HomeIowaPleasant Hill › Porcelli's Training Center Home of Des Moines MMA Academy & Team Porcelli Wrestling Club

Porcelli's Training Center Home of Des Moines MMA Academy & Team Porcelli Wrestling Club

4.9 ★★★★★ 32 Google reviews · Muay thai gym in Pleasant Hill, Iowa

Muay Thai gym Free trial Beginners welcome Kids & teens Private lessons Fight team

Plan your first class

  • Free trial or intro class most gyms welcome new members with a free trial or intro class — check their site or give them a call to book your first session
  • Beginner-friendly all levels welcome, including total beginners — you don't need to be fit or have any experience to start
  • Kids & youth classes kids and youth muay thai classes — built around discipline, focus, and confidence
  • Private lessons private, one-on-one coaching available — a focused way to start or to work around a busy schedule; ask about availability and rates
  • 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 porcellistrainingcenter.com — book classes and see the live schedule
  • Phone +1 515-661-4782

Hours

Monday 5–9 pm
Tuesday 5–9 pm
Wednesday 5–9 pm
Thursday 5–9 pm
Friday 5–7 pm
Saturday 10 am–12 pm
Sunday Closed

Hours shift for holidays, seminars, and open-gym times — worth a quick check before a special trip.

The classes they run

Muay thai classes on the schedule at Porcelli's Training Center Home of Des Moines MMA Academy & Team Porcelli Wrestling Club, confirmed in members' own reviews and the gym's own info — not guessed from the sign out front.

🧒 Kids Muay Thai 4 mentions

“We are thankful for our team TPW and coach Porcelli who not only teaches kids how to wrestle but also how to build good character.”

All gyms that run kids muay thai →

🛡️ Self-Defense

“Porcelli has great trainers who care about their job and really make learning self defense/combat sports fun.”

All gyms that run self-defense →

Other martial arts here

Muay thai gyms are usually multi-discipline. Here's what else members mention training under the same roof at Porcelli's Training Center Home of Des Moines MMA Academy & Team Porcelli Wrestling Club — mined from their reviews and the gym's own info.

🦵 Kickboxing

“A great place to train wrestling MMA boxing or kickboxing .”

Other gyms that also teach kickboxing →

🥊 Boxing 2 mentions

“My daughter is taking boxing and wrestling classes and she loves this place and the people.”

Other gyms that also teach boxing →

🏟️ MMA 3 mentions

“One of the Best MMA / Wrestling Programs in Iowa with a great facility !”

Other gyms that also teach mma →

🤸 Wrestling 5 mentions

“My daughter is taking boxing and wrestling classes and she loves this place and the people.”

Other gyms that also teach wrestling →

Disciplines are mined from reviews and the gym's own info — they show what members have trained, not a formal class guarantee. If you specifically want BJJ, boxing, or MMA alongside muay thai, confirm the current schedule with the gym.

What members say

The things reviewers bring up again and again across 32 Google reviews — in their own words.

🧑‍🏫 expert, authentic coaching 4 mentions

“Porcelli has great trainers who care about their job and really make learning self defense/combat sports fun.”

🤝 no-ego, friendly gym 3 mentions

“Excellent coaches and very welcoming”

🧠 builds confidence & discipline 3 mentions

“Payje has only been attending for a couple of months, but I have already noticed her confidence and self esteem skyrocketing.”

From the reviews

A great place to train wrestling MMA boxing or kickboxing . Anthony porcelli is a great coach and 3 time national champion wrestler that has been around trained lots of state champs and has sent numerous fighters to the UFC and other large organizations also training at porcelli's you will be treated like family but…

★★★★★ — Jesse, Jul 2017

My daughter is taking boxing and wrestling classes and she loves this place and the people. The instructors are very knowledgeable and you can tell they truly care about their students. Payje has only been attending for a couple of months, but I have already noticed her confidence and self esteem skyrocketing.

★★★★★ — Dennis, Oct 2019

Porcelli has great trainers who care about their job and really make learning self defense/combat sports fun. It's hard to make a gym bad as long as you have the equipment, but to make a gym stand out is a challenge. I haven't had any other coaches like the ones at porcellis, highly recommend.

★★★★★ — Cael, Nov 2022

What wonderful people. National caliber technical coaching. A fun atmosphere (from love of the sport) but serious discipline at the same time.

★★★★★ — Lj, Dec 2016

Excerpts from public Google reviews. Read all 32 reviews →

New to muay thai? Start at Porcelli's Training Center Home of Des Moines MMA Academy & Team Porcelli Wrestling Club

Porcelli's Training Center Home of Des Moines MMA Academy & Team Porcelli Wrestling Club 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.

Check beginner classes on their site

Your first muay thai class at Porcelli's Training Center Home of Des Moines MMA Academy & Team Porcelli Wrestling Club

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.

Muay thai is a contact sport. Ease in, listen to your coaches, and if you have any injuries or health concerns, mention them before class and check with a doctor if you're unsure.

Where to find Porcelli's Training Center Home of Des Moines MMA Academy & Team Porcelli Wrestling Club

5160 NE 12th Ave, Pleasant Hill, IA50327

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Listing verified July 2026 from public business records and member reviews. Something out of date? Report a correction. Own this gym? Claim your listing — it's free.