I would like to start by congratulating you! You have finally decided to start training Brazilian jiu-jitsu. A martial art like Brazilian jiu-jitsu can significantly impact your life and develop your character. Also, it is one of the best fighting styles for self-defense. In this article, we will talk about your first BJJ class. We will discuss everything you should know before going and what to expect during training. Enjoy the article!
What Should I Know Before Starting BJJ?
Before you begin Brazilian jiu-jitsu training, you should know what BJJ actually is. Jiu-jitsu is a fighting style that focuses mainly on ground techniques. BJJ focuses on controlling opponents on the ground, gaining a dominant position, and defeating them with joint locks or chokeholds. Brazilian jiu-jitsu can be trained with or without the gi. The gi is composed of a heavy cotton jacket, reinforced drawstring trousers, and a belt that communicates rank. Non-Japanese speakers sometimes refer to the Brazilian jiu-jitsu gi as kimono. Brazilian jiu-jitsu originated in Japan, but it gained popularity in Brazil and was used by the Gracie family in the early days of the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). If you want to learn more about the origins of jiu-jitsu, I highly recommend reading our article. Here is a video of five tips for your first BJJ class.
What Do I Need to Begin Training?
When going to your first BJJ class, look up an academy to join. When joining an academy, ask if they have a beginners’ program. Beginner classes are a great way to get used to the atmosphere and academy rules. Also, a good beginner’s program is designed around the fundamentals and core techniques of the sport. Learning these first is very important for your development.
Before enrolling in a gi class, you should ask if a gi uniform is required. Some academies require you to purchase the gi from them directly, while others do not. Aside from the gi, they may ask you to wear a rashguard or a sports bra (for women). This is for hygienic reasons. If the class is no-gi, you should wear a shirt or a rashguard and board shorts or spats. Also, you should bring your own flip-flops when you need to go to the bathroom and bring a towel to clean yourself after the training. Here are some additional items you should bring to your first BJJ class:
- Soap
- Spare clothes
- Water bottle
- Mouthguard
- Finger tape
Brazilian jiu-jitsu is a close-contact sport, proper hygiene is very important. Here are some of the things you should do before you go to the class:
- Brush your teeth
- Take a shower
- Bring clean clothes
- Trim your fingernails
- If you have long hair, tie it up
- If you have an open wound, cover it
- Tell your instructor if you have a skin infection
After the class, take a shower and wash your training gear. Never wear the same gear for two training sessions on the same day.
What Can I Expect at a BJJ Class?
Before going to your first BJJ class, feel free to ask your instructor how that will look. Instructors around the world run classes in different ways. Nonetheless, there is a broad pattern of training that is common to most schools. Class begins with warm-up stretching and calisthenics. In some schools, this is very light, but in others, it can resemble a mini workout that will make you burn many calories. After the warm-up, you will go over some particular movements that are required for Brazilian jiu-jitsu. After this, there will be a demonstration of techniques. Find a partner and practice a given technique with him. Your instructor will tell you whether you should do the technique for reps or time. Once everyone has understood the technique, it is time for sparring. In Brazilian jiu-jitsu, there are two types of sparring:
Positional Sparring
This is the type of sparring where you start from a certain position. If you are struggling with your mount escapes, your instructor may place you in the bottom mount to work on them. This is a great way to practice specific skills. It is prevalent in beginner classes because it is safer than open sparring, and it is easier for novices to understand.
Open Sparring
Sparring is a big part of Brazilian jiu-jitsu training. This is a great way to test your skills and see what you have learned. Some instructors don’t allow beginners to go into full sparring, but in other schools, it is encouraged. Whichever the case, once you start sparring with your partners, ensure you understand the rules and be respectful to everyone. If you are rolling with someone smaller than you, avoid using too much strength because you may unintentionally injure them. Also, try to calm your nerves as much as possible and practice the techniques you learned. Sparring rounds can be anywhere from four to seven minutes.
After the sparring, there may be some time for you to stretch and relax your muscles. As the class ends, the whole group bows to each other.
What Is Expected of Me?
Brazilian jiu-jitsu is known for its informality. Generally, there is little bowing during the classes and a rigid class structure. You can train at your own pace to a greater degree than most martial arts. Students are expected to push themselves rather than be pushed by someone else. This kind of training environment is great for building self-discipline and good habits. Nevertheless, some things are expected of you when you join a jiu-jitsu academy and go to your first BJJ class. Let’s look at them.
Don’t Be Late for Class
Many people have busy schedules during the day, and we all have different responsibilities. However, being late to a class can be disrespectful. Avoid being late; if you have to be, ask your instructor if that is okay with him.
Respect Everyone
In Brazilian jiu-jitsu schools, you will meet a lot of new people. Some are lawyers, doctors, plumbers, professional athletes, students, etc. Ensure that you respect everyone and that you are polite. Above all, be respectful to your instructor and your training partners, as they are the ones helping you grow.
Have good hygiene
As mentioned before, hygiene is very important. Ensure that you always have proper hygiene. A good product you can use after a training session is Defense Soap. This will keep you clean.
