Question 1

I'm in my thirties or forties. Am I too old to start?

Accepted Answer

No. We have members in their forties and fifties training regularly and holding their own, and plenty of people start martial arts for the first time well into adulthood. What changes with age isn't your ability to learn — it's recovery, so you train smart, warm up properly and don't try to match a twenty-two-year-old's intensity in live rounds. Nobody in the room cares how old you are, and the technical side of martial arts genuinely rewards patience over athleticism.

Question 2

How many times a week should I train?

Accepted Answer

Two sessions a week is the point at which progress becomes obvious rather than occasional, and it's what we'd suggest aiming for. Three is where things accelerate. One session a week still works — you'll improve, just more slowly, and you'll spend a bit of each class remembering where you left off. Consistency matters far more than volume: two sessions every week for six months beats five sessions a week for a month followed by burnout, every single time.

Question 3

Can I fit training around shift work?

Accepted Answer

Usually, yes. Adult sessions run Monday to Friday evenings from around 19:00 plus Saturday and Sunday mornings, so there are typically several options across the week even if particular evenings are impossible for you. Because most memberships are session-count based rather than tied to specific classes, you can train Tuesday one week and Saturday the next without any admin. Message us with your working pattern and we'll tell you honestly whether the timetable fits it.

Question 4

I've trained before but stopped years ago. Where do I fit?

Accepted Answer

Somewhere between a beginner and where you left off, and it usually comes back faster than you'd expect. The honest advice is to start one step below where your ego wants to be: take a beginners or beginners-to-intermediate class for a few weeks, let your body remember the movement patterns, then step up. Coaches will tell you plainly when you're ready. Returning members who rush this are the ones who pick up avoidable injuries in the first month.

Question 5

Can I train while managing an old injury?

Accepted Answer

Very often, yes, but tell the coach before class rather than during it. Knees, shoulders, backs and necks are the common ones, and most drills can be adapted without you sitting out — a takedown can be drilled without landing, a position can be worked without the pressure. What we can't do is work around something we don't know about. If you're under medical treatment for something, get clearance first and we'll build around whatever advice you've been given.

Question 6

Do I have to spar or compete as an adult member?

Accepted Answer

No to both. Sparring is opt-in, controlled and supervised, and a substantial number of adult members train for years without doing it. Competition is a separate choice again and is never treated as the natural end point of training. If you want either, the coaching is there and it's serious. If you don't, you'll be taught with exactly the same attention, because most of the gym is in the same position and the classes are designed accordingly.

Adult Training

Sessions for you

Frequently asked questions