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Elevate MMA Academy
4.9 ★★★★★ 128 Google reviews · Muay thai gym in Durham, North Carolina
Plan your first class
- Beginner-friendly all levels welcome, including total beginners — you don't need to be fit or have any experience to start
- Sparring & clinch sparring and clinch sessions for members ready for controlled contact — always optional and coach-supervised
- Fight team a competition team for members who want to test themselves as amateur fighters
- Today see hours ·
- Website & schedule elevatemmaacademy.com — book classes and see the live schedule
- Phone +1 919-908-8106
Hours
| Monday | 9 am–9 pm |
| Tuesday | 9 am–9 pm |
| Wednesday | 9 am–9 pm |
| Thursday | 9 am–9 pm |
| Friday | 9 am–8 pm |
| Saturday | 10 am–4:30 pm |
| Sunday | 11:30 am–6 pm |
The classes they run
“From beginners to professional MMA fighters, the pool of teammates to push you and develop skills alongside you is extremely deep.”
“I’ve always felt safe and supported while sparring with different partners, which says a lot about the culture they’ve built.”
“From beginners to professional MMA fighters, the pool of teammates to push you and develop skills alongside you is extremely deep.”
“If you are looking to start your striking/grappling journey, learn self defense, or increase your fitness, Elevate MMA Academy is definitely the place to do it.”
“The class was followed by an open mat which was possibly one of the funnest open mats I've ever been to.”
Other martial arts here
“If you are looking to start your striking/grappling journey, learn self defense, or increase your fitness, Elevate MMA Academy is definitely the place to do it.”
“If you are looking to start your striking/grappling journey, learn self defense, or increase your fitness, Elevate MMA Academy is definitely the place to do it.”
What members say
“Cody, Samantha, and the rest of the coaches at Elevate are incredibly knowledgeable instructors that truly care about each student they teach.”
“The community is incredibly welcoming, no matter your experience level, and they offer a variety of class times that make it easy to fit into any schedule.”
“The community is incredibly welcoming, no matter your experience level, and they offer a variety of class times that make it easy to fit into any schedule.”
“Instructors are great the beginners jujitsu (Monday and Wednesday) you learn or practice techniques and then go live at the end.”
“From beginners to professional MMA fighters, the pool of teammates to push you and develop skills alongside you is extremely deep.”
“Cody has done a great job promoting a great gym culture where the more experienced folks are more than willing to help out new people.”
From the reviews
Great bunch of people. Instructors are clearly devoted to student success and know their stuff. This isn’t some mickey mouse everybody-gets-a-blackbelt gym. A lot of professionals training for tournaments.
If you are looking to start your striking/grappling journey, learn self defense, or increase your fitness, Elevate MMA Academy is definitely the place to do it. Cody, Samantha, and the rest of the coaches at Elevate are incredibly knowledgeable instructors that truly care about each student they teach.
I moved here a year ago and was looking for a place to create the community, support and excellent training I had back home. Elevate has met that need 10 times over. From the moment I started training, I felt like I was learning from and being nurtured and trained by top tier coaches.
I dropped in for a nogi class while visiting town. Everyone was friendly and welcoming, the instruction was good, and the team provided lots of tough rolls after class while still keeping everyone safe. The facility was clean and had a good amount of mat space. There were ample individual changing rooms for privacy.
New to muay thai? Start at Elevate MMA Academy
Elevate MMA Academy comes up as a beginner-friendly gym — noted on their own site. If you've never thrown a punch or a kick, that's exactly who a good beginners program is for. A few things worth knowing before your first week. First, you don't need to be fit to start — you get in shape by training, not before it, and coaches scale the conditioning to you. Second, you won't be thrown into sparring — reputable gyms build fundamentals (stance, footwork, and the basic strikes of the "art of eight limbs") for weeks before any contact, and sparring stays optional. Third, all levels really are welcome — ask about a dedicated beginners or fundamentals class time so your first session is alongside others who are also starting out. Most gyms are happy to let you watch or try a class first, so reach out before you commit.
Your first muay thai class at Elevate MMA Academy
Nervous about walking into a muay thai gym for the first time? Almost everyone is, and good coaches expect beginners to come through the door. Here's what to know. What to expect: a typical first class is a warm-up, then drilling the basics on pads and bags — not fighting. Rest whenever you need to; no one will bat an eye. What to wear: shorts or athletic wear and a t-shirt; you'll train barefoot on the mats. What to bring: water and hand wraps if you have them — many gyms lend gloves for a first class, so it's worth asking when you call. As you keep training you'll add your own gloves, wraps, a mouthguard, and shin guards. Sparring is optional and comes later, once your fundamentals are solid. Arrive 10–15 minutes early to sign a waiver and meet the coach. It gets easier fast — most people feel far more at home by their third class.
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