Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

General FAQs about Crazy 88 & Training

Where did the name Crazy 88 come from?

Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill was the source of the gym name.

Over the years, we’ve always toyed with changing the name to something “more professional” but we’ve built a solid awareness of the quality of our program as Crazy 88 so it would be an uneasy tradeoff.

How Much Time and Commitment does it Take to Become Good?

Its impossible to answer this question without a better understanding of the individual.

The answer depends on three factors.

  1. What do you mean by good?
  2. What’s your athletic background & experience?
  3. How seriously are you planning on training?

Rough estimates

  • 5-6 years of consistent training to compete professionally
  • 6 months to 1 year to defend yourself against most untrained attackers.

Get more in-depth about this question here… https://www.crazy88mma.com/2014/05/28/much-time-commitment-take-become-good/

Do You Need to Compete in Order to Be Promoted?

NO!

Competitors generally invest more time and energy into learning Jiu-Jitsu than a non-competitor so they get better faster.  But one doesn’t have to compete in order to achieve the skills that are representative of the higher rank.

FAQs from Women

How Co-Ed are the Martial Arts Classes at Crazy 88?

Our Kids martial arts classes are fifty-fifty; half boys and half girls.

Adult classes are approximately 15% female to 85% male. Our adult student base is actually 25% female but men tend to attend more classes which makes the actual attendance about 15% women instead of 25%. Teen classes are split the same way.

Women don’t have to worry about being the “only girl” in the class.  We really try to steer away from the meat-market macho atmosphere that pervades most mixed martial arts gyms so both genders can feel comfortable training.

Is there a glass ceiling in the martial arts?

Our female students have reached an extremely high level. We have high-ranking females in both Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai kickboxing. Our competition team always has females involved in both grappling and striking styles.  We treat our girls with the same amount of respect that we treat our men and expect the same level of achievement.

Do Women need to Be Physically Fit, Have Experience, or a Certain Age in order to Train at Crazy 88?

No.

The majority of Crazy 88 students, men and women, begin with ZERO martial arts experience.

In regards to age, we have women age 18 to mid-forties training regularly with us (in both the fitness classes as well as the martial arts).

Our clients also very greatly in terms of their physical fitness level when they start.  Our program is designed so you can push yourself whether you are a fitness newbie or an experienced athlete.

What martial arts do women like to do or should women do?

Most women start with Muay Thai Kickboxing for two reasons:

First, they often feel slightly apprehensive about the close range of Jiu-Jitsu or No Gi.

Secondly, beginners often prefer learning Muay Thai kickboxing which makes intuitive sense vs. learning grappling martial arts like Jiu-Jitsu which are very complex and ‘doesn’t make sense’ for the first few months.

However, women tend to stick with Jiu-Jitsu longer. After all, BJJ promotes the concept that a smaller person can successfully defend against a bigger, stronger assailant by using proper technique, leverage, and most notably, taking the fight to the ground, and then applying joint-locks and chokeholds to defeat the other person. Once women discover the power of Jiu Jitsu (leverage v. size) it often becomes an obsession for them.

FAQs about Self Defense

Are Combat Sports like Jiu-Jitsu or Boxing Good for Self-Defense?

According to Jocko Willink, retired NAVY seal, the most effective skills for self-defense training (in order) are

  • Concealed Carry
  • Jiu-Jitsu
  • Boxing / Wrestling
  • Muay Thai
  • Other

We agree with this assessment.

Read more in-depth about why here: https://www.crazy88mma.com/2014/02/05/combat-sports-like-jiu-jitsu-boxing-good-self-defense/

How do "Combat Sports" differ from traditional ‘self-defense’ training?

Combat Sports allow you to use FULL EFFORT. You can spar and compete at full strength. Traditional Self-Defense training usually involves techniques that can’t be trained with full resistance – i.e. eye gouging, biting, etc. These forbidden techniques then become the magic antidote for every situation.

The fact that you can train full-force allows for more actual skill development in the techniques.

Read more in-depth about why here: https://www.crazy88mma.com/2014/02/05/combat-sports-like-jiu-jitsu-boxing-good-self-defense/

FAQs about Fitness and Health

Is Mixed Martial Arts the best way to get in shape?

Most people enjoy doing MMA because it is a fun activity. The fact that its fun, that you can progress, and that its scale-able allows you to really fall in love with it.

Is it the ‘best’ way to get in shape?

