Ever wonder what an intro bjj class is like?

[johnkreese]

One of our guys made a quick, rough video of what an intro/beginner class at our school is like(Emerson Souza Bjj). Before I go any further, let me say that every school is different, and everyone has their own way of doing things, but this is how we do it. I hope this helps people who are looking to get into BJJ, but aren't sure what to expect at their first class. Personally, I had no idea what to expect. Here it goes:

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[cenix]

first day is always intimidating as hell. the instructor seems very patient and that's going to go a long way in making beginners feel welcome. very cool.

 

[tenniswhiz]

Pretty cool.

I've been in 3 different gyms, and in all of them the beginners were just thrown to the wolves.
Unfortunately, some guys quit within a few sessions like that. On the flipside, I've seen skinny wimpy guys and fat out-of-shape guys (no offense to either) weather the storm and become respected members of the gym.
The funniest thing about it is that all 3 of these gyms claim to have a beginners program, but they just don't!

Would be interesting to see how someone develops through beginners classes. Isn't that supposed to be a fundamental difference between GJJ and BJJ?

 

[MMA junkie]

Yellow belt does not know how to break falls at all.

Good to have intro classes though, need some loaner Gis it looks like.

Is this absolute first day class or just a part of a series of intro classes?

 

[rellik_yzarc]

Pretty cool.

I've been in 3 different gyms, and in all of them the beginners were just thrown to the wolves.
Unfortunately, some guys quit within a few sessions like that. On the flipside, I've seen skinny wimpy guys and fat out-of-shape guys (no offense to either) weather the storm and become respected members of the gym.
The funniest thing about it is that all 3 of these gyms claim to have a beginners program, but they just don't!

Would be interesting to see how someone develops through beginners classes. Isn't that supposed to be a fundamental difference between GJJ and BJJ?

I hope to weather the storm too. Have yet to learn the roll like that in my class.

 

[platfox]

One of our guys made a quick, rough video of what an intro/beginner class at our school is like(Emerson Souza Bjj). Before I go any further, let me say that every school is different, and everyone has their own way of doing things, but this is how we do it. I hope this helps people who are looking to get into BJJ, but aren't sure what to expect at their first class. Personally, I had no idea what to expect.

Its cool that your school puts some thought into it. My first school I was just thrown into the regular class. Of course we were a small school though. I think I learned a spider guard sweep my first day. I was like WTF?

At my current school now (still a small school) however we usually have a blue belt take the new student to the side and give a brief rundown on fundamentals. We find out what the students goals are for taking jiu jitsu.

If its for sport, we go over positioning and scoring rules. If there is time we cover a couple of escapes.

If its for self defense, We show a couple of standing techniques (like avoiding a punch and going to a standing arm triangle) and a couple of sweeps or takedowns.

Its actually pretty informal, but I think its better than just throwing people in the mix with just what they learned on UFC.

 

[juji gatame**]

Breakfalls and Osoto Gari!!! IMO training how to fall properly is one of the most important aspects of grappling.

Emerson Souza you say? Never heard of him but he seems like a great instructor, very easy to understand what he's trying to teach. Great vids.

 

[chunglii]

At my school(Fabio Santos' Academy), if there is a new student who is a kid, ages 5-14, then usually my instructor, Alex Brandao, who teaches most of the Juvenile and No-Gi classes will take them aside and teach them basics like hip escapes, forward rolls, backward rolls, etc. He will also usually let a blue belt teach them some stuff on the side, as well as letting the new student see and take part in a normal lesson and the drills we do, to see what happens in a training session, and to see if they like it. They will also roll with the regular students on their first day, but everybody is always told to go slow.

Also, your first lesson at my school is free.

EDIT: if it's an adult who is new, then usually the same thing happens.

 

[AusRiki]

I dunno when I started I was shown some x-guard crap lol, but I knew what is going on, since I seen the UFC, so I had some idea about wtf I am supposed to be doing. It is all about grabbing someones head/arm and start pulling it in a random direction, eventually you will get it right.

 

[Andy1983]

I dunno when I started I was shown some x-guard crap lol, but I knew what is going on, since I seen the UFC, so I had some idea about wtf I am supposed to be doing. It is all about grabbing someones head/arm and start pulling it in a random direction, eventually you will get it right.

