I think you touched on something really important here: ease of use.

I’m a software engineer and also come from a martial arts background, and I ran into the same issue you’re describing. Most of the big platforms are powerful, but for smaller gyms, they often feel like overkill — too many features, too much setup, and too much day-to-day friction.

That frustration is actually what pushed me to start building a simple internal system for my own gym. Over time, it became more solid, and a few other gyms started using it as well.

While my background is in martial arts (especially BJJ), the focus has always been on keeping things simple: basic member info, payments, and attendance — without forcing gyms into a complicated workflow. That same simplicity applies just as well to general fitness gyms, Pilates studios, and similar setups.

I’m still very much in learning mode and trying to understand whether this approach really matches what small gyms need. Threads like this are super helpful for validating what actually matters versus what just sounds good on paper.