If you’re excited about your first ever class in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, then great news – it’s going to be a lot of fun!
We’ll take a look here at a few things you can do to prepare yourself for your first class, as well as what’s likely to happen during your class. And we’ll even discuss what you should do afterwards!
Before Class
There are actually a few things that you might want to do before you actually start your first class. Of course, the first thing is finding a good gym that’s suitable for you!
It’s important to find a friendly place to train, and one that has a reputation for good teaching staff and value for money.
Aside from that, here are a few other things you can do to help get prepared for your first ever BJJ class.
Getting Fitter
One great reason that people start Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is because they’re not where they want to be with regards to their physical fitness!
Well, BJJ is a great reason to get fit, and no matter what your fitness level is, you’ll definitely benefit from increasing your overall physical fitness levels.
You don’t need to be super athletic, or mega strong, but every bit of fitness you can squeeze out of yourself will make BJJ – and everything else in life – a lot easier!
Coming Prepared
There are some things that everybody should bring with them to their first BJJ session!
First of all, if you’re asked to bring any paperwork ((ID, etc) or payment for the session, don’t forget that.
You’ll want to bring a clean towel or 2, and definitely don’t forget to bring a bottle of water either. Making sure that you have regular drinks of water while you’re training is essential!
Have A Wash!
You’re going to be getting in very close proximity to people. They’re not going to appreciate it if you haven’t washed beforehand. Don’t even think of skipping this step – have a shower before you go to class!
During Class
Now, we’ll have a look at how your first BJJ class is likely to go!
Of course, before even this, you’re probably going to have a bit of a chat with your instructor about how the class is going to go.
And, you might get a chance to talk with other people there too! Don’t worry, as people are usually very welcoming to beginners.
After all, people who are good at BJJ want to help other people to get good at it!
Arrive On Time
It’s really important that you get there on time! In fact, you should probably be a little early, so that you’ve got time to get dressed and prepared before the class starts.
It’s no good to waste valuable time being late! The teacher won’t appreciate it, and you’ll be missing out on some of what you’ve paid for.
Give yourself enough time to get to the gym early, and you’re starting off on the right foot!
Warming Up
The first thing that any class will do together is usually a warm up session, BJJ is a physical activity, after all, and as such it’s very imo;rtant that everybody takes the time to warm up properly before doing anything!
If you’re not warmed up properly, you’re risking injury, which is why good BJJ gyms will always insist that their students take a few minutes to warm their muscles up before doing anything else.
Simple Moves
As you’re a beginner, you’re not going to be thrown into the deep end.
Any good BJJ gym will not just be welcoming and understanding that you’re a beginner, but they’ll also know exactly what it’s like because they were there once themselves.
You might feel like you’re in the deep end, of course! But any good BJJ place will make sure to keep all of their students safe, and won’t expect you to be put into any dangerous
situations.
Rolling
Rolling is essentially sparring. It’s normally very light contact, and a good, safe way to learn how to apply what you’ve learned under a little pressure.
Many gyms won’t actually let you do much, if any rolling until you’re a few classes in. Others might let you roll, but in a very limited and controlled way.
Either way, rolling isn’t fighting – it’s meant to be pretty easy going, and anyone can stop at any time.
After Class
Now that your first class has ended, there are probably lots of things on your mind! Of course, the first thing might well be when your next class is going to be!
Hopefully you had a great time in your first BJJ class, and learned a lot. There are a few things that you should do after your class. Let’s take a look at them!
Cooldown
You warmed up before you started, and now that you’ve finished, you should cool down.
Take a bit of time to relax after class. You’ve earned it! You’ll likely be a little tired and sweaty, and probably out of breath too! Great – you’ve clearly had a lot of fun!
Now it’s time to give your muscles a rest, and a chance to recover after such strenuous activity. Have a bit of a stretch, and maybe sit down too!
Have A Wash!
You are going to absolutely stink of sweat, no question. You’re going to want to get in the shower or bath as soon as you possibly can.
And the people around you will want you to wash too! For real, don’t skip this step. As soon as you get the chance, get clean again!
Wash Your Clothes!
Whatever you were wearing is likely going to be really sweaty and nasty too!
It can be easy to just throw your dirty BJJ clothes in a bag and forget about them. Do this, and they are going to absolutely stink the next time you come to wear them!
Make sure that you wash your clothes the instant that you get the chance to. You’re going to make no friends coming to the gym with dirty, smelly clothes that you didn’t wash from last time!
Conclusion
Hopefully this has helped you learn what you needed to know to prepare for your first BJJ class!
Comentarii