It is so important to train UFC, Donny tried to get me on it years ago....

 

[SpooNer]

I dunno when I started I was shown some x-guard crap lol, but I knew what is going on, since I seen the UFC, so I had some idea about wtf I am supposed to be doing. It is all about grabbing someones head/arm and start pulling it in a random direction, eventually you will get it right.

Pretty sure there is a little more to it then that......

 

[Guerilla_Radio]

Yellow belt does not know how to break falls at all.

Good to have intro classes though, need some loaner Gis it looks like.

Is this absolute first day class or just a part of a series of intro classes?

I believe for the ones not wearing a gi it is their first/second class. Our classes are broken into 1 hour beginner classes where you warm up (breakfalls, rolling etc), then you learn 1-2 techniques, and drill those techniques for the majority of class. Finally you end by sparring for 1 five min round. After that it is the advanced/competitor class which consists of warm up, drilling takedowns, positional sparring, followed by regular sparring; class time is 90mins. I'm a purple at Emerson's and I go to both beginner and advanced for roughly 2.5 hours. Love to drill like theirs no tommorow.

 

[Simco]

I think most people on here know what it is.

My school doesn't do intro classes. We have beginner and advanced classes but there isn't like a "start" to everyone's learning. You just step in wherever we are at the moment. I'm under the impression this is pretty normal.

 

[Varth]

I think most people on here know what it is.

My school doesn't do intro classes. We have beginner and advanced classes but there isn't like a "start" to everyone's learning. You just step in wherever we are at the moment. I'm under the impression this is pretty normal.

Yep it is. While some gyms like Gokor's will literally throw you in a festival of leglocks most gyms will teach class as they would if no new student comes in. Warm up, drilling techniques and then rolling.

 

[Amiro]

my club has basics classes not beginners classes.

i like them, its not just white belts that go, the higher belts go too to practise the basics. as a beginner they are extra good for me.

 

[AusRiki]

Pretty sure there is a little more to it then that......

Yeah man i am sure there is, but the point is i knew that I had to somehow pass and I knew what sidecontrol and fullmount is, surely I did not know Side control A,B and etc... but at least I knew the objective and if I got caught in a sub I knew what it was.

 

[Wandgun]

Yellow belt does not know how to break falls at all.

Don't tell him that. He was the fastest guy out there!

 

[DiscipleOfPog]

Intro class at my school:
Learn how to tie the gi pants and belt
Learn Osoto Gari rep it 5 times
Land in side control, pass to mount, rep it 5 times.
Americana, Collar Choke, and Armbar from mount, rep each 5 times

Once you have these few techniques, you mount a more experienced guy (4 stripe white belt or newer blue belt, whoever is willing to help out) and just try whatever you can on him. The more experienced guy goes at like 30%, letting him get some subs and escaping most attempts.

I'd say most guys at least come back for a week of classes, but most don't last a month.

 

[Sloth]

Imo, it's pretty important to have a beginners program. If I ever have my own school, one of my goals is going to be presenting Bjj to as broad a demographic as possible in an easy to understand, safe and comfortable way.

The first school I visited showed me a move, then had me sparring with some aggressive blue belts that smashed me, then the instructor spent some time telling me how it's almost certain that I'm going to end up with broken toes and injuries from training and that all of his guys have had injuries. I think his point was that it's a tough art and expect to be hurt. Bad presentation and bad way to introduce the average person into Bjj. I left thinking that I wanted no part of Bjj.

I had previously made an appointment to check out the school that I am currently at, and while I assumed it would be more of the same tough guy vibe, I chose to keep the appointment and was pleasantly surprised with a much more professional approach to the art. Luckily I chose to stick with it and seven years later I have suffered no broken toes and no surgeries.

I think the intro class idea is good because it is a platform, if well done, to expose everyone who is interested in Bjj to the art in a safe and comfortable way and to show that it's not just an art for the 20 year old tough guy, but that anyone can participate in it and benefit. I think the "sink or swim" approach can be not only dangerous and sometimes unproductive for the new student, but can also be for the currently enrolled students. You never know how someone is going to react their first time rolling and if you let just anyone with no experience in off the street into your club to roll with the students, all sorts of bad things can happen.

 

[jackstraw424]

Thanks for the post! really cool videos and I love your teacher!! Im so excited to start now