Muay Thai & Mixed Martial Arts Classes in Sunninghill
What is Muay Thai?
Muay Thai, often called the “Art of Eight Limbs,” is a powerful striking martial art from Thailand that uses fists, elbows, knees, and shins for both long-range and close-range attacks. While it goes beyond traditional boxing with its use of various strikes, the sport still incorporates key boxing elements like punches—jabs, crosses, hooks, and uppercuts—blending them with devastating knee strikes and clinch work. Muay Thai is known for its intensity and effectiveness, making it a popular choice for those looking to improve fitness, develop strength, and learn self-defence. Muay Thai provides a comprehensive and challenging workout that engages both the body and mind.
What is Mixed Martial Arts?
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is a dynamic combat sport that combines techniques from various martial arts disciplines, including striking, wrestling, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Muay Thai. MMA uses a combination of punches, kicks, takedowns, submissions, and ground control to outmanoeuvre their opponents in the cage. Known for its versatility and intensity, MMA challenges athletes both physically and mentally, making it an exciting sport for competitors and fans alike. Whether you’re looking to get fit, improve your self-defence skills, or compete, MMA offers a comprehensive approach to martial arts training.
QW Muay Thai & MMA Class Curriculum
At QuanWessels Jiu-Jitsu & MMA Academy, our training programs are designed to support individuals of all skill levels, from beginners to seasoned athletes. If you’re new to the sport, you’ll start with our Onramp MMA & Muay Thai classes, where you’ll learn essential movements and techniques, such as footwork, basic strikes, and fundamental clinch work. These foundational skills are crucial as you progress through your training, laying the groundwork for more advanced techniques in striking and grappling.
Our Onramp classes not only teach you the basics but also provide an excellent full-body workout that strengthens your body while improving your coordination and conditioning. You’ll also get introduced to the key aspects of MMA and Muay Thai, including striking combinations, basic takedowns, and clinch escapes. To help you reinforce and speed up the progression of your learning, the QuanWessels Infinity App gives you access to all the fundamentals and advanced training when you are not on the mat.
Once you’ve mastered the basics, you’ll move on to our Fundamentals class, where you’ll dive deeper into more specific techniques, including advanced striking, takedowns, guard passes, and submissions. After completing the Fundamentals curriculum, you’ll be ready to join our General Class, where you’ll train alongside fighters of various experience levels, ensuring personalised instruction tailored to your abilities.
Why Choose QuanWessels BJJ & MMA Academy?
At QuanWessels Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu & Mixed Martial Arts Academy, we offer a supportive, structured, and professional environment for all adult Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu students. Whether you’re new to BJJ or an experienced practitioner, our team of skilled coaches will help you reach your goals. We pride ourselves on creating a welcoming community where everyone feels valued, from beginners to advanced practitioners.
What sets us apart:
- Structured Classes & Defined Curriculum: Our classes are curriculum based which gives you a definitive direction for your Jiu-Jitsu journey.
- 7 Day Free Trial: We offer a no obligation 7 day free trial for you to explore all our classes and we give you all the uniform and gear to use during the trial.
- Experienced Coaches: Learn from knowledgeable coaches who genuinely care about your progress.
- Inclusive Environment: Train with others who share your passion for BJJ in a respectful and encouraging setting.
- QuanWessels Infinity App: Our innovative app offers additional learning tools and resources, helping accelerate your training outside the academy. Train anytime, anywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions about Our Muay Thai & MMA Classes
Yes, absolutely! While Muay Thai and MMA involve a variety of striking techniques, you will definitely learn key boxing fundamentals in both classes. In Muay Thai, you’ll master essential punches, including jabs, crosses, hooks, and uppercuts, which are integral to both Muay Thai and MMA. Additionally, our MMA classes incorporate boxing techniques alongside other disciplines, helping you develop strong striking skills for both stand-up and cage work. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to refine your skills, our classes will teach you the core principles of boxing and how to apply them in real-world scenarios.
Yes, here at QW we take uniform very seriously. We have both a BJJ uniform consisting of our QW white Gi, black rash guard and tights and then our Nogi/MMA uniform is our QW black rash guard, tights and grappling shorts. We require tights to be worn under your shorts as this not only keeps your muscle warm during training but also is more hygienic and protects your skin.
