Split or Mixed Level?

[Dean Lewis]

Just something that popped into my head recently. Does your gym separate belt levels for most classes, or are they mixed? Perhaps it is a mixture of both types of classes? How do you guys feel about the way your classes are structured in terms of belt levels?

My original gym had mixed level classes whereas my gym now has whitebelt and bluebelt classes and a competition class. I find mixed level to be better for teaching beginners in my honest opinion, but the split classes certainly have an application in smaller gyms when there isn't enough mat space for everybody at one time. I also believe that it's good for higher belts to roll with lower belts for their own benefit and to make sure that they can deal with the spazzy beginner types that often come into the gym - this is easier to do when your gym has mixed-level classes, obviously. What are your guys' thoughts?

[esteven]

Originally Posted by Dean Lewis

Just something that popped into my head recently. Does your gym separate belt levels for most classes, or are they mixed? Perhaps it is a mixture of both types of classes? How do you guys feel about the way your classes are structured in terms of belt levels?

My original gym had mixed level classes whereas my gym now has whitebelt and bluebelt classes and a competition class. I find mixed level to be better for teaching beginners in my honest opinion, but the split classes certainly have an application in smaller gyms when there isn't enough mat space for everybody at one time. I also believe that it's good for higher belts to roll with lower belts for their own benefit and to make sure that they can deal with the spazzy beginner types that often come into the gym - this is easier to do when your gym has mixed-level classes, obviously. What are your guys' thoughts?

Ours are currently mixed, but with plans to implement separate beginner classes soon. Another benefit of separating the classes is that it makes teaching new technique easier, without the newer students either getting lost or holding back the class. However, I DO hope we keep at least one class per week of mixed rank, for all the reasons you mentioned.

[Discipulus]

There is a vague concept that the 5:00 PM class is beginner oriented, but that's just in terms of the technique being taught. The belt levels are usually pretty mixed in all of the classes, even plenty of whites in the "non-beginner" classes from what I've seen.

[pheonix5]

We always have mixed classes,even in advanced classes.The instructor rarely points it out,and in the beginning when I attended the advanced classes as a white belt with no hope of getting the technique I wondered why he allowed this,but in time I realized that it wasn't so much about getting the technique but to let you see how things flow together and how the concepts tie together at advanced levels.

[notafighter86]

At my old gym, classes were mixed until the club was able to support the numbers for a beginner only class. But the main classes still had whitebelts 2 stripe and above.

One thing I found quite strange at my new gym, is that while the club doesn't have beginner classes. We only ever train with people our own level, drilling and sparring. I can't remember the last time I had a roll with a whitebelt, something that would happen every class at the old place.

[BJJArsenal]

All classes are mixed. Every now and then, and I mean really rarely we'll have a 'white belts do this, blue belts do that', but even in our beginner class it's always got a few blues and sometimes multiple purples too.

[snoop dogg]

My coach went to a Renzo seminar. He said if you want to create chamions you need to seperate the dogs from the wolves. xince then we split the classes to a technical class class and a competition class. you need to try out for the competition class

[portland]

We used to have beginner classes monday, wednesday, friday, saturday, and advanced tuesday thursday. But when our gym moved to a new facility they changed it to just a Jiu jitsu class for all levels and I like it better. You need every type of training partner, someone you own, someone whos competitive, and someone who owns you.