Pay Your Membership on Time
Jiu-jitsu academies are small businesses. They have expenses each month that have to be paid. Always pay your membership on time. Being late is very irresponsible and can be very disrespectful.
Give It Your Best
When you go to jiu-jitsu, you should focus on improving every class and giving it your best. You don’t have to do every sparring session and do every technique perfectly, but try to do it as best as you can. Focus on getting 1% better every training session, and you will be blown away by the results.
How Will Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Benefit Me?
The most obvious benefit is gaining knowledge of one of the most effective self-defense systems, which will build confidence in your character and develop your physique. If you want to learn more about how jiu-jitsu can change your body, read this article. Additionally, Brazilian jiu-jitsu offers its practitioners a wide range of mental benefits.
Individual and Social Development
Brazilian jiu-jitsu is an individual and social activity. Unlike a team sport, you face your opponent alone, both in training and in competition. This forces you to become self-reliant. You cannot blame others for your failures, nor can they take credit for your success. Brazilian jiu-jitsu is also a social activity, which means that you cannot succeed without a group upon whom you depend on your development. Anyone who can’t fit into a group working toward a common goal will quickly find himself without training partners and unable to progress.
Emotional Growth
There is tremendous emotional growth that comes with the study of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. This results from confronting and overcoming inevitable failures and mistakes during your training. Initially, you will be easily defeated by everyone who has trained longer than you. This can be a very disheartening experience, especially if you begin with a high opinion of your fighting skills. You will quickly learn that no secret techniques will substitute for hard work and sweat. This will create a strong work ethic.
Problem Solving
The most important lesson that jiu-jitsu will teach you is tackling problems through strategy rather than brute strength and aggression. To become successful, you must overcome several problems created by your opponent. You will first try to do this by sheer strength. As this fails, you will learn to apply the strategy and techniques of jiu-jitsu. There is a tremendous sense of problem-solving in the sport. For every problem in grappling, there is a rational solution. This is why you must employ tactics to overcome practical problems.
Is BJJ Hard for Beginners?
Unlike other grappling arts like judo or wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu is mostly done on the ground. This means that it is much easier on the body and that even people without previous martial arts experience can practice it. Brazilian jiu-jitsu techniques are performed utilizing leverage. Therefore, it is more important to have good timing and precision than to force a technique. Beginners that focus on technique can learn jiu-jitsu quickly and adapt to the sport in a short amount of time. However, if you try to use a lot of strength during your training, it can be very exhausting and hard on your body.
As with other combat sports, jiu-jitsu has a lot of sparring. This can sometimes be hard for a beginner that is not in good shape. With time your body will adapt to this, and sparring will become much more manageable. Remember not to push too hard when you start sparring, as this can be tiring, and you will gas out quickly.
How Many Days a Week Should a Beginner Do Jiu-Jitsu?
As a beginner, you should not focus on the quantity of training but the quality of each training session. Training in a structured beginner’s program is the best way to develop your skills and learn jiu-jitsu. When it comes to how many classes per week you should have, the answer is that it depends on what your goals are. If you want to train recreationally and are not interested in competitions, three training sessions per week should be enough. If you train less than that, chances are you will miss out on too many techniques, and you will not be able to form a complete game.
On the other hand, if you would like to compete and improve faster in jiu-jitsu, you should train more. Competitors usually train five to seven times per week. These don’t have to be hard training sessions. For example, you can have five regular sessions and add two drilling sessions. In the end, you should see what your goals in the sport are and what you want to accomplish. The most important thing is that you fall in love with the process, and you are happy on the mat.
How Long Does It Take To Learn BJJ Basics?
There are many techniques in Brazilian jiu-jitsu that you can learn. This makes the sport very interesting, and people can often get lost in so many techniques. We can use the Pareto principle to make it easier for a beginner to learn jiu-jitsu. Therefore, 80% of our development will come from 20% of our techniques. Techniques such as these are often called BJJ fundamentals or BJJ basics. These are the core techniques that everyone should master, and they involve pin escapes, guard retention, open guard, half guard, self-defense, closed guard, etc.
If you want to learn more about BJJ fundamentals, I highly suggest checking John Danaher’s: Go Further Faster series. A good Brazilian jiu-jitsu academy will have a program structured around these techniques, and beginners should take six months to a year to get to know these techniques. Once a beginner gets used to them, he should regularly practice and drill them to use them in combat.
Final Thoughts
To finish this off, let’s quickly summarize what we have talked about. When preparing for your first BJJ class, you should know what to bring and what to expect from a class. Also, you should know what is expected of you and how you should behave while training. Brazilian jiu-jitsu can be hard in the beginning, but once you start to implement techniques, it will become much easier. Training three times a week for a recreational practitioner is a great way to start, and training this way, you can get to know the fundamentals in six to twelve months. Thank you for reading the article! Train safe!
My name is Milos, I am a brown belt and owner of Fort Jiu-Jitsu! Be sure to check us out!