Questions, Answered
Everything Naples families and members ask us, organized by topic. Tap any question for the answer, or jump to a topic below. Can't find yours? Call or text (239) 799-KICK and ask a person.
Getting started
The free session, booking, pricing, and how fast you can start.
Is the first session really free?
Yes. Group programs at Forge Athletics in Naples start with a free first class and personal training starts with a free consultation. Kids MMA serves ages 6-12, Youth MMA ages 11-17, and adults have Co-Ed Kickboxing on Monday and Wednesday at 5:30pm, women's classes and MMA. Tell us who is training and what interests them, meet the coaches, experience Forge, then decide.
How much does membership cost?
Your first class is free, any program. After that, the Forge Starter is four coached classes, with or without Forge boxing gloves, priced on the Starter page. Monthly memberships are available for every age, sold by the number of classes you enroll to attend every 4-week cycle, from $119 to $399 depending on how often you train, with no long-term contracts, no stripe or belt fees, and family discounts available. Events such as camps and the women's self-defense workshop carry their prices on the events calendar. Come train once for free, tell us your week, and we will show you the option that fits. Call or text and we give you a straight answer. Our guide to what martial arts classes cost in Naples.
Do I need to book, or can I just show up?
Please contact us before coming in. We want to know who is arriving, what program you are interested in, and which class or starting process fits you best. If you are bringing a child, their age and experience can also affect which class we recommend.
Booking ahead gives our staff and coaches time to prepare for your visit, place you correctly, and make sure you are not arriving for the wrong class. You can call, text, email, or message us through social media. We will help you choose the right starting point.
How quickly will someone respond?
In many cases you will hear back the same day, often within a few hours. During busy weekends, holidays, or while classes are in session it can take a little longer. If your question is time-sensitive, texting is usually the fastest way to reach us.
31 questions on this topic: Questions parents ask first (8) · Free session questions (4) · Before you reach out (8) · Schedule questions (11)
Kids & parents
Safety, ages, first classes, and what really changes at home.
Is martial arts safe for my child?
Yes, and safety is built into how every class runs rather than added on top. Coaches actively supervise from start to finish, and children are taught proper technique, control, and respect before they are ever asked to work with a partner. Students train with others of similar age, size, and experience whenever possible. Like soccer, basketball, or gymnastics, occasional bumps and bruises can happen, but structured curriculum, coach supervision, and emphasis on control keep injuries uncommon.
How old does my child need to be?
Little Dragons serves ages 4-8. Kids MMA and Kids MMA & Athletic Training serve ages 6-12. Youth MMA and Youth MMA & Athletic Training serve ages 11-17 on weekdays; on Saturdays the 11:15am class is Youth-Teen-Adult MMA for ages 13 and up, all levels, and 11 and 12 year olds train in Kids MMA at 10:30am. Adults train in separate programs, and senior training is available through personal training.
What happens at my teen's first class?
It starts at the front desk with a welcome and a quick tour. The coach introduces your teen to students in the class so they already know a few people before training begins. They warm up with the group, learn that week's material, and finish with carefully supervised live work matched to their level. A first-timer who does a good job usually earns their first belt at the end of class.
Is strength training safe for a growing child?
Strength training can be appropriate for a growing athlete when it is properly coached and scaled to that child. We do not start by seeing how much weight they can lift. We start by teaching them how to control their body, hold good positions, and perform each movement correctly.
We can make an exercise challenging by slowing it down, adding a pause, improving the range of motion, or asking the athlete to maintain control before we ever add much weight. We also pay attention to growth spurts, soreness, sport practices, and competition demands. The goal is to build a stronger, more capable athlete without treating a growing child like a smaller version of an adult.
80 questions on this topic: Kids martial arts questions (23) · Teen MMA questions (7) · Kids personal training questions (5) · Summer camp questions (10) · Kids self-defense questions (7) · Homeschool questions (8) · MMA class guide, for choosing by age and experience · Teen and adult MMA questions (20)
Events
Workshops, school-break camps, Parents' Night Out, Buddy Days, and birthday parties.
How do I register for a workshop, camp, or Parents' Night Out?
Online. Pick your date on the Forge Athletics events calendar, open that event's page, choose your option, and press Register online. Registration opens on Forge's Gymdesk page, where you sign the waiver and pay. Prefer to register by phone? Call or text the front desk at (239) 799-KICK.
What ages are these events for?
