I've never done this before... what class should I start with?
We recommend starting with a standard Muay Thai class, an Intro to BJJ class or for women, the Womens Only class it great. Avoid taking any of the competition focused classes and Open Mat until you have some experience under your belt. (see schedule page)
You can start with any class you're interested in. Most people think that they're going to be thrown into an MMA fight their first day and that's NEVER the case... even with experienced folks. For most of our classes, people work in pairs. The instructor will either pair you with himself during the class to teach you fundamentals or he will pair you with someone experienced enough to help you through each drill. You never have to do anything you're not comfortable with and remember... EVERY student you see in that class with you started in the exact same place as you.
We recommend starting with a standard Muay Thai class, an Intro to BJJ class or for women, the Womens Only class it great. Avoid taking any of the competition focused classes and Open Mat until you have some experience under your belt. (see schedule page)
You can start with any class you're interested in. Most people think that they're going to be thrown into an MMA fight their first day and that's NEVER the case... even with experienced folks. For most of our classes, people work in pairs. The instructor will either pair you with himself during the class to teach you fundamentals or he will pair you with someone experienced enough to help you through each drill. You never have to do anything you're not comfortable with and remember... EVERY student you see in that class with you started in the exact same place as you.
What is Open Mat?
Open Mat is for ADULTS & MEMBERS ONLY... it is technically not a class. We literally "open the mats" for anyone to come in and train whatever they want to. Many of our students come in to roll/grapple, spar, hit the bags, and train with their teammates so they can practice what they've learned that week.
Open Mat is for ADULTS & MEMBERS ONLY... it is technically not a class. We literally "open the mats" for anyone to come in and train whatever they want to. Many of our students come in to roll/grapple, spar, hit the bags, and train with their teammates so they can practice what they've learned that week.
What should I wear?
Bring flip flops or slip-in shoes since you will be barefoot the entire time. We do not allow bare feet off the mats for hygiene purposes, so it's important to have something you can slip in and out of to go to the bathroom and such. Regular work out clothes are fine but fitted gear is preferred.*
*BJJ No Gi - Really baggy clothes are difficult to work around, because this is a close contact sport. Compression shirts, rash guards or fitted shirts are recommended. Leggings or shorts with a drawstring work well. Baggy shorts are fine if you don't mind giving people a peep show...
*BJJ with a Gi - First off... the Gi is the Robe-like outfit you see often in martial arts. We will supply you with a "rental" Gi your first class or 2. The above attire works well underneath the GI.
*Muay Thai - Any workout clothes are fine. Most people wear shorts, leggings and a t-shirt or tank top.
Bring flip flops or slip-in shoes since you will be barefoot the entire time. We do not allow bare feet off the mats for hygiene purposes, so it's important to have something you can slip in and out of to go to the bathroom and such. Regular work out clothes are fine but fitted gear is preferred.*
*BJJ No Gi - Really baggy clothes are difficult to work around, because this is a close contact sport. Compression shirts, rash guards or fitted shirts are recommended. Leggings or shorts with a drawstring work well. Baggy shorts are fine if you don't mind giving people a peep show...
*BJJ with a Gi - First off... the Gi is the Robe-like outfit you see often in martial arts. We will supply you with a "rental" Gi your first class or 2. The above attire works well underneath the GI.
*Muay Thai - Any workout clothes are fine. Most people wear shorts, leggings and a t-shirt or tank top.
Lingo... What does that even mean?!
Oss – the most important term to know! It is most frequently used as a form of congratulations or agreement in BJJ. It is also frequently used as a form of encouragement for somebody who is showing a lot of heart on the mat when under intense pressure.
Gi - The traditional (and sturdy!) attire for Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. The outfit is comprised of long pants and a long-sleeved top that is open down the front but crossed across the front of the body and secured with a colored belt to indicate your rank in the sport. During a match, the opponents will grip each other’s Gi to gain leverage or control over the other person. For this reason, a low-quality gi will quickly break down under the strain.
No-Gi – A type of Jiu-Jitsu where the opponents are not wearing a Gi. In this style, neither opponent is allowed to use the fabric on the opponent for any kind of control or submission.
Roll/grapple – The act of practicing BJJ moves learned throughout your career with another person competitively. If you watch two experienced grapplers, their fluid movement and positional transitions resemble a ball rolling across the floor.
Spar - the act of practicing Muay Thai movements in a fight-like scenario with shin guards, gloves, headgear, etc. Come may spar slow at 25% effort to get better with reaction time and defense while others will practice at 75% effort or more.
