In short: For women’s martial arts with us in Aachen there are two routes: a women-only class without sparring and all the mixed martial arts classes, which are just as open. Both are right, they just answer different questions.
The most common worry before the first class is not whether you can manage it physically. It is whether you will be the only woman in a hall full of men. This text says what it actually looks like with us, and which way in suits which goal.
What does the women-only class offer?
The class Fitness Kickboxing and Thai Boxing for Women is a women-only group from age 18. It combines bodyweight training with barbells, dumbbells and kettlebells, plus fitness kickboxing techniques on the heavy bag and Muay Thai elements. And explicitly without sparring. Each session ends with a guided, meditative relaxation phase.
Training is on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 19:00 to 20:15 and on Fridays from 19:30 to 20:45. The class is led by Hasti, our fitness and LES MILLS trainer. Whether beginner or advanced, every woman is welcome.
This class suits you if you want strength, fitness and kickboxing technique without anyone standing opposite you. It does not suit you if you want to practise self-defence under pressure, because that takes partner work and, at some point, sparring.
How do the mixed martial arts classes work?
All adult classes from age 16 are just as open to women as to men: Kickboxing, Boxing, MMA in Aachen, Ground fighting, Wing Chun and Kali with stick fighting, and knife training from age 18. Our MMA page has a section of its own on women and self-defence.
What helps in practice: in partner drills you often change partners, and technique is practised slowly before pace is added. Newcomers are usually paired with someone who has been there longer. So you are not a stranger facing a stranger, but working with someone who knows what a beginner’s pace looks like.
Which goal leads to which class?
- Strength and stamina, no contact: women’s class Fitness Kickboxing, or LES MILLS BODYCOMBAT completely contact-free against the imaginary opponent.
- Building muscle with weights: LES MILLS BODYPUMP with barbell and many repetitions.
- Self-defence that holds up under pressure: kickboxing or MMA, complemented by ground fighting for the situations where it gets tight.
- Technique in the tightest of spaces: Wing Chun, Mondays and Wednesdays from 19:00 to 20:30. The focus is on body mechanics and fast reflexes rather than strength, which many beginners find a fair starting point.
- Little time, high intensity: LES MILLS GRIT in 30-minute sessions, high-intensity interval training.
What happens in the first month?
The first session is the most uncomfortable, in every class and for everyone. After that it quickly gets calmer. In week two you know the structure, in week three two or three names, and from week four the warm-up is no longer the hardest part of the evening.
The women’s class lasts 75 minutes, most mixed martial arts classes 90 minutes. The structure is the same everywhere: at least 15 to 20 minutes of warm-up, then technique and partner drills, then conditioning and, depending on the class, sparring, and stretching at the end. This fixed structure is an advantage for getting started because after two sessions you know what is coming.
One to two sessions a week are a sensible start. More does little in the first weeks because your body needs the breaks. What the evening holds for you in detail is in the article Your first martial arts class.
Why is self-defence more than technique?
The part that helps most in everyday life is not the individual technique. It is the experience of staying calm under pressure and not freezing. That is exactly what you practise in every class with partner work, long before you have mastered a technique perfectly. You will find more in the guide Learning self-defence in Aachen.
A second point that is rarely mentioned: if you train regularly, you change your posture and your walk. That is no promise, but it is the part of the effect that you notice yourself most quickly.
What if you come with your child?
A time slot that suits many mothers: GRIT is deliberately scheduled in parallel with the kids’ classes. While your child trains in the Panda or Ninja group, you can step onto the mat yourself in the same hour. GRIT runs on Wednesdays from 17:30 to 18:30 and Fridays from 16:30 to 17:30, the Kids’ classes Monday to Friday from 16:30. For waiting parents there is also an area of their own.
What to look for when choosing a self-assertion course has been compiled by the State Criminal Police Office of Lower Saxony.
Martial arts for women in Aachen: come by twice
Two trial classes are free and non-binding. A sensible combination for the start: once the women’s class, once a mixed martial arts class. After that you know which environment suits you.
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Open: Monday - Friday 09:00-12:00, Monday - Friday 16:00-21:00, Saturday 12:00-17:00
What to bring and when to be there is on the page about the Free trial class. You will find more texts for individual target groups in the section Martial arts for whom.
Frequently asked questions from women before getting started
Am I the only woman in the mixed classes?
No. Women train in all adult classes, and in the women’s class you are among women anyway. How many women are there on a particular evening is most honestly seen at the trial class.
Do I have to spar in the women’s class?
No. The women’s class runs explicitly without sparring. The Muay Thai elements are trained on the heavy bag and in technique form.
From what age can I join the women’s class?
The women’s class is open from age 18. The other adult classes start from age 16, and from 9 to 15 you train in the youth training.
I want to lose weight. Which class does the most?
The class you reliably attend every week. BODYCOMBAT burns up to 700 calories per session, BODYPUMP works through building muscle. You will find more in the guide Losing weight with martial arts.
What do I wear?
Sportswear, ideally black, plus well-fitting socks or flat trainers, water and a hair tie. Jewellery stays at home. Changing rooms, showers and lockers are available.
