Frequently asked questions
Is Danzig MMA woman-friendly?
Yes, absolutely.
Not only are all the classes co-ed, but there is also a twice-a-week "Women's only" MMA class.
Can I learn self-defense at your gym.
In a word, Yes! But please read more below:
Although there is no "self-defense" specific class on the schedule, all of the classes from the striking and grappling programs are excellent for self-defense.
We pride ourselves on only teaching functional techniques that translate seamlessly into real-world combat scanarios.
Many other gyms offering "self defense" rely on teaching techniques to address hypothetical scenarios. Often times, the instructors themselves have an unverifiable background and have never used the techniques they teach.
Rather than teaching a "magic move" for a made-up scenario, we teach real skills that will help the student become as physically capable as possible. These are skills that can work for competition, or for self-defense. Our students gain real confidence as they progress. Over time with us, every student will learn proper body mechanics, awareness, and build a library of physical skills that are all functional for combat.
To put it bluntly:
Self-defense is a popular catch phrase for people trying to sell something. There is no quick-fix to learning self-defense. If you want to become capable of defending yourself, you can't learn it from a few moves that you hope will work in a bad situation. Combat is a language that has many words and must be practiced and spoken often with enthusiasm, and with enough time spent with the right instructors, anyone can speak the language fluently.
Do I need to spar or do "live training" at your gym?
No. Sparring is completely optional and is reserved for specific sessions and also the end of classes scheduled for 90 minutes. Students wanting to participate in controlled sparring are encourged to do so, but all live training is monitored by the coaches so that we can assure that a healthy atmosphere is maintained.
Are you open on Sundays?
As of now, no. We are closed on Sundays. Everyone needs at least one day a week to rest! :)
Do I have to be a fighter to join?
Absolutely not.
Although fighters and people interested in competing are more than welcome to join the gym, we run classes for people from all walks of life and experience levels, from first-day beginners to veteran martial artists and everyone in between.
Do you teach "Gi" Jiu-Jitsu at your school?
THE SHORT ANSWER:
Yes.
Our curriculum consists of both "No-Gi" and gi Jiu-Jitsu classes, though the majority are no-gi. This is the exact opposite of what most traditional BJJ schools offer for their curriculum. (See our schedule page for current class times)
OUR PHILOSOPHY:
At Danzig MMA, we have decided to focus mainly on No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu because of it's high level of applicability in MMA and real-world situations.
Conversely, Jiu-Jitsu with the Gi (or kimono) has a skillset that involves a lot of grabbing and pulling of the actual Gi, which translates well for traditional sport Jiu-Jitsu competition, but not for MMA (or any situation where an opponent is not wearing a Gi.)
What should I wear to class?
For striking classes (as well as all conditioning classes) any type of functional workout clothing that stays on your body during movement will do just fine. If you are comfortable wearing something for running, yoga or weightlifting, chances are it's going to be fine for striking and conditioning classes.
For grappling classes, (Jiu-Jitsu and Wrestling) the same guidelines apply, however you should refrain from wearing tank tops or sleeveless shirts, and anything that has zippers, buttons, buckles or pockets, as these items can cause minor injuries to training partners, as well as damage to the mats.
No street shoes are allowed in the main mat room.
Will I have to lift heavy weights during the conditioning class?
No.
Traditional weightlifting is not a part of the program for our Strength & Conditioning Classes. Instead, we work through a variety of movements and bodyweight exercises that build real functional strength, agility and flexibility throughout the entire body. These are the same kinds of movements that professional athletes of many sports (including MMA) build their strength and conditioning from.
I see different levels listed on the schedule for Jiu-Jitsu class. What does this mean and which ones can I take?
The "Fundamentals" Jiu-Jitsu class is for every single student, but geared for the beginner. During these classes, we focus on the basic, fundamental movements and techniques that Jiu-Jitsu is based on. These classes are necessary and extremely important for beginners to take. That being said, the best and most experienced Jiu-Jitsu practicioners in the world practice the basics/fundamentals every single day, which is why they are the best.
The "Intermediate and Advanced" class is for only for students at blue belt level and above. The techniques covered are often more advanced than most beginners can grasp. However, all beginners are more than welcome to watch the class and observe.
The "All levels" class means exactly that: all experience levels are welcome. These classes are catered towards everyone's understanding and are a good opportunity to bridge the gap between fundamental and technical.
Do you rank Jiu-Jitsu students with belt rankings?
Yes. However, unlike some traditional martial arts schools, less emphasis is placed on belt cermonies or student hierarchy, and no student is charged extra to be given a belt promotion.
We rank Jiu-Jitsu students according to the same color system as Gracie Jiu-Jitsu (white, blue, purple, brown, black)
We believe belt ranks are a good system to let each student know where they are at in their progression.
If a student is taking only No-Gi BJJ classes, why do you still rank them with belts?
A real belt only serves one purpose: to keep your pants up.
Belts in Gi Jiu-Jitsu don't even do that, and generally come undone during training.
