the higher belts are running schools so making them money for Matt Fiddes Martial Arts...

I actually feel quite sorry for the really good students who work so hard, then get awarded their belt along with others who compared to them were useless.

I am not giving up on the martial arts though, as I have really enjoyed the classes, but will be looking for another club where my kids can progress without having to pay each time just to learn another kick and punch. I have contacted a couple so far who have been upfront with their prices and do not charge any additional amounts even for gradings.

#Matt Fiddes Martial Arts

 

Thanks! This is one of my other reasons for leaving Matt Fiddes, as they are running instructor courses for people with very little or no experience that then gain their 5th belt within a week, and these people are then being used to run martial arts schools to unsuspecting customers who assume they are getting an experienced instructor!

I posted on my Facebook page to friends about why I had left, and was inundated with comments from other friends who had started and left for the same reason - rubbish instructors, demands for money to continue any further, claiming there was no pressure to grade then their child not being allowed to progress unless they paid for a grading etc...

I have had a trial at another club and they were really upfront about costs from initial contact, the classes were really good, competent and very experienced instructors, and for the first time ever I got my technique picked to pieces (in a helpful way!) which has got me thinking about the way I have been taught other stuff. And yes, I can wear my own sparring stuff as long as it is CE marked.

I have no qualms about starting again at white belt and working my way up, as unfortunately the belts with Matt Fiddes are kind of meaningless when they tag and pass anyone who can vaguely demonstrate the moves because it makes lots of money for them.

 

All the best in your new club.
You'll find that you have a good understanding and technique will cross over to the new place. I've seen a lot of students go through this club, and those that left over a few years to go to another place had a good foundation of skills, despite feeling conned.

Don't worry about "starting again" at white belt, it doesn't degrade what you have already learnt, just an opportunity to polish your skills with better tuition

The rushed blackbelts is a disgrace, I trained their briefly when my kids started and as soon as they were aware I was a blackbelt (in kungfu) they wanted to rush me into starting my own school (at a cost). Needless to say I didn't pay a penny for any grading and refused this, but this isn't the first time I've had a club offer this (another kickboxing/Kung Fu club organisation offered the same), fortunately on the whole it seems uncommon practise.

It takes courage to move on, especially when it may be your first martial arts club, and you have made a social group. I still keep in contact with a number of them.

 

Just read that you quit already, but I have attended a school that told me a similar line of needing their gear in order to spar.

It’s definitely a money grab. However, if you were satisfied with the rest of the curriculum outside of this one point I’d say it’s worth just paying it in order to continue. Interestingly enough, the current system of which I’ve been studying now for almost 15 years used to require that you buy their gear. That seems to have become less strictly enforced, especially as student have asked to use particular gear (stronger head gear or mma style gloves etc.)