- Location
- Birmingham
Gymnastics and Martial Arts Centre, Birmingham
Gymnastics and Martial Arts Centre (GMAC) is a community-based facility located in the shadow of Birmingham Alexander Stadium and the Birmingham High Performance Centre in Perry Park.
The centre has a gymnastic training hall with two floor areas to accommodate traditional floor exercises, rhythmic gymnastics, a variety of fixed apparatus and tumble runs. It has a spectator capacity of up to 450 people. When not in use, the retractable seating can be pulled back to create an area for trampolining. On the upper floor, there is permanent space for another 50 spectators. The gallery overlooks the gymnastics area and is accessible during daily training sessions, enabling the families of children to observe the activities without disturbing the practice session.
Three martial arts areas provide space for aikido, judo, karate, ju-jitsu, kendo and wrestling. When not being used for martial arts, one of the rooms is used for aerobics and other types of exercise classes, demonstrating the versatility of the facility.
The centre caters for all age ranges and abilities and many of the users come from the communities of north Birmingham. However, the facility is also used by elite performers and future Olympians and was a team base for the London 2012 Olympics.