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San Diego's MMA Gym

Welcome to our San Diego MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) gym. We’re the leading MMA gym in San Diego, with MMA classes and training designed for Beginners to Pros. If you don’t have experience, don’t worry. We’ll teach you rock-solid fundamentals before moving you up the ladder. If you do already have experience, we provide world-class training to develop you as far as you want to go.

We design our MMA fighting classes to work with fighters at all stages of development because we pride ourselves on building our athletes from the ground up. We’ve had many fighters that started with us as regular students and worked their way up to Amateur MMA Championships and successful Pro careers. And if you don’t want to fight, that’s fine. We’ll still teach you how to defend yourself while getting in great shape.

We teach the most comprehensive MMA classes in San Diego. We’re geared towards beginners who want to learn MMA, as well as experienced fighters looking for advanced training. So if you’re just starting out, don’t be intimidated. Many fighters started here with no experience and we coached them every step of the way. We’ll do the same for you if you have the desire and determination.

Our San Diego MMA classes teach the building blocks of Mixed Martial Arts. Even if you don’t plan to compete, these MMA classes are great for learning to fight while getting into shape. And for those who do plan to compete, we’ll create a specific training plan for you to maximize your progression. Once you’ve mastered the fundamentals, you’ll be invited to Team training. That’s where the fun really begins.

Once you’re ready to start your San Diego MMA training with our team, your development and progress will really take off. Besides continuing to improve your skills in all the other programs we offer, you’ll receive advanced MMA skillsets including specialized Striking and Grappling instruction, while getting to train alongside some amazing athletes.

Our Amateur MMA team is the largest and most successful in California. We also have a young and hungry Pro team with individual World Champions such as Liz Carmouche from Bellator. And we routinely host fighters from all over the world who do their training camps with us. So if you’re already a fighter and want to train here, just contact us or come on in.

We provide numerous MMA Coaches for our program, allowing our athletes to benefit from their individual experience and expertise. We draw from the best Coaches in each discipline, including Striking, Jiu Jitsu and Wrestling.

Our Head MMA Coach is Vince Salvador. He teaches our ambidexterous style of Striking, known for its ability to fight from both sides while using multiple angles of attack. This Striking system is one of the most advanced in the sport and has led many of our fighters to numerous victories.

Looking for the best private MMA training in San Diego? We have you covered. Once you become a member of our gym, you pay our trainers directly and we stay out of the transaction. We get your membership dues, the trainers keep what they earn, and you get huge savings. It’s a win-win-win for everyone. So if you want San Diego’s best private MMA lessons at the best prices, we’re your gym.

If you’re looking for MMA gyms and classes “near me”, you found us. Members come from all over San Diego to train at The Arena. Our MMA gym is easily accessible in Point Loma off the 8 freeway on Sports Arena Blvd. Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach, Bay Park, Downtown San Diego, Golden Hill, Bankers Hill, Hillcrest, North Park, South Park, La Mesa, El Cajon, Clairemont, College Area, Miramar, Kearny Mesa, Clairemont Mesa, City Heights, La Jolla, Del Mar, Carmel Valley, Coronado, Chula Vista, Imperial Beach are all within easy driving distance.

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For 30 Days

Testimonial | Jefferson C.

“I first started training wrestling here in San Diego and worked my way into striking. Muay Thai and boxing. Then we had the amateur MMA team tryouts and I went to that. They said “You’re on the team. Keep coming to the team practice.” Then they told me “Hey, you’re ready to fight”. I had my first fight when I was still in high school and just kept moving forward. We have a lot of up-and-coming Amateur MMA fighters and guys who just started making their Pro MMA debuts. The coaching here is awesome.”

MMA Training | Zach T.

“Back in 2016 I stopped by here to check it out and within like the first few days I really knew this was where I needed to be at. They’ve fully supported me in my goals in pursuing MMA. I’m always in the environment and I’m always watching, and they just had my back from day one.”

Amateur & Pro MMA

Ready to take it to the next level and compete? Then join Team Arena. Just fill out our form and we’ll be in contact. Whatever your competition level is, we have you covered. If you’re just starting out, we’ll develop you into a skilled novice. If you’re an experienced novice, we’ll bring you to the highest amateur levels. If you’re ready to turn Pro, we’ll guide you through every step. And if you’re a talented pro willing to put everything you have into it, we can bring you to a world-class level.

Ready To Compete?

MMA FAQ's

Looking for the best MMA training program gym near you? The Arena is the largest martial arts facility in San Diego, with over 27,000 sq feet of training space and daily MMA classes. The Arena has a reputation of building fighters from the ground up, with dedicated MMA classes for beginners to advanced members. In addition, we have San Diego’s only 4500 sq. ft. dedicated MMA training room, with +3000 sq ft of mat area.

MMA, short for Mixed Martial Arts, is the combination and integration of boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, jiu jitsu, and other specific styles, into a person’s knowledge and application of martial arts. Because it’s a mixture of several fighting disciplines, styles in MMA are noted for their varieties and specializations. 

The main benefit to MMA training is its use of multiple fighting techniques and disciplines that allow for a more complete understanding and applicable skill set for self defense situations. The advantage of this approach to learning how to fight is that its versatility better equips a person to handle a wider array of fighting variables they may encounter. Additionally, the training in MMA one receives is considered more diverse and engaging for beginners.

Mixed Martial Arts all begins with the learning of individual styles of martial arts and building up from there. For beginners, they start with a specific martial art like boxing, jiu-jitsu, or muay thai and gradually grow an understanding of other fighting styles and the tactics they employ as they are learning MMA conditioning and fighting forms.

This is up to the individual and their background, however, we’ve often found starting with martial arts such as boxing, kickboxing, jiu-jitsu or muay thai to be good martial arts to learn first. 

16 oz. boxing gloves, MMA training gloves, shin pads, and a mouthpiece is generally required equipment that The Arena Pro Shop can provide members with.

Mixed Martial Arts all begins with the learning of individual styles of martial arts. Begin your training with specific martial arts like Boxing, Jiu Jitsu, or Muay Thai. Then you will be able to integrate these arts and become a mixed martial artist.

We offer various membership options to fit your specific needs. Our most popular unlimited training membership is under $100 monthly.

As with most complex activities, an individual should expect to progress in MMA with a minimum of 3 weekly classes or more. Remember, martial arts is and will become part of your lifestyle.

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