UoM MMA

Info

The University of Manchester MMA Society trains Wednesday to Sunday during term, at the Armitage Sports Centre in Fallowfield and Wayfarer Academy in Longsight. Complete beginners and experienced fighters both train with us. If you’re new, come to any beginner session. You don’t need experience or your own kit.

Your first session

Any beginner session is open to everyone.

  1. Pick a session

    Beginner sessions are made for people who have never trained, so no experience is needed. Pick one of the dates below, or any beginner session on the timetable.

  2. Get a ticket

    Every session needs a ticket from the SU website.

    • Try any session for £6, no membership needed.
    • A membership includes its own sessions.

  3. Turn up

    Arrive on time with your ticket ready, and help put the mats out.

    • A beginner session is an hour of striking, then an hour of grappling.
    • Every contact exercise is optional: tell your coach or partner if you’d rather sit one out or change it, and go at your own pace.
    What to wear and bring

The next beginner sessions

What to wear and bring

You don’t need any kit to start. Come in gym clothes and use the society’s.

What to wear

  • Normal gym clothes. Shorts and a t-shirt are all you need.
  • The society kit is there if you want it later, but you don’t need it to train.

What to bring, if you have it

What you need depends on the session.

Mouthguard
For any contact work. Bring your own, as the society doesn’t supply them.
Shin guards
Striking and MMA sessions
Sparring gloves
Striking and MMA sessions

Grappling sessions (BJJ and wrestling) need none of these. No shin guards or gloves of your own? Borrow the society’s.

Our sessions

  • Beginner striking and grappling

    For people new to martial arts or combat sports.

    • Learn the basics of both striking and grappling.
    • Every session is an hour of striking and an hour of grappling.

    Coached 2× a week, both at the Armitage.

    Every contact exercise is optional. Tell your coach or training partner if you’d rather sit one out or change it.

  • Advanced MMA

    For people with a year or more of combat sports training.

    • Put your techniques to work in live MMA drills.

    Coached 2× a week at the Armitage, plus 2× a week of expert training at Wayfarer Academy.

  • Muay Thai

    Open to beginners.

    • Learn Muay Thai, the art of eight limbs.
    • Drills, pad work and technical sparring.

    1× a week at the Armitage, run with UoM Thai Boxing.

  • Grappling and BJJ

    For every level, from first-timers up.

    • Learn BJJ and freestyle wrestling, and how both work inside MMA.

    2× a week at the Armitage: BJJ on Wednesdays, wrestling on Fridays.

Safety

Martial arts can be intimidating when you start. Your safety comes first, and you can go at your own pace in every session. Questions? Message @uom_mma .

Levels

  • Beginner. For people new to martial arts or combat sports.For people new to martial arts or combat sports.
  • All levels. All levels welcome.All levels welcome.
  • Advanced. For people with a year or more of combat sports training.For people with a year or more of combat sports training.

Some sessions need a coach’s approval before you go.

Memberships

There are four memberships. Choose by what you want to train and how often, whatever your experience.

Money is tight at uni, so you pay only for the training you want. Everyone should get the chance to grow stronger through martial arts.

How it works

  • Each membership has a monthly price, and gives you a ticket on the SU for every session it includes.
  • Or pay once for the whole semester, for less than three monthly payments.
  • Some sessions need a coach’s approval before you go.
  • Start here

    Beginners

    2 sessions a week

    • Tickets for both weekly beginner sessions are included
    • Coached striking and grappling, an hour of each, every session
    • No experience or kit needed, and every contact drill is optional

    £30a month£4.09a session

    Pay monthly on the SU

    Save £15£75a semester£3.41a session

    Pay for the semester on the SU

  • Fighters

    4 sessions a week

    • Tickets for all four weekly advanced MMA sessions are included, two of them expert training at Wayfarer Academy
    • Sparring at Wayfarer too, once your coaches approve you
    • Best if you’ve trained in combat sports for a year or more