The entire point of a belt rank is to let the student know what level of expertise they've accomplished in the eyes of their instructor. The fact that the object is a belt does not matter. After a student is ranked with a belt from our school, they can do with the physical belt whatever they like. It is no more than a souvenir of affirmation.
We believe that what matters is the journey, and these color ranks are good milestones for a student's acheivements during this journey.
Can people under 16 years old sign up and train in the adult classes?
Most of the classes require members to partner with each other to practice techniques and drills. If someone is extremely undersized in comparison to the average adult, it can be difficult for both people.
If you are under 16, but show the maturity, dedication and physicality required to attend the adult classes, we can definitely make an exception.
Please contact us so that we can schedule a class for them and see if it will work.
What are private training sessions like?
A private (or semi-private) training session is when 1 to 3 students get together and are able to recieve direct, unrestricted instruction from their coach. Sessions typically range between 60-90 minutes, and the curriculum is whatever techniques or aspects the student(s) would like to go over or ask about.
Private lessons are a great way to get full attention from a coach, ask questions and cover exactly what you'd like. Private training is also available for people interested in conditioning as well.
Please keep in mind that these sessions are much more expensive than group classes.
Call, email or come in to schedule your private training with Mac, Angela or one of our other instructors.
Do I need prior experience before taking a class?
We require prospective students with no prior experience in the art(s) they are applying for, to take one semi-private introductory lesson before they jump into their first class with the other students. These intro sessions are $60 per art (striking or grappling) and include most of the fundamentals to get the student up to speed with the basics of positional understanding and mechanics, which are necessary to participate in group classes.
Is training at your gym safe?
There is always some risk involved when training in combat sports, however, when training in a controlled atmosphere and learning from experienced and qualified instructors like us, the risk of getting seriously injured is very low.
Who won the Jay-Z / Nas battle?
In our opionion, Nas definitely won. However, keep in mind that we are much bigger fans of Nas' music in general, so we may be biased.
Why is the sky blue?
Sunlight reaches Earth's atmosphere and is scattered in all directions by all the gases and particles in the air. Blue light is scattered in all directions by the tiny molecules of air in Earth's atmosphere. Blue is scattered more than other colors because it travels as shorter, smaller waves. This is why at Danzig MMA, we see a blue sky during most sunny days.
Why is water wet?
Wetness is simply a discription of how we feel when we (or an object we observe) comes in contact with water.
So, by the definition of "wet" (which is the condition of being covered or soaked in liquid) water isn't wet, it just makes other things wet.
How do you handle billing?
As of now, we have opted to not deal with a third-party billing entity. Rather, we can accept various forms of payment, including cash, credit card or debit card. (We do not accept personal checks)
For recurring payments using a credit or debit card, an agreement is made and signed one time by the member during their initial sign-up. We then run the same card manually on a monthly basis. All recurring payments are scheduled to run month-to-month on an agreement. We do not lock our members into long contacts with cancellation fees.
What's the deal with parking?
Parking for Danzig MMA is available and unrestricted throughout the entire complex of buildings in the Deschutes Business Center. If parking seems scarce near the front entrance to the gym, please check thoroughout the complex as there is ample parking available, including our back entrace and around the other buildings.
How clean is your gym?
Very clean! We take hygene and cleanliness very seriously and after many years of training at hundreds of different facilities around the world, and dealing with many different levels of gym hygene, we are proud to say that our mats are consistently the cleanest we've know of. The mats themselves are cleaned twice a day with both a dust mop and a liquid-based germ-killing solution, then allowed to air-dry. Nobody wants any type of skin condition and neither do we. Although it is always possible that an infected person can bring in a condition that they contracted at another place, we always do our best to identify anything like this, making sure that the chances of any type of fungal or bacterial infections making their way onto our mats are slim to none.
What is the difference between "Level 1" and "Level 2" striking classes, and which ones can I take.
Our striking program is divided into two main levels of class instruction.
Level-1 classes cover the basic, fundamentals and are a great place for beginners to start learning, as well as the perfect place for more experienced members to fine tune their basics.
Level-2 classes are for the more experienced members, and may include techniques and skill sets that are beyond the level of understanding for many beginners, which is why we notify each member individually to inform them if they are ready and cleared to take the level 2 classes.
I have a drinking buddy who did a couple low-level amateur MMA fights 8 years ago. Can we show up to your gym, act like fools and beat eachother up as our "free trial class"?
No.
I have experience in Karate, TaeKwonDo, Kung-Fu and/or Military Combatives. Does that count as prior experience?
No.
Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Kung-Fu, Aikido, Hapkido, Jeet Kune Do, Krav-Maga, Military Combatives and High School Wrestling, etcetera do not translate into functional experience in any of the arts we teach.
If you have experience in anything other than the specific arts we teach, an introductory sessions are required before taking group classes.
Do you have kids classes?
We do not offer group classes on our schedule for children or anyone under approximately 15 years of age.
However, we are available for private, one on one sessions for the right kids who have enthusiasm to learn and the ability to listen, focus and work hard.
