A first BJJ class usually has three parts: a warm-up built on ground movements, a technical block where you drill two or three moves with a partner, then rolling (live sparring on the ground). Bring a water bottle and flip-flops, and cut your nails short. For a trial class, the academy often provides the rest.
Instructors notice the same pattern again and again. The beginners who come back are rarely the fittest. They are the ones who accepted understanding nothing for an hour and found that interesting.
What to bring to your first BJJ class
| Bring | Why |
|---|---|
| A water bottle | You will sweat more than you expect |
| Flip-flops or slides | Nobody walks barefoot off the mat |
| Shorts with no pockets or zips, a fitted t-shirt | In case the academy has no loaner gi |
| A hair tie for long hair | Loose hair gets caught in grips |
| A towel | For the changing room and shower |
No rings, watches or visible piercings. A ring caught in a gi sleeve can tear a finger badly.
Don't buy a gi before your second or third class. The academy will help with sizing and fabric. When the time comes, our BJJ gi buying guide covers what to look for.
Hygiene is not optional
BJJ is contact on the ground. For an hour, your skin touches your partner's skin and the mat. Hygiene here is protection against ringworm, impetigo and herpes, not good manners.
- Fingernails and toenails cut short, with no sharp edge.
- A clean, dry gi or outfit every session. Never two sessions in the same kit without a wash.
- Shower before class if you come straight from work. Shower after class every time.
- A suspicious skin lesion (red ring, weeping spot) means you don't roll. You see a doctor.
Good academies clean their mats every day. You can judge a gym by how it smells.
How a typical BJJ class runs
The warm-up
It rarely looks like a gym warm-up. Expect forward and backward rolls, shrimping (moving your hips while lying on your side), bridges and technical stand-ups. These movements are the grammar of jiu-jitsu. Everyone does them badly the first time.
The technique block
The instructor shows one technique, often two or three linked together. You drill it with a partner who lets you do it, first on one side, then the other. Ask questions. A higher belt will usually help you.
On day one you will probably see a fundamental: the closed guard, an escape from mount or a simple submission. To get a sense of what comes next, our list of BJJ techniques for beginners follows the usual order.
Rolling
This is when everyone spars, often in rounds of five or six minutes. Depending on the academy, you will roll on your first night or watch from the side. Both approaches make sense.
How to behave when you roll
Most injuries and reputations are made here.
Tap early. Tapping (two quick taps on your partner or the mat) means you give up. Tap as soon as you feel a joint lock or a choke, even if you think you can hold on. A beginner doesn't yet know where the limit of the elbow is. If you can't tap with a hand, say "tap" out loud.
Let go when your partner taps. Straight away. Not one second later.
Don't go 100%. New people often roll as if their life depended on it, with bursts of strength. That is how they hurt others and themselves. A black belt controls a tense beginner with little effort, and that beginner is exhausted after two minutes.
No strikes, and no sudden cranks on the neck or knees. If you don't know whether a move is allowed, don't do it.
How you'll feel after your first class
Expect sore neck muscles, forearms and hips the next day. You'll be more out of breath than you thought, even if you run or swim. You may feel like everyone squashed you. That is the entry fee. Sharp joint pain is different: see a doctor before you go back.
Coming from judo
You'll have an edge standing up and in pins. Watch out for two habits. The first is turning face down into turtle, as you would in judo, which in BJJ gives up your back. The second is trying to stand up to restart the action. Nobody will stop the fight for you here. For a full comparison, read BJJ vs judo.
Give it five classes before you decide
Go back a second time, then a third, before you judge. The first class is confusing for everyone, and it won't tell you whether the sport suits you. The fourth or fifth class will, because that's when you recognize a position and know what to do in it. If you want the bigger picture before stepping on the mat, start with our overview of Brazilian jiu-jitsu.