Forge Athletics is a coach-led martial arts and performance training facility at Coastland Center in Naples. To choose a school for your child, ask about age groups, class size, the lesson itself, contact, progress, costs and the people teaching, then watch a class. These eight questions include our own answers, so you can picture your child's training and how it fits your family.
What age can my child start, and where do they fit?
Forge Athletics starts children at age 4, with Little Dragons for ages 4 to 8, Kids MMA for ages 6 to 12, and Youth MMA for ages 11 to 17. The bands overlap to allow for development, skill and comfort, so children have time to grow into the next group. Before a move, parents and coach meet to decide together, considering the child's skills, goals and the family's schedule.
If you're bringing siblings, look at each child's fit and then at the week you can manage together. There are classes six days a week: weekday Kids MMA starts at 4:00pm and Youth MMA at 4:45pm.
Saturday runs in sequence: Little Dragons at 10:00am, Kids MMA at 10:30am, then Youth-Teen-Adult MMA at 11:15am for ages 13 and up, all levels. Children aged 11 and 12 attend Kids MMA at 10:30am on Saturdays.
Use the weekly schedule to picture the trip with both children. Ask which group fits each child now and what moving up would change for your family.
How many kids are in a class, and how many coaches are on the mat?
At Forge Athletics, Kids MMA and Youth MMA usually have 4 to 12 students, a maximum of 18, and two or three coaches on the mat. Little Dragons usually has 2 to 5 children, never more than 8, with one or two coaches.
If a season pushes a kids class to 14 to 16 students, we add another class time.
Ask for both the usual attendance and the cap. Then watch a practice round: can you see who is guiding each pair, and what happens when a child needs help?
Keep those questions beside the class sizes and coaching details.
How long is a class, and what happens in it?
At Forge Athletics, Little Dragons lasts 30 minutes and Kids MMA and Youth MMA last 45 minutes, with warm-up, practice, learning and a cool-down built into the class. Ask how the time is used. Can you follow the lesson from the first movement to the final activity?
Kids MMA and Youth MMA, in order:
- 5 minutes: warm-up.
- 10 minutes: physical training, including shuttle runs, line drills, bag strikes and combinations, parkour and relays.
- 15 minutes: MMA techniques, partner and live drills, kicks and combinations, self-defense techniques and safety talks.
- 10 minutes: team challenges and games with rules or limits that help children solve problems themselves: one-on-one and versus games, board breaking, cone races, dodgeball, Karate-Ball and Forge-Ball.
- 5 minutes: cool-down, class wrap-up, and stripe and belt awards.
Little Dragons, in order:
- 5 minutes: warm-up and stretching.
- 10 minutes: relays, an obstacle course, foundational tumbling and basic kicks.
- 10 minutes: an MMA lesson, split equally between boxing and kickboxing with gloves on, and grappling and self-defense.
- 5 minutes: cool-down, seated meditation, and stripe and belt awards.
The week has two kinds of class: Kids MMA & Athletic Training on Monday, Wednesday and Friday builds agility, coordination, endurance and strength; Kids MMA on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday focuses on martial arts.
Each week's curriculum builds on the last. Respect and leadership are practiced through partner work and coach chats; discipline and control through sparring, grappling and self-defense. That is how we put training the body, mind and spirit into practice.
Is there sparring, and when does contact start?
Sparring at Forge Athletics is light contact and controlled, with no automatic start date: the coach decides from what the child shows. Contact comes gradually, with supervision, matched partners and protective gear.
True martial arts etiquette means control. That is Coach Wil Pino's rule for students.
Ask what the coach watches for before introducing contact and how partners are chosen. Listen for how the coach explains control to the children, too.
The contact and self-defense answers explain how the coach makes that call.
How do belts and stripes work, and are there testing fees?
At Forge Athletics, stripes are earned through coached training time, attitude and rank-specific skills; there are no stripe or belt fees, and only the black belt exam has a fee. Attitude means discipline, leadership, focus and perseverance. About every four to five classes, students get a chance to show their progress.
Ask what your child is working toward and what the coach needs to see next.
With steady training, the time for each belt is:
- Beginner belts: about 2 to 6 months each.
- Blue and Purple: about 6 to 9 months each.
- Brown and Brown-Black: about 9 to 12 months each.
Reaching black belt takes 8 to 10 years on average. The black belt exam fee covers advanced preparation and the embroidered black belt.
Ask about the steps toward the next belt, including how you will hear about your child's progress.
What does it cost to get started, and what do we have to buy?
The first class at Forge Athletics is free, nothing needs to be bought beforehand, and loaner gloves are available.
For a longer try, the Forge Kids Starter offers four classes for ages 6 to 12, with or without Forge boxing gloves to keep. Little Dragons does not have a Starter. The Kids Starter options and price are on the kids page.
Once enrolled, students wear a Forge shirt or rash guard with Forge shorts or gi pants, or plain grey or black sweatpants with no zipper, plus their belt in MMA class.
Kids classes need boxing gloves; teens in Youth MMA add MMA gloves and shin guards. Everything is sold at the front desk. Memberships have no long-term contracts.
Ask for the full ongoing cost, including clothing and gear, before choosing a membership.
Who teaches my child, and what is their background?
At Forge Athletics, Coach "Nikki" Nicholas leads weekday Kids MMA and Youth MMA; he and Coach "Wil" Wilfred Jr both grew up training under owner and head coach Wil Pino. Coach Nikki is our main MMA and grappling coach.
He teaches with Coach Wil Jr on Monday and Thursday, and Coach Wil Pino on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. An assistant coach helps in every weekday kids class.
On Saturday, Coach Wil Jr and Coach Wil Pino lead Kids MMA; Coach Wil Jr leads Little Dragons.
Coach Wil Pino has been teaching since 1995 and has promoted more than fifty students to black belt. Twelve of them went on to win national and world titles.
Ask who will teach on the days your child can attend and how those coaches learned to teach. You can read more about Coach Wil Pino and the coaches on the kids class teaching schedule.
What will I see in a first class?
At Forge Athletics, you can watch your child's first class from the parents' viewing area and see how the coach introduces them to the group. For a shy beginner, the introduction is gradual, with one clear step at a time.
Watch how the coach welcomes your child, whether you can follow the class, how a mistake is handled, and whether your child wants to return.
You can stay and watch or walk Coastland Center while your child trains. There are two private restrooms and drive-up pickup and drop-off.
No child leaves without their parent or guardian; staff can walk your child to the car at the drive-up pickup area. Park in Garage D and come in through the private entrance.
Our goal is for your child to leave feeling better than when they walked in.
Questions to take with you
- What are the age groups, and how is moving up decided?
- How many children usually attend, what is the cap, and how many coaches teach?
- How long is class, and how is the time used?
- Is there sparring, who decides readiness, and what gear is needed?
- What earns a stripe or belt, how is progress shown, and what fees apply?
- What is free, what do we buy later, and what commitment does membership require?
- Who teaches on our days, and who trained them?
- Can I watch my child's first class?
If bullying is the reason you are looking
Start with the adults around your child: listen, write down what happened, and tell the school so it can act. Training does not replace that. In class, your child practices words, boundaries and escapes with a coach. That gives them options besides freezing or fighting back. Our guide to the first conversations about bullying helps you begin with your child and the adults around them.
Come see a class
Pick the school where your child is seen. The style on the sign matters less than the coach on the mat and the shape of the class. If you'd like to meet us, Start Your Free Session and tell us your child's age and experience. Bring the questions that matter to your family.