I'm not in shape.
That's what the training is for. Nobody here got in shape first and then started — they got in shape by showing up. Take breaks whenever you need them. Everyone does, including the black belts.
Never done this before? Good.
Start Here
Almost everyone who walks through our door is nervous. They think they're too old, too out of shape, or too far behind. Here's what actually happens, so you can stop wondering and come train.
What you're probably worried about
What You're Probably Worried About
I'll look stupid.
You will feel awkward, and so did every person on that mat. The warm-ups are strange, the positions are unfamiliar, and none of it clicks right away. That's not a sign you don't belong. It's the first week.
I'll get hurt.
Technique comes before intensity here. Coaches supervise every class and pair people by size and experience. You'll tap early and often, and nobody thinks less of you for it — tapping is how training stays safe.
I'm too old.
We have people training in their sixties. Jiu Jitsu rewards patience and leverage over speed and strength, which is exactly why it works for a fifty-year-old in the same room as a nineteen-year-old.
Everyone else already knows what they're doing.
Every one of them was where you are. Most of them remember it clearly, and most will go out of their way to help you. Helping beginners is part of the culture here, not an exception.
I don't know the etiquette.
Nobody expects you to. Shoes off the mat, short nails, no jewelry, and a fist bump before and after you train with someone. Everything else you'll pick up in a week.
No surprises.
Your First Class, Start To Finish
- 01
You Arrive
Come about ten minutes early. Someone will meet you, show you where to put your things, and point out the changing rooms and restrooms. If you don't have a gi, we'll hand you one.
- 02
Warm-Up
Ten minutes or so of light movement — jogging, hip escapes, rolls. Some of it will feel strange. Do what you can and skip what you can't.
- 03
Technique
The coach demonstrates one or two moves and breaks them down step by step. You'll be paired with someone who knows you're new. You are not expected to get it right.
- 04
Drilling
You and your partner take turns practicing the move slowly. This is most of the class. Ask questions — nobody minds, and coaches would rather you ask than guess.
- 05
Rolling (Optional)
Some classes end with live training. As a brand-new student you can watch, do light positional work, or sit it out entirely. There's no pressure to roll on day one.
- 06
You Leave
Tired, probably a little sore, and with more questions than you came in with. That's exactly right.
Day one.
What To Bring
Bring
- Comfortable athletic clothes with no zippers or pockets
- A water bottle
- Short, clean fingernails
- Hair tied back if it's long
- Flip flops for walking off the mat
Don't Worry About
- A gi — we'll loan you one for your first week
- Being in shape
- Knowing any technique
- Knowing any of the terminology
- Buying anything at all until you know you're staying
That's genuinely it. Everything else is on us.
Small things that matter.
How We Do Things Here
None of this is complicated, and nobody will be annoyed if you forget. But knowing it ahead of time is one less thing to think about.
Shake Your Professor or Coach's Hand
Say hello to your professor or coach when you arrive and again before you leave. It's a small thing and it's how we start and end every class.
Sanitize Before You Step On
There's sanitizer around the mat space. Hands and feet, every time, before you get on. Clean mats are everyone's job.
Wear A Clean Uniform
Fresh gi every session. If you're borrowing one from us, we've got you covered.
Can't Tie Your Belt? Nobody Could.
Not one of us could tie a belt when we started. Ask the person next to you to show you — that's usually how you meet your first friend here.
It's Okay To Say No To Rolling
Every single one of us sits rounds out. Tired, sore, not feeling it, brand new — all fine. Nobody will ask you why.
Tap Early, Tap Often
Tapping isn't losing. It's how two people train hard for years without getting hurt. There's no ego attached to it here.
If you're a woman considering this.
What We Want You To Know
Jiu Jitsu is close-contact by nature, and for most women that's the honest hesitation — not the training, the proximity. Here's how we handle it.
You'll See Women At Every Level
Professor Jolene is a black belt under Cassio Werneck — his first female black belt to receive every promotion directly from him. Coach Lizette is a brown belt. You won't be the only woman in the room, and you'll see what the path actually looks like.
Women's Only Classes
We run women's-only classes twice a week. Some people start there and stay there, some use it as a first step into the regular schedule, and some skip it entirely. All three are normal.
You Choose Your Partners
You can decline any partner or sit out any round, with no explanation and no awkwardness. Coaches pair beginners deliberately — by size, by experience, and by who's good with new people.
The Discomfort Fades
The close contact feels strange at first for almost everyone. Within a few weeks it stops registering, because you're too busy thinking about where your left hand is supposed to go.
Signing up a kid?
What Parents Ask Us
Will My Kid Get Hurt?
Classes are split by age so nobody trains with someone twice their size. Little Champs are 5–6, Kids are 7–9, Juniors are 10 and up. Coaches supervise every minute, and technique comes long before intensity.
My Kid Is Shy.
Most of them are, at first. Jiu Jitsu is one of the few activities where a quiet kid does well — there's no crowd watching, no bench, and no way to be picked last. They work with one partner at a time.
What If They Want To Quit?
Almost every kid hits that point, usually a few months in. That's the moment the whole thing is actually for. Talk to us before you pull them — we've helped a lot of families through that week.
What About My Other Kid?
There's a kids' area with an art table and space to spread out, so the sibling who isn't training has somewhere to be while you wait.
Take it with you.
First Day Cheat Sheet
Everything above on a single page. Print it, screenshot it, or ignore it — you'll have it down in a week either way.
First Day Cheat Sheet
Before Class
- Arrive about 10 minutes early
- Clean gi, short nails, no jewelry
- Shake your professor or coach's hand
- Sanitize hands and feet before stepping on the mat
- Shoes off the mat, always
During Class
- Fist bump before and after training with someone
- Ask questions — coaches would rather you ask than guess
- Tap early and tap often
- It's okay to say no to rolling
- Can't tie your belt? Ask someone to show you
Still nervous? That's normal.
Come Try A Week
Your first week is free and we'll loan you a gi. Walk in during any class on the schedule.