What can I expect in my first class? What is a BJJ class like?



The general structure of a class will be;

Warm-up (jogging, stretches etc),
Conditioning exercises (bodyweight exercises, sprints etc),
Techniques,
Drills,
Live sparring. (New students won’t be allowed to spar until they have a few classes done and have a basic knowledge of all the positions.)

Are injuries common in BJJ?
Most people see the joint locks and chokes utilised in BJJ and figure that injuries are very common. This is not the case. Injuries are very rare in BJJ as all students are taught how to apply the techniques slowly and with great control. Students are taught to respect their training partners and anyone behaving in an unsafe manner will be asked to leave the class.

What do I need for my first class? What should I wear for my first class?
The Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class requires a gi however this is not necessary for beginners. If you have a Judo gi, wear that. Otherwise shorts or tracksuit bottoms and a t-shirt will be fine. Wear old clothes which you won’t mind getting ripped/stretched and don’t wear anything with zips/buttons etc. It is a good idea to take a bottle of water with you too!

What training should I do before starting BJJ? I am unfit, should I get fitter before starting BJJ? Should I lose weight before I start BJJ?


Many people start BJJ without any prior athletic experience/while being overweight/while being unfit. While having a good level of cardiovascular fitness and conditioning will undoubtedly help you train BJJ, and will help you get more out of each class (by allowing you to train harder and longer), it is not a prerequisite to training.

Participating in BJJ will increase your cardiovascular fitness, strength, speed and will help you lose weight. As this may suggest, however, it is hard work so be prepared to sweat!

If you are unfit, just get stuck in and train as hard as you can. If the training gets too hard ask for some time to recover before joining in again. Your fitness level will increase rapidly if you always push yourself. All students are encouraged to train safely and not to push themselves too hard in the first few classes.

What is the belt system in BJJ? What are the BJJ belt ranks?


The ranking system is as follows; white, blue, purple, brown, black. High level black belts then become black and red and, finally, solid red.

Many schools also use a stripe system, where stripes are awarded to show progress within a belt level. The system of awarding stripes varies between schools.

How often do I need to train to progress? Is there a minimum number of times I need to train to learn?
Most people advise training at least twice a week in order to be able to remember techniques and to progress. However, something is better nothing!
If you cannot train regularly, do not judge your performance against other students. Many people train 4 or 5 times a week, some every day, and others more than once a day. These people will progress much faster. You should only judge your own progress; think how you would do after one month’s training if you fought yourself on your first day.

I'm a woman: is BJJ right for me? 


BJJ is an excellent choice for women. In terms of self-defence, BJJ is perfect from a female perspective, as it deals with the unfortunately common self-defence situation of rape: BJJ features a lot of attacks and defences when someone is in between your legs. It is also a martial art which was designed for a smaller person to overcome a larger one, which again has clear applications for women's self-defence.

In terms of sport, BJJ is a great work-out and far more interesting than running on a treadmill at the gym. Fitness is one of the big reasons for training in BJJ, as many people these days find the gym a little dull.

I'm looking for a martial art for my daughter/son: is BJJ suitable for children?


Yes, BJJ is suitable for children. Our instructors manage a good balance of games to keep the younger kids interested, along with enough discipline to stop things getting out of hand.

It must be understood that there is a significant psychological difference between striking and grappling for a young child. Striking implies far more violence and anger; and the immediate emotional response to being struck will vary greatly from child to child. 
Young children adjust to grappling long before they can adapt psychologically to striking. Children invariably begin wrestling without the guidance of adults as a recreational activity anyway, so providing technique and structure for it is a fairly natural progression.

What is the difference between gi and nogi?


Simply put, gi training involves wearing a heavy cotton jacket and trousers, while no gi grappling is normally done in a combination of a rash guard or t-shirt with shorts. 

The main difference between training with a gi and without is that for the former, it's possible to slow things down, meaning that the spar tends to be more about technique rather than strength or speed. Physical attributes come into it a lot more with no-gi: though they’re certainly not absent in the gi, they can at least be negated to a certain extent by all the handles a gi provides. No gi is normally also, therefore, faster paced than gi. 


Is BJJ just a sport, or will it teach me self-defence?


Being a sport does not mean it's ineffective. 

The "just a sport" argument is a common accusation levelled against certain combat sports (judo gets this criticism too sometimes). Taking part in competition (a defining characteristic of a sport) does not automatically mean a style is useless for self-defence. It merely means that it's possible to use the techniques of that style in a regulated environment. 

This is in direct contrast to 'self defence' techniques, which are frequently taught in a compliant drilling environment. Certain people place great stock in statements like "that's just a sport, whereas ‘MY’ martial art is far too deadly for competition". What they really mean is that they never train their 'self defence' techniques under pressure, and therefore lack any verification that what they're learning or teaching actually works. In a combat sport like BJJ you immediately get feedback on what works and what does not, because you spar against full resistance.

I want self defence against multiple opponents: will BJJ help me?
There is no evidence that striking is any safer than grappling when fighting multiple opponents. Fighting several attackers is a losing proposition for anyone, grappler or striker. It's not impossible but it is very unlikely. People who think they can fight multiple people without getting seriously hurt tend to have watched a few too many kung fu movies. 

The best defence in this situation is to run away. The second best defence is to have a weapon (or three). 

Grappling and ground-fighting skills are essential in a multiple opponent scenario with weapons involved. Put simply put you need grappling/groundfighting skills to utilize a weapon effectively when escape is not an option. 

A weapon is not a magic wand. It often requires time or multiple successful attacks to remove an attacker from the fight. In the meantime dog-pack tactics are likely to be employed against you. A multiple opponent scenario where escape and evasion is not possible is by definition "close quarters". 

To escape from a clinch, takedown, tackle, or pin requires personal understanding of how it is executed. It may take minutes for an attacker who has been stabbed to cease all resistance, and a bludgeoned opponent may collapse on you or pass out with a death grip on parts of your anatomy. 

No part of a multiple opponent scenario is pleasant to contemplate, but whether you can run or must fight, the grappling and groundfighting skill-sets are essential if you want to live through a bad situation. Hopefully you won’t have to use them, but they are critical insurance when things go pear-shaped.

What is the difference between Japanese Jiu Jitsu/Traditional Jiu Jitsu and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?

JJJ/TJJ is often more compliant than BJJ, as it doesn't always include sparring against fully resistant opponents. Therefore BJJ is normally a safer bet if you are looking for quality groundwork, but JJJ/TJJ covers a lot of schools, so it's tough to generalise.

What is the difference between Judo and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?

Judo is great on throws, less good on groundwork, while BJJ is great on groundwork, not so good on throws.