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Your training floor works harder than any other piece of equipment in the room. While most facility owners focus first on rings, bags, racks, and other gym equipment, every rep, roll, and strike lands on the mat.

Not all training bags are created equal. Each style serves a unique purpose and supports different aspects of striking training.

But before you install a ring or cage, do you know what goes into the setup? Have you considered the flooring, wall pads, and accessories you’ll need?

Here’s how the right training mats can elevate both safety and performance for stand-up and striking martial arts.

Whether you're building a gym from scratch or upgrading your current facility, here’s what you’ll need to create a successful MMA gym.

Having the right equipment matters. It’ll help you train hard, but it’ll also help you ensure that the investment you put into your home gym lasts.

We've all been there. Mat burn sucks. It stings (especially in the shower!), it impacts your training, and it's annoying to treat. It takes time to heal, and there's not much you can do about it after it happens. The best thing you can do about mat burn is try to prevent it from happening. It's a hard task, we know, but there are several things you can do as an athlete or gym owner to prevent mat burn from killing your feet, knees and elbows.

Using hand protection while training is important whether you're a serious competitor, an amateur fighter, or someone who casually trains in boxing, cardio kickboxing, or MMA. Hand protection generally comes in two different types: inner gloves and hand wraps. Both will provide an extra layer of protection and stability under your gloves, but these two types of hand protection are not entirely the same. They function slightly differently, especially when it comes to how they are put on. There are also several other differences between the two options. If you are feeling overwhelmed by the choice between boxing inner gloves and traditional hand wraps, this quick guide can help you make the best decision for your training.

Bag training is essential for boxing, MMA, and many different styles of martial arts; it's also a great form of cardio for those looking to get in shape. That's why it's essential for any home gym or fitness facility to have a collection of training bags. Depending on what you train and where, the bags you need for your space will change. Whether you are training muay thai, cardio kickboxing, MMA, or anything else, one thing is for sure: you need the best bags that fit your training style. These are the training bags no facility should go without.

They may seem similar, but there are big time differences between boxing and MMA gloves. They are, after all, meant for two very different sports. Boxing gloves are designed for one thing: punching. They allow fighters to hit as hard as possible without hurting their hands. MMA gloves, on the other hand, are designed to be flexible and allow athletes use of their hands while fighting. What are the differences between boxing gloves and MMA gloves? There are several design features that make them uniquely suited for their individual sports.

Back in 1997, we started our small business by bringing premium quality mat systems, designed for all martial arts disciplines, to budding gyms in the U.S. More than 25 years later, we now help gym owners all over the world build facilities that allow everyone from the newcomer to the professional athlete to train with confidence. Over time, we have expanded our product offerings to fulfil this mission. Today, we are announcing our largest product launch ever.

You've decided to open your first MMA gym. Whether thishas beena goal you've had since you were a child or one that's more recent, you're likely aware of how much planning goes into a gym before the doors can open and members can walk through. One of the most important considerations is WHERE to open your gym.

HowDoYouChoose theRightLocation forYour MMAGym?

Is the Area Highly Trafficked?

Proximity to Competitors

One Final Thought

Opening a new MMA gym comes with a hundred different decisions. Perhaps the most important one you will make is where to open your gym. The location of your facility can be an advantage or a hinderance. How can you choose the right location for your mixed martial arts facility?

LocateNearby Gyms

AnalyzetheDemographics

ConsiderAccessibility

Wherever you locate your gym, equip it with the best products in the industry. Make it a Zebra mats MMA facility!

We all love summer. The warmth, the sun, the grass"the rain"the dirt"the mud. On second thought, all of the great things about summer can also wreak havoc on gyms and MMA/martial arts facilities. Just as winter comes with its own challenges, facility owners need to be prepared for the summer, as well. To keep your gym in top shape, here are several items to lookout for and be prepared for.

By Kaitlin Young Mixed Martial Arts is growing as a sport and, as it stands, there is an entire industry centered around its appeal. It's no longer considered merely barbaric and has gained mainstream popularity. There are well-known companies sponsoring both events and fighters alike. Even people not involved with the sport know what MMA is, and are often familiar with its top stars. Like other such sports, it has generated legions of fans, analysts, reporters, and hobbyists who watch the events and find themselves very close to the sport. These developments have changed MMA significantly in the last decade. It has become a career for some and is at the very least a viable option for launching a career in an adjacent profession. The sport is growing.

It's hard to imagine that martial arts events as we once knew them may be forever different. The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly altered the way we train; will it also alter the way we compete? Let's take a look at the different aspects of martial arts events that may be changed moving forward.