How to pick the right BJJ School for you!

I am a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu instructor and I know going into a gym can be a very intimidating thing. Just going into a place and learning a skill from a complete stranger can be a challenging obstacle to overcome regardless of what that skill is.Now couple that with the fact gyms can sometimes be associated with meat heads/tough guys types and you’re going to be learning a potentially deadly martial art, and just stepping your foot in the door can seem terrifying. Now, don’t let your fears of getting started thwart your enthusiasm for learning Brazilian Jiu-jitsu because it will be an amazing experience as long as you pick the right gym.

How do I pick the right BJJ gym?

You want to make sure that you pick the right gym for you because this is going to become your sanctuary from all the regular stresses of life and you will make great new friendships with so many different people. Over the years I have talked to many of my new students and they have expressed some common concerns or questions that they had when going into the process of choosing a gym. Below is a step by step process I would follow if I was looking for a gym and some tips to consider as well.

• How to find and decide on a school

1. Do a search and locate all of the BJJ gyms in your area.

2. Call these gyms, ask any questions you have and schedule a free class. If they don’t offer a free class than move on and “X” that school off your list.

3. Go into the gym and check it out. Meet the staff, student base and attend a class. You may feel a little awkward at first and this is natural, but you should feel respected and valued by the instructor and the student base should be friendly. If you at anytime feel disrespected then you should move on to another school.

4. After attending you first BJJ class you should have two things going through your head. Those thoughts should be about the awesome experience (i.e how friendly everyone was and the cool techniques you learned) and the great workout you had. If you finish class with a negative vibe then something is wrong. However, If you’re just feeling down on yourself because you didn’t tap anyone and/or you fudged up your moves during the technique portion of class, get over it! Hah, remember its your first night and this stuff takes years to master.

5. After you have tried the free class its time to make a decision. Think of the gym, the people, the instruction and how you felt. If you felt welcomed and enjoyed your time then its time to start training!

• Is it that simple?

Yes its that simple. Remember. . . we as instructors and gym staff are here to serve anyone that walks through our doors. We want you to show up because we want to teach,help and share with people this amazing martial art that we love. Without students in our gyms we have no purpose and we are simply a building with a bunch of useless equipment. Mats are worthless if there aren’t students on them.

• Dont

1. Don’t make your decision based only on location or price. If there is a great gym near you and has an affordable price then great, but don’t make your decision based only on those criteria. Would you rather pay more for a comfortable environment, better instructors, friendly student base and a place that you are going to want to go back to everyday, or pay less and get locked into a contract to a place that you don’t really enjoy ?

2. Don’t be afraid to ask any questions you may have. Remember we are here to serve YOU!

3. Don’t fall victim to false instruction. With the popularity of mma and the UFC more and more people are trying to make a quick buck off of new comers and its criminal! Do a search on the instructor at the gym on Google and see what you can find.

• Miscellaneous Tips

1. You’re never too old. I have students that range from 5 – 70 in my gym. In fact, just recently I watch a 65 year old student of mine submit several young guys in class.

2.BJJ classes are typically filled with a very unique group of people. There aren’t many meat head types that stick with our sport, because its too humbling and doesn’t provide instant gratification.I say this because one of the biggest concern new students had coming into the gym is that they would be surrounded by a bunch of “tough guys”.

3.If you are interested in competitions be sure that your gym has competitors and if the high ranking belt is an active competitor that is even better.

4. Don’t expect much when you first start training, its like teaching your body a new language and takes time to settle in. The learning curve for BJJ in my experience is at least a month at bare minimum with an average of 3 months before you and your body have a general idea of what they are doing. Remember though, you’re still a beginner.

5. Once you are a student don’t be a belt chaser. Be a technique chaser. Just learn as much as you can and enjoy your journey.

• What to expect for your first class

Most bjj class follow a pretty routine class format. Sometimes they are slightly different but they all involved a few key sections.

1. Warm up. This can be everything from a little running, push ups, movement drills, etc. Just something to get the body warm, blood flowing and mind ready.

2. Technique. This is the time of class that is devoted to a teaching a particular set of techniques.

3. Rolling. This is when you try to use the techniques you’ve been learning on a full resisting and fully active opponent. Typically rolling will either start on the knees or in one of the positions you were working in class.

4. Bow out. Typically after the rolling portion class is followed by the bowing out which concludes class. This is usually a few words from the instructor, maybe a recap of class and then a bow out followed by a hand shake with each instructor and student.

Happy gym hunting. If you are still having doubts and worries about trying BJJ just disregard them and go try a class, or if you have a concern that I didn’t address please send me a message or comment on this post so that I can help.