Hooks – (Not to be confused with Overhook or Underhook). Most often used as another word for feet. When a coach says “Get your hooks in!”, this usually means to make sure your feet are hooked around an opponent’s legs or hips for control.
Shrimp – this is one of the most critical movements in BJJ and drilled at the beginning of most BJJ classes. When a coach says "shirmp out!" that typically means you need to quickly and efficiently move the hips away from the opponent in order to evade a negative position, create space, or affect the balance of the opponent.
Sweep – This is an attack or movement that transitions somebody that is in a weaker position into a more dominant position. For example, if an attacking player has somebody in their Full guard, and they are able to roll the defending person over into a less neutral or less dominant position such as Full Mount the attacking person has executed a sweep. In tournament scoring, a player will typically have to hold the new, dominant position for a certain amount of time (usually 3 seconds) before points for the sweep will be awarded.
Submission - A way to defeat an opponent. In a submission, the attacker has created a painful situation that the defender can not escape and so must tap out in order to prevent injury. Click the link for a list of the most common submissions in BJJ.
Tap – The act of submitting to an opponent’s submission attempt. In old times, a person would yell “Uncle” when they had had enough pain. Today, a person can tap out by tapping their hand on their opponent or on the mat. They can also tap the mat with their foot or yell “TAP!” if their hands are not easily available.
Oss – the most important term to know! It is most frequently used as a form of congratulations or agreement in BJJ. It is also frequently used as a form of encouragement for somebody who is showing a lot of heart on the mat when under intense pressure.
Gi - The traditional (and sturdy!) attire for Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. The outfit is comprised of long pants and a long-sleeved top that is open down the front but crossed across the front of the body and secured with a colored belt to indicate your rank in the sport. During a match, the opponents will grip each other’s Gi to gain leverage or control over the other person. For this reason, a low-quality gi will quickly break down under the strain.
No-Gi – A type of Jiu-Jitsu where the opponents are not wearing a Gi. In this style, neither opponent is allowed to use the fabric on the opponent for any kind of control or submission.
Roll/grapple – The act of practicing BJJ moves learned throughout your career with another person competitively. If you watch two experienced grapplers, their fluid movement and positional transitions resemble a ball rolling across the floor.
Spar - the act of practicing Muay Thai movements in a fight-like scenario with shin guards, gloves, headgear, etc. Come may spar slow at 25% effort to get better with reaction time and defense while others will practice at 75% effort or more.
Hooks – (Not to be confused with Overhook or Underhook). Most often used as another word for feet. When a coach says “Get your hooks in!”, this usually means to make sure your feet are hooked around an opponent’s legs or hips for control.
Shrimp – this is one of the most critical movements in BJJ and drilled at the beginning of most BJJ classes. When a coach says "shirmp out!" that typically means you need to quickly and efficiently move the hips away from the opponent in order to evade a negative position, create space, or affect the balance of the opponent.
Sweep – This is an attack or movement that transitions somebody that is in a weaker position into a more dominant position. For example, if an attacking player has somebody in their Full guard, and they are able to roll the defending person over into a less neutral or less dominant position such as Full Mount the attacking person has executed a sweep. In tournament scoring, a player will typically have to hold the new, dominant position for a certain amount of time (usually 3 seconds) before points for the sweep will be awarded.
Submission - A way to defeat an opponent. In a submission, the attacker has created a painful situation that the defender can not escape and so must tap out in order to prevent injury. Click the link for a list of the most common submissions in BJJ.
Tap – The act of submitting to an opponent’s submission attempt. In old times, a person would yell “Uncle” when they had had enough pain. Today, a person can tap out by tapping their hand on their opponent or on the mat. They can also tap the mat with their foot or yell “TAP!” if their hands are not easily available.
“And through this daily suffering, you learn to survive in these situations. You have to find comfort in the uncomfortable situations. Jiu-Jitsu puts you completely in the moment where you must have complete focus on finding a solution to the problem. This trains the mind to build that focus, to increase your awareness, your capacity to solve problems. Sometimes, you don’t have to win. You cannot win. But that has nothing to do with losing.”
-- Rickson Gracie
“And through this daily suffering, you learn to survive in these situations. You have to find comfort in the uncomfortable situations. Jiu-Jitsu puts you completely in the moment where you must have complete focus on finding a solution to the problem. This trains the mind to build that focus, to increase your awareness, your capacity to solve problems. Sometimes, you don’t have to win. You cannot win. But that has nothing to do with losing.”
-- Rickson Gracie