By Monta Wiley
Building a foundation to walk on is the primary objective when starting a mixed martial arts gym. Financing, customer satisfaction, delegation, amongst other components all play a role into the success of a gym or a failure. In hopes of enlightening potential hopefuls about this topic Fight Hub TV interviewed pro mix martial arts fighter and owner of Method MMA academy, Eddie Abney as he shares his experience and gives you tips on running a MMA gym.
FHTV: Let start from the beginning what prompted you to open your own gym?
Eddie Abney: I was training at a school where the owner was never present, and so my wife (who also trains) and I took it upon ourselves to seek out the training to better ourselves. After about a year or two into training, I realized that we had been doing all of the work for no money. We were better than the owner and the students had gotten attached to us anyway so we purchased the school from its previous owner.
FHTV: Having credentials is a major factor towards bringing students into a gym. What would you say is an important aspect about Eddie Abney that attracts people to your gym?
Eddie Abney: The coaches I have are some of the best in the world. I am actively working under them so I am a conduit through which my students can get the best combined training. My credentials are as follows: CSW Coach Level 1 under Erik Paulson, brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Paulo Jensen (he himself is a first degree black belt under Leo Vieira- Founder of Checkmat), a student level 2 in the Thai Boxing Association under Khuen Kru Alvin Chan. The Thai Boxing Association of America Was Founded By The world renowned Ajarn Chai Sirisute (The man responsible for bringing Muay Thai to America).
FHTV: Being a gym owner and a teacher, what has been one of the most rewarding aspects of your job when it comes to helping your customers?
Eddie Abney: The most rewarding thing about doing what I do is seeing people completely transform. This can be anything from overweight to incredibly fit, a soccer mom to a blue belt or a high school football player to MMA fighter. My gym is well known in the area and people love being there.
FHTV: What were some of the difficulties you went through during your tenure running a gym?
Eddie Abney: Difficulties getting started/purchasing a school was going through the transition from student to teacher. I knew the school needed a change of direction and the previous students found it hard to believe that I could do it better but my training was different from the others from the start. Now the school is ten times the size it ever was or could have been, the fighters are better than the originals and there are ways more program options.
FHTV: When it comes to managing a gym does delegation play a major role in terms of assigning different employees duties to make your job easier?
Eddie Abney: Delegation is hard when it’s myself and my Wife. I think that’s what is causing the schools constant evolution and growth though. The delegation is 50/50, back end and front end. We have all of the responsibility on us so it can be tough doing everything but if we want to do something we do it. My job is easy because I love what I do. The school is our only job, we love it and we take it very seriously.
FHTV: How important is time management when it comes to balancing your own personal goals as oppose to your fighters careers and even being a business owner?
Eddie Abney: Time management is something I am trying to perfect right now. Being a fighter is very hard when you own a school, have two kids, 250+ students and 12 fighters under you and your 24. It gets hard balancing everything, but one thing I always keep fresh in my mind is that I came into this sport with the intention of going as far as God will allow me too. The school allows me to train whenever I want and to bring in whoever I want to train with, it’s a blessing.
FHTV: Now you are also a CSW affiliate school. When it comes to bringing in a new idea or option to your program. Talk a little bit about how you became a CSW affiliate and how it has helped with the growth of your gym?
Eddie Abney: I became a CSW affiliate as soon as I met Erik Paulson. I was going to California to hang out and visit family and I said to my wife that we needed to go to the CSW training center. I had known who He was and was a very big fan. I was so blown away on how he taught, and the amount of knowledge he had and added to the fact that someone with his accomplishments was so humble I thought that that’s who I wanted to learn from. Myself and My Co- head MMA Coach Kevin Baughman received our coach level under him just this past year. I can clearly say that implementing the CSW Program has helped the growth of the school because it’s another solid program to add to our BJJ, Thai boxing and Wrestling.
FHTV: What are some of your future goals for the gym?
Eddie Abney: I will have the biggest gym in my surrounding area. There is no one else who offers what I offer in this area and I will never settle for where I am. Right now I am currently working on getting to 500 students. When I do that I will bring two of my coaches in full time to teach.
FHTV: Finally do you have any advice would like to give other people out there about running a gym?
Eddie Abney: Yeah, don’t always try to please everyone. When you own a school, you’re around a lot of different personalities. Some people are high maintenance, some are not. Some are “in it to win it”, some are not. Some people are there and grateful for it and others are there because it’s a trend or they’re just impulsive and don’t understand the dedication it takes to just show up. They expect everything to come to them right away. You have to look at who is there because they’re excited to be because they’re grateful to be learning aspects of the quickest growing sport today, because they have something like bjj or Thai boxing available to them. The people that are there because they are excited to be are the ones that should consume your energy, whether they don’t want to fight or not. If they enjoy being there the school is they’re. Don’t waste time trying to convince people to fall in love with your sport or style. Enjoy the ones that already do!
for more information on Eddie Abney’s gym visit- http://MethodMMA.com
