Getting started

Your First Class: What to Expect

A beginners class training together on the mats at Kali 3D Ashburton

Walking into a martial arts school for the first time is the hardest part of the whole thing. So here is exactly what happens, minute by minute, so that there are no surprises.

Before you arrive

Give us a call on 0438 404 439 or send an enquiry through this site and tell us which night you are coming. That is it. No forms, no deposit. Arrive about ten minutes early so you can find parking, take your shoes off and meet whoever is teaching.

What to wear and bring

Shorts or track pants, a t-shirt, and a water bottle. We train barefoot on matting. You do not need a uniform, gloves, or your own sticks. We lend you training sticks and you can wear normal gym clothes indefinitely if you prefer.

The first fifteen minutes

Classes open with a warm-up and some basic footwork. This is where you learn the single most important idea in Filipino Martial Arts before you learn anything else: where to stand. Almost everything that follows is a consequence of controlling distance and angle, and it is taught first because it is what keeps you safe.

The middle of the class

You will pick up a rattan stick, probably within your first twenty minutes. This surprises people who expect to spend months on empty-hand basics before touching a weapon, but Filipino Martial Arts works the other way round. The stick exaggerates your mistakes and makes the correct line obvious, so it accelerates your empty-hand skill rather than delaying it.

You will be paired with an experienced student, not thrown in with another beginner. They will feed you the pattern slowly and an instructor will correct you directly. Nobody spars on their first night, or their tenth.

The last stretch

Classes usually finish with a partner drill that puts the night's technique under a bit of light pressure, then a short cool-down. Expect to be tired, expect to have got at least one thing badly wrong, and expect somebody to have shown you how to fix it.

Afterwards

Nobody will corner you about signing up. Your first two weeks are free, so the sensible thing is to come back a few more times and decide once you actually know what you are deciding about.

Common questions

Will I be thrown in the deep end?
No. Nobody spars on their first night. You will drill patterns with a partner at a controlled pace, and an instructor will stay with you until the movement makes sense.
What do I wear?
Shorts or track pants and a t-shirt. We train barefoot. You do not need a uniform to start and there is no pressure to buy one.
Do I need to bring my own sticks?
No. We lend you a pair for as long as you need. Most people buy their own after a month or two, and we will point you at somewhere sensible rather than sell them to you.
What if I am unfit?
That is a normal starting point, not a barrier. The first weeks are about coordination and timing rather than conditioning, and you set your own pace throughout.

Your first two weeks are free. Come and try a class. No experience needed, no equipment required, no pressure to join.

Book your free trial