If you are attending our 7 Day Free Trial classes, during that time we provide you with a rash guard, shorts as well as gloves and shin pads. After that you can purchase all the items of the QW uniform from us.
Muay Thai and MMA are fantastic martial arts for women, providing self-defense skills, boosting confidence, and fostering a sense of empowerment. Women of all skill levels, from beginners to advanced fighters, train alongside one another, and female athletes are making significant strides in both sports. The community is supportive and welcoming, with more women joining every day. These classes focus on mastering striking techniques, building strength, and developing a resilient mindset, all while helping you gain the skills to defend yourself in real-life situations.
Yes! Muay Thai and MMA is for all fitness levels. We offer beginner-friendly classes that focus on building strength, stamina, and technique. Martial Arts is an excellent way to improve your fitness over time, regardless of where you’re starting.
Learning and progression is a subjective experience, ultimately the more you put in the quicker you will learn the skill. At QW we have fostered an environment to fast track your learning progress; a carefully constructed and layered curriculum and additional tools such as the QuanWessels Infinity App.However the onus is still on the student to put in the work by showing up and participating.
Definitely! Learning striking or MMA alongside BJJ won’t hold back your progress—in fact, it can help speed it up. Each style complements the other, and you’ll likely see faster growth by training in multiple areas. Ultimately, we want our students to become well-rounded martial artists, not just specialists in one style.
Each athlete’s journey is unique, and the timeline to competition varies based on individual progress. If you’re interested in competing in MMA, Muay Thai, BJJ, or any other style, we offer a structured program designed to guide you from a complete beginner to an elite athlete. However, we maintain high standards and expect those who represent the QuanWessels name to do so with the utmost respect and dedication. There is no specific time frame for when someone will be ready to compete, as we believe in a gradual approach to ensure you’re fully prepared—rushing the process can often lead to injuries. We prioritise your long-term growth and safety above all else.
Much like you wouldn’t attempt to run before learning to walk, we need to ensure that you’ve built a solid foundation of skills before advancing to higher-level classes. Our goal as coaches is to help you develop the necessary techniques and confidence to progress safely, minimising the risk of injury. If you have previous experience, that’s fantastic! Please speak with a coach before class, as they may need to assess your skill level before promoting you to the next class.
Yes, adhering to these washing instructions you will get the longest wear out of your gear. Rash guards, tights and training shorts should also be washed in 40℃ water and no hotter as it can damage the material. (tip: add some bicarb soda into the machine and use white vinegar as ‘softener’ this helps eliminate odours). Lastly, NEVER put gear in the tumble dryer.
As for your gloves and shin pads, make sure to air them out well after each session, never in direct sunlight though. And adding some dry bicarb on the insides can help absorb the sweat and separating (or else you will have a volcano situation) you can also spray some white vinegar with essential oils like tea tree, peppermint and eucalyptus.
Class Schedule & Prices
We offer a range of classes to fit your schedule, including morning, evening and Saturday classes for working professionals. Our adult Muay Thai and MMA classes are available for all skill levels, and we provide flexible membership options. View our timetable for adult Muay Thai & MMA classes in Sunninghill Johannesburg below:
QW Muay Thai & MMA Adult Class Times
Membership PRICE
Day of Week | Class Times | MMA Class Type |
---|---|---|
Monday | 4:30pm - 5:30pm | Muay Thai |
5:30pm - 7pm | Muay Thai & MMA | |
Tuesday | 6am - 7:30am | Muay Thai & MMA |
Wednesday | 5:30pm - 7pm | Muay Thai & MMA |
Thursday | 6am - 7:30am | Muay Thai & MMA |
Saturday | 8am - 9am | Muay Thai & MMA |
10am - 11am | MMA Sparring* | |
Sunday | CLOSED |
*Classes – MMA sparring on Saturday mornings at 9:00 AM is by request only. Students must seek approval to participate.
Kickstart your Muay Thai & MMA journey with a 7-day free trial—no experience needed!