At Senshi Academy we offer judo, muay thai, and boxing training in Melbourne.

Whether you’ve been training for a while, or just starting out, you’ve probably noticed Open Mat on our timetable.

So, what’s the difference between a regular class and Open Mat?

Purpose of Martial Arts Classes

Attending class regularly is essential to perfecting your technique, learning new moves, developing your confidence, and gaining fitness and strength. It’s in class that you refine everything in a structured, disciplined way, which is why most martial arts classes follow this basic pattern:

  1. Warm up and physical conditioning
  2. Learning a new position or technique, and practicing in pairs.
  3. Free rolling or sparring in timed rounds

Repeating and honing your skills is the name of the game in class, and this famous quote by Bruce Lee demonstrates why repetition and practice is so important:

“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”

But what if you want to practice in an unstructured way, or revist a move that your class has moved on from, or roll with fighters outside of your class group? This is where open mat sessions come in.

Benefits of Open Mat Training

In judo, the foundational move is the throw, which is why students practice on mats, to cushion their fall, or the fall of their opponent.

In an open mat training session, we open our doors to judoka of all levels to come in and practice their moves on the mats without organised instruction.

Because it’s an open session, anybody can show up, including pro fighters. You can roll with the best and roll with students you haven’t met before who may know something you don’t. It’s a fantastic learning opportunity.

Regular classes can be fairly predictable with a narrow focus. Open mat enables you to pull it all together. In an open mat session, you put everything you have learned to the test.

Open mat sessions will take you out of your comfort zone. You may even meet a more experienced fighter willing to share their training philosophy and give you tips.

Whatever your level, open mat keeps you sharp and ready for anything. You’ll gain an appreciation of your weak points as well as your strengths, learn new skills, and hone your response times.

You’ll also make friends! Open mat is a chance to meet other martial arts students and fighters. You can roll or just observe, but either way, you’ll take home new insights into the game.

Martial Arts Classes in Thomastown

We offer martial arts classes in Thomastown, North of Melbourne, for adults and children. Call us now to book your first class.