    £55a month£3.75a session

    Pay monthly on the SU

    Save £25£140a semester£3.18a session

    Pay for the semester on the SU

  • Muay Thai

    1 session a week

    • Your ticket for the weekly Muay Thai session is included
    • Pad work, drills and technical sparring, no experience needed
    • In collaboration with the UoM Thai Boxing Society

    £15a month£4.09a session

    Pay monthly on the SU

    Save £5£40a semester£3.64a session

    Pay for the semester on the SU

  • Grappling

    2 sessions a week

    • Tickets for both weekly grappling sessions are included
    • BJJ on Wednesdays, freestyle wrestling on Fridays
    • Open to every level, from first-timers up

    £30a month£4.09a session

    Pay monthly on the SU

    Save £15£75a semester£3.41a session

    Pay for the semester on the SU

“A session” is the price spread over every session this semester, if you go to all of them.

Each link opens that membership in the SU shop, where you add it to your basket and check out.

What a session costs

  • A session in your membership

    Included

    Your membership’s sessions come with their SU tickets, at no extra cost.

  • An extra session, outside your membership

    £3

    For a session your membership doesn’t cover, you pay £3.

  • No membership

    £6

    Try any session for £6, no membership needed.

How to purchase

Where we train

Coaches

Etiquette

MMA is an individual sport, but nobody gets better alone. Be a good teammate.

Training etiquette

  • Arrive on time, with your ticket ready.
  • Help put the mats and equipment out at the start, and away at the end.
  • Keep good hygiene.
  • If equipment gets dirty or damaged, clean it or tell a committee member.
  • Listen to the coaches.
  • Everyone shares the job of keeping training safe and fun.

Gym culture

  • Respect everyone: we’re all there to improve.
  • Be inclusive. You learn as much from your teammates as from the coaches.
  • Take care of each other at socials and events.
  • Help each other improve, and keep feedback constructive.
  • Build a team everyone wants to train with.

Women at UoM MMA

Women belong in MMA.

Women train in every session at UoM MMA, from complete beginners to those with years of boxing, BJJ or Muay Thai behind them. Whatever your level, you’ll find people to train with and room to keep improving.

Partners
You pick your partners, women or men. Sparring is optional, and always at an intensity you control.
Self-defence
Free sessions for women, coached by Jenna Grosvenor.
What to wear
Normal gym wear. The society kit comes in women’s sizes if you want it later.

We’re committed to creating a safe and engaging environment for women to learn mixed martial arts. If you have ideas or questions, message Afnan, the women’s rep.

Rashguard · shorts · wraps

Kit

The UoM MMA kit: a black rashguard and fight shorts with gold honeycomb panels and the crest on the chest

All measurements are body measurements. Rashguards are designed for a compression fit.

How to measure

Chest
Around the fullest part of your chest, keeping the tape level.
Waist
Around the narrowest part of your waist, usually just above your hips.
Hips (women’s sizes)
Around the fullest part of your hips and bottom.
Knuckles
Make a fist and measure around the widest part, excluding your thumb.

Women’s rashguard & shorts

SizeChestWaistHips
XS30–32″76–81 cm24–26″61–66 cm34–36″86–91 cm
S32–34″81–86 cm26–28″66–71 cm36–38″91–97 cm
M34–36″86–91 cm28–30″71–76 cm38–40″97–102 cm
L36–38″91–97 cm30–32″76–81 cm40–42″102–107 cm
XL38–41″97–104 cm32–35″81–89 cm42–45″107–114 cm
XXL41–44″104–112 cm35–38″89–97 cm45–48″114–122 cm

Men’s rashguard & shorts

SizeChestWaist
XS34–36″86–91 cm28–30″71–76 cm
S36–38″91–97 cm30–32″76–81 cm
M38–40″97–102 cm32–34″81–86 cm
L40–42″102–107 cm34–36″86–91 cm
XL42–45″107–114 cm36–39″91–99 cm
XXL45–48″114–122 cm39–42″99–107 cm
XXXL48–51″122–130 cm42–45″107–114 cm

Hand wraps

SizeKnuckle circumference
SUp to 8″up to 20 cm
M8–9″20–23 cm
L9–10″23–25.5 cm
XLOver 10″over 25.5 cm

Contact