What not to do during your first Jiu Jitsu class

Sep 28, 2022 0 comments

Are you starting BJJ soon? Unsure of what to expect or what to do to prepare? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered on some things that you should avoid during your first Jiu Jitsu class!

AVOID: Challenging the black belts

Train and roll with someone around your level, for the first few weeks to months. As you improve, the pace that you roll at and the level of the training partners you roll with will also improve.

AVOID: Spazzing

Do not spazz out during training and/or live rolling. You might be wondering, “what is spazzing out?” Spazzing out is the phrase frequently used to describe uncontrolled, violent, and sudden movements when rolling in Jiu Jitsu. At times, spazzing out can lead to injuries to one or more parties involved, so it’s probably best to avoid doing this. Short bursts of energy may be required at times, but that is not all that Jiu Jitsu is about. One of the main focuses of BJJ is technique. If you are just starting out, you may want to take things slow and focus on proper technique. Fundamentals are key in everything, especially Jiu Jitsu. As you improve, you will naturally pick up the pace of things, but for beginners - take it slow.

Practice good hygiene:

Wear deodorant, trim your nails (both fingernails and toenails), and make sure you shower every day (or at least before and after you show up to train).

Wash your training gear: gis, rashguards, compression shorts/spats, cupholders/jock straps, mouthguards, and anything else that you wear while you train.

Having good hygiene is extremely important and the biggest prevention step that can be taken to avoid skin infections. Research skin infections from BJJ (ringworm, Staph, MRSA, if you are still not convinced to have good hygiene.

Respect instructors and training partners

Your instructors and training partners will become your second family. You will be around each other learning, training, and growing into better martial artists and human beings. Show respect to everyone and do your best to take care of your training partners. For example, do not crank submissions (especially joint locks) - instead, slowly apply pressure and gradually increase it if they do not tap. Everyone in the gym is there to get better, so don’t be an a… rrogant or reckless training partner.

Thank you for reading - we hope that these tips were helpful to you before starting your first BJJ class and throughout your Jiu Jitsu journey!