Women's classes in Richardson

A women-only room, coached by a woman

Every women's class at KŌVA is taught by Nina in a women-only room. That is the whole premise: real Boxing, real Jiu-Jitsu and real Muay Thai, taught to the same standard as the co-ed classes, in a room where you do not have to think about who is watching or who you are paired with.

It is not a lighter version of the sport. You will learn to hit pads properly, to escape from underneath someone, to clinch and to defend. The room is different; the martial arts are not.

Nina coaches all three women's classes.

She runs Women's Boxing on Thursday, Women's BJJ on Saturday and Women's Muay Thai on Sunday. Meet Nina.

Three classes, three disciplines

Women's Boxing, Thursday 5 to 6 PM. Stance, footwork, the jab, cross, hook and uppercut, slipping and blocking, and pad rounds with a partner. Boxing is the fastest way to learn to protect your head and to hit hard with your whole body behind it. The co-ed program is on the Boxing page.

Women's BJJ, Saturday 3 to 4 PM. NoGi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in leggings or shorts and a rash guard, no kimono. Jiu-Jitsu is the art of getting out from underneath someone bigger and controlling them, which is why it matters so much for self-defense. You learn to fall, to frame, to escape and, later, to finish.

Women's Muay Thai, Sunday 3 to 4 PM. Thai boxing: punches, kicks, knees and elbows into pads, plus the clinch. Muay Thai builds the kind of conditioning that changes how you carry yourself, and kicks and knees are the strikes that make the biggest difference against a larger attacker.

Who trains here

Complete beginners, first. Most women who come to a first class have never thrown a punch or been on a mat, and every class is taught with that in mind: technique is broken into steps, partners are matched, and nothing is live until you are ready for it.

Women who want self-defense that works, not a seminar. A one-off self-defense workshop teaches you a move; a program teaches you to stay calm when someone grabs you, because you have been grabbed a hundred times in training and got out every time.

And women who want more later: sparring, competition or the co-ed classes. The women's program is a starting point, not a ceiling.

Privacy: no filming, no photography

KŌVA does not film or photograph members in the women's program. Any content the gym publishes about the women's classes features the coach only. If you have a personal, professional or religious reason to stay off camera, you never have to explain it here.

Wear whatever you are comfortable training in. Long sleeves, leggings and a head covering are all fine on the mat.

What to wear

For Boxing and Muay Thai: athletic clothes you can move in and a water bottle. KŌVA has loaner gloves and shin guards, so there is nothing to buy before your first class; once you join, get your own gloves and hand wraps, and shin guards for Muay Thai. For BJJ: leggings or shorts with no zippers or pockets, a rash guard or fitted t-shirt, and bare feet on the mat. Add a mouthguard once you start live rounds. There is no uniform to buy.

Your first class

You check in at the desk, meet Nina, and warm up with the group. She teaches two or three techniques, you drill them with a partner she pairs you with, and the class finishes with pad rounds or positional work depending on the discipline. Nobody spars in a first class. Classes are 60 minutes, and you will leave knowing exactly what the program is and whether it is for you.

Membership

The Women's MMA membership is month to month and covers all three women's classes: Boxing, BJJ and Muay Thai, with no long-term contract. Your first class is free, so you can train once before you decide. If you want the co-ed classes as well, All Access covers Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, Boxing and MMA; ask Nina which fits. Every plan is on the memberships page.

Bringing a child? Kids Muay Thai for ages 5 to 12 starts at 6 PM on Thursday, right as Women's Boxing ends.