The women's self-defense workshops are structured for ages 13 and up, and a 12-year-old may attend when accompanied by her mother or guardian. Day and holiday camps are for ages 6-14, and Parents' Night Out is for ages 6-13. Buddy Days take place during regular Saturday classes.
What is included in Parents' Night Out?
Every listed night includes a variety of games, pizza, and a craft or coloring option. Each date also has its own theme. For Nerf War, Forge provides blasters and safety goggles, and children may bring their own Nerf blaster.
Who can come to Buddy Day?
Each current Forge student can invite one friend to attend their regular class for free. All Saturday classes participate on the listed Buddy Days, and no martial arts or fitness experience is required.
Who can attend, and are non-members welcome?
School-break camps serve children ages 6-14, including non-members, at the same listed price. Coach Wil must approve an age exception before registration.
What should my child bring and wear?
Bring a snack, packed lunch and refillable water bottle. Current members wear their Forge uniform and bring their belt; other campers wear comfortable athletic clothes. Water stations are available, and drinks can be purchased at the front desk.
What if we cancel or miss a camp day?
Cancel by the day before camp for a full refund. Same-day cancellations and days missed without notice receive credit toward another camp, event or service. Call, text or email the desk to cancel.
20 questions on this topic: Event questions (8) · School-break camp questions (12)
Adult programs
Kickboxing, boxing, and strength training for adults of every level.
I have never worked out before. Will I be able to do this?
Yes. You can start with no workout or kickboxing experience. Coaches adjust the training to your level, and you work at your own pace from day one. One member who began with no training background says she is in the best shape of her life at 60.
Do your kickboxing classes include sparring?
No. None of the three Forge Kickboxing classes includes sparring, and you will never be expected to spar or fight. Training uses heavy bags, strength equipment, body-weight and calisthenic movements.
How is this different from a gym class or a franchise kickboxing studio?
Your coach watches your technique and adjusts the work to your level. The workouts change from session to session. You get feedback on the skills you are practicing as well as guidance through the workout.
Do I need experience?
No experience is needed for Youth-Teen-Adult MMA on Saturday at 11:15am, for ages 13 and up. The Advanced class has a separate experience requirement. Tell us you are new when you book, and we will help you choose your starting point.
Is there an adult MMA class in Naples?
Yes. Youth-Teen-Adult MMA welcomes ages 13 and up on Saturday at 11:15am, including beginners. Teen & Adult MMA (Advanced) meets Monday and Wednesday at 6:30pm and requires at least two to three years of prior martial arts training and a conversation with the coach. Adults can also choose Private MMA Coaching.
76 questions on this topic: Kickboxing questions (15) · Women's kickboxing questions (11) · MMA questions (9) · Teen and adult MMA questions (20) · Boxing questions (5) · Boot camp questions (5) · Strength & conditioning questions (11)
Personal training
How one-on-one coaching starts and who it works for.
How does personal training start?
Personal training begins with a complimentary 20-30 minute consultation. You meet a coach, talk through your goals, learn how we train and decide which program fits before any training session is scheduled.
Do I need to be fit before starting personal training?
No. Your program starts at your current level and builds from there. Personal training gives you individual coaching, so every exercise can be adjusted to your experience, ability and goals.
Do you work with seasonal residents?
Yes. Seasonal residents are welcome, and some of our senior clients train with us during the months they are in Naples.
21 questions on this topic: Personal training questions (8) · Women's personal training questions (4) · Men's personal training questions (4) · Senior training questions (5)
Self-defense
Real skill, real practice, and the women's workshop.
Is one Women's Self-Defense Workshop enough to learn self-defense?
The workshop is a real starting point, but one event cannot prepare someone for every situation. Forge's self-defense system is built on combat-proven martial arts techniques, including Haganah F.I.G.H.T. principles and fundamental Gracie Jiu-Jitsu skills. The workshop gives women focused time to begin learning and practicing those ideas. Like any physical skill, capability and confidence grow through continued practice and repetition. Women who want to keep training can continue developing their striking, strength, fitness, and confidence through Forge's women's classes.
What is Forge's self-defense system built from?
