Muay Thai concentrates on punches, ring movement, and kicks. American boxing focuses heavily on punches. Tae Kwon Do and Karate focus on punches and kicks.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners specialize in gaining a superior grappling position as well as choking and submitting their opponent. Judo concentrates on locks and throws.
If you don’t live in a major city there may not be classes for the particular styles that you want to learn. Stay flexible. Sites like FindMMAGyms and Fight Resource have an archive of MMA gyms across the U. S. A. For instance, if there are no MMA gyms near you, you can sign up for both kickboxing and jiu-jitsu classes separately.
Nothing can beat in-person training.
When you call you can say something like “Hello, I’ve never trained before but I wanted to register for my first class. When is the next introductory class and how much does it cost?”
Other fighting gear includes gloves, hand wraps, shin guards and headgear. [4] X Research source If you don’t have any gear, ask if they have equipment that you can borrow.
Work on perfecting the basics on a moving target, and remember to pace yourself. The goal of sparring is to perfect your technique, not to hurt your opponent. It’s good manners to shake your opponent’s hand before and after sparring. Sparring partners will often try to match your intensity, so expect to get what you give.