5 min read · Choosing a gym
Red flags: how to spot a bad combat gym
Belt mills, ego coaches, unsafe sparring cultures, fake lineages, and high-pressure sales tactics. What to watch for on your trial class.
Every combat sport has McDojos. Perth is no exception. These are the warning signs we look for when vetting gyms for the directory.
1. The coach spars you on day one
Any coach who wants to spar a beginner on day one to 'test' you is a coach with ego issues. Legitimate coaches protect new students. Sparring happens in progression.
2. No open gym culture
Gyms that don't let visitors watch a class before training are hiding something. Every good gym in Perth lets you watch from the edge of the mat before you commit.
3. Belts come fast
In BJJ especially, belt progression is slow. If someone promises blue belt in 12 months, run. Legitimate BJJ takes 2-3 years for blue. Boxing and Muay Thai don't have belts, but if the gym ranks you aggressively for marketing, it's a sales tactic.
4. Fake lineages
Check the head coach's credentials. Who did they train under? Do they have a competition record? A quick Google of the coach's name should surface a real training history, not just their own gym's website.
5. Sparring is reckless
Watch a sparring round. If beginners get hurt, if higher belts bully lower belts, if it looks like a fight instead of practice - walk. Good gyms have an obvious sparring culture: controlled, positional, and supervised.
6. High-pressure sales
You should never feel trapped into signing a 12-month contract after a trial class. A good gym lets the training sell itself. If you walk out of a trial feeling like you were at a car dealership, that's your answer.