It is built from real, combat-proven martial arts skills rather than a list of moves to memorize. Haganah F.I.G.H.T. contributes simple, direct principles based on natural movement, efficiency, control, and responding without depending entirely on strength. Gracie Jiu-Jitsu contributes fundamental standing and ground skills for positioning, control, escape, and dealing with a larger opponent. Underneath those is the way Forge teaches everything: boxing, kickboxing, wrestling and jiu-jitsu as one connected skill set, so you can defend yourself standing up and on the ground; the kick as the great equalizer against a bigger, stronger attacker; position and leverage over strength when you have been grabbed or taken down; and the judgment to choose the right response. Forge brings those foundations together through coached practice and repetition so students understand what each skill is for and how its pieces connect.
Can my daughter attend with me?
Yes. The workshop is structured for ages 13 and up, and a 12-year-old may attend when accompanied by her mother or guardian. When registering, tell the front desk that you plan to bring a minor, and we will send you the appropriate waiver form to complete before the workshop. All minors must participate with an adult unless Forge specifically states otherwise for that event.
23 questions on this topic: Self-defense questions (8) · Women's workshop questions (8) · Kids self-defense questions (7) · Workshop dates on the events calendar
About Forge
The coach, the story, and what makes this place different.
Who is Coach Wil?
Wil Pino is the owner and head coach of Forge Athletics in Naples. He has taught martial arts for over thirty years, since 1995, when he took charge of a Coastland Center dojo just after turning sixteen. He holds third-degree black belts in kickboxing, under Robert Fletcher, and in Shorin-Ryu karate, under Tadashi Yamashita, and won the Arnold Classic martial arts title in 1997, at seventeen. Over those years he has promoted more than fifty students to black belt.
What makes Forge different from other gyms?
What a first-timer experiences at Forge happens in layers.
First, they notice the facility. Forge provides a state-of-the-art training environment built for strength training, conditioning, and mixed martial arts. People notice the mat area, the strength equipment, the power cable training area, and the overall look and feel of the gym.
Then they notice the people. Forge has a positive-minded culture and a harmony among the people who train here. Students, clients, and families are welcomed, seen, and appreciated. Great people attract other great people, and that creates an environment where people can work hard without the attitude or impersonality they may have experienced elsewhere.
Then the coaching takes center stage. Our coaches and staff genuinely care about the people who walk through the door. Students receive personal attention, detailed instruction, and corrections that help them understand what they are doing instead of simply being told to keep moving. Every student should leave having learned something new or improved something they already knew.
There is also integrity behind the martial arts being taught. These are not random fitness movements with martial arts names attached to them. The techniques, skills, and character traits developed at Forge are founded on decades of experience and a real teaching heritage. Every system taught at Forge traces through named teachers to the art's source. Coach Wil was trained and mentored by respected martial arts masters, and he passes the best of what they taught him to Forge's students.
Another gym can buy equipment or copy a class format. What it cannot honestly copy is this particular combination of culture, coaching, personal care, facility, experience, and martial arts lineage.
In practice: every class is led by Coach Wil or a coach he certified. Every client starts with a consultation and a movement assessment before we write a single session. And every system taught at Forge traces through named teachers to the art's source.
5 questions on this topic: About Forge questions (5)
Free tools & calculators
How to read the numbers our free calculators give you.
How accurate is the estimate?
It is an estimate, not a measurement of your metabolism and not a guarantee of what your body will do.
The calculation can provide a reasonable starting reference, but its accuracy depends on the information entered and how closely the activity estimate matches your real life. People often describe their activity in broad categories, while their actual movement and training can change considerably from one week to another.
If you choose to use the estimate, compare it with what actually happens over time and make gradual adjustments rather than reacting to a single day or a short-term change. If you have a medical condition, take medication that affects appetite or body weight, or need a therapeutic nutrition plan, discuss your calorie target with a qualified healthcare or nutrition professional.
Do I have to actually test a max to know it?
No. You can estimate your one-rep max by entering a lighter weight that you lifted for several controlled repetitions. That is what this calculator is designed to do.
The result is an estimate, not a promise that you can or should attempt that weight. Its accuracy can vary based on the exercise, the number of repetitions entered, your technique, and how close the set was to your actual limit.
For programming purposes, an estimate can still give you a useful starting reference without requiring you to attempt a true maximum. If you are inexperienced with the exercise, returning after an injury, or unsure whether maximal lifting is appropriate for you, work with a qualified coach and follow any guidance provided by your healthcare professional.
18 questions on this topic: One-rep max questions (3) · Calorie questions (3) · Macro questions (3) · Protein questions (3) · Hydration questions (3) · Metabolic rate questions (3)
Still Have a Question?
Send it over. Texting usually gets the fastest reply.