No because there is no best. It is an effeective way to get in shpe and definitely worth doing if you aren’t a fan of the typical gym workout.

How Can I Prevent Injuries? Is MMA Training Safe?

Like any athletic activity, it is impossible to completely eliminate risk of injury without changing the essence of the activity. In something like martial arts, the point of the training is to develop the ability to fight and defend yourself. In order to develop these skills, the training must maintain a realistic combative element.  However, we strive to err on the side of safety to the extent that we can.

What do we do in order to create a safe training environment?

The most important thing is the No Meathead policy. We really emphasize good training habits to our students so that egos don’t come into play and that everyone views one another as their teammate rather than a rival. This, more than anything, probably helps prevent injuries more than anything.

Instructors are trained properly.

We are able to run classes for different skill levels and intensities. We have Pro level competition-oriented classes to Basics classes without sparring and everything in between. We have group classes as well as private one-on-one training. This helps us provide the right environment for a variety of people and prevent mismatches that can cause injury.

We require proper equipment, hygiene, and have all the medical training (CPR & First Aid) for the staff.

Read more here: https://www.crazy88mma.com/2014/05/23/can-prevent-injuries-mma-training-safe/

FAQs about Pricing

How Much Does It Cost ? How Much Should It Cost?

Most people enjoy doing MMA because it is a fun activity. The fact that its fun, that you can progress, and that its scale-able allows you to really fall in love with it.

Is it the ‘best’ way to get in shape?

No because there is no best. It is an effeective way to get in shpe and definitely worth doing if you aren’t a fan of the typical gym workout.

What Factors Influence a Mixed Martial Arts Gym Pricing?

The biggest differences between the schools relate to the following:

  1. Quality of the instruction & teaching (dependent on instructor ability)
  2. Quality and level of the training environment (dependent on workout partners and gym culture)
  3. Proven history of success
  4. Facilities & Customer Service
  5. Name Recognition

Download a Free Starter Kit which includes our pricing information here… https://www.crazy88mma.com/forms/starter-kit/

What Discounts do You Offer?

Here are a few of our most popular discounts:

  • Family discount
  • Active Military & Veterans discount
  • Public Service discount
  • Upfront Payment discount
  • Fighter discount

Download a Free Starter Kit which includes our pricing information here… https://www.crazy88mma.com/forms/starter-kit/

FAQs about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

How do Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Belt Promotions Work?

There are 5 belts in Jiu-Jitsu for Adults: White, Blue, Purple, Brown, and Black. Children under age 16 can also receive Gray, Yellow, Orange, and Green Belts which are intermediate belts between White and Blue.

Some academies use stripes to represent the intermediate stages between belts (4 stripes per belt rank).

Some academies have an attendance requirement or a skills demonstration test for their testing.  Other gyms promote holistically or “old school”.

Read more here… https://www.crazy88mma.com/2016/06/10/brazilian-jiu-jitsu-belt-promotions-work/

What are Crazy 88's BJJ Belt Belt Requirements?

At Crazy 88, we grade students holistically or the “old school” way.  Factors we take into account are:

  • Effectiveness
  • Skill
  • Understanding of Jiu-Jitsu
  • Mindset & Attitude.
  • Individual goals

 

Read more here…  https://www.crazy88mma.com/2016/06/10/brazilian-jiu-jitsu-belt-promotions-work/

If I Train for a Certain Amount of Time, Will I Be Promoted? What is the BJJ Belt Timeline?

Everyone starts with different backgrounds and experience levels and therefore will reach the same milestones at different rates.  However, the IBJJF (International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation) has mandated MINIMUM time requirements for the various BJJ belt levels which are the following:

White Belt: No Minimum

Blue Belt: 2 Years

Purple Belt: 1.5 Years

Brown Belt: 1 Year

We recommend students focus on improving their actual abilities and the belts will come.

FAQs about Training Optimization

When is the Right Time for Private Lessons?

It is never too early to get private lessons.  Getting very specific instruction and supervised drilling reps is worth its weight in gold.  Bad habits or lazy techniques can get checked immediately.  

Due to the fact that private lessons are more expensive than group classes, prospective clients should consider their personal financial situation when considering private lessons.  However, there is no disputing the effectiveness of personalized training sessions.

The ideal training scenario for the client that wants maximum improvement would be group training sessions with regular private lessons similar to college lectures (group training) and office hours (private lessons).