Jiu Jitsu can be a big commitment in terms of time, money, and energy. With a little care, It is one of the few sports that can be practiced later in life at a high level. Choosing a gym therefore is an important decision. I think it should be based on three big categories.
1.Proximity
Distance does matter. As the commute length increases, the cost in both time and money does as well. I have noticed that if the travel time is an hour or more most students will quit somewhere in the first year. Choose a commute that is reasonable for you and the rest of your personal life. If this is not possible, all gyms are far away, maybe plan a couple days a week at the academy and try to build a small practice community in your own space. There are also some great online resources these days made for people in more remote locations.
Unfortunately, most people choose their first gym based on which one is nearest to their home. They don’t realize what a big step this is and how close one can become with a grappling community as opposed to any other large group exercise class.
I would recommend checking out all the gyms within your commute range before deciding. Do a trial class or just watch if that is not possible. Check the price ranges, check the schedules. Be sure to physically walk into the academy to do this. A great website doesn’t always mean a great gym and vice versa.
2. Gym Community
Due to the high degree of physical contact and trust required, new students will often become very loyal to their first instructor. This is not a bad thing if the instructor is a good leader who is treating their students well. In the case of an instructor that is abusing their position, the student will often tolerate more verbal and sometimes physical abuse than they normally would through this misplaced loyalty and respect.
These gyms are usually easy to spot on an initial visit. You will often be ignored or belittled as a new person. Some smaller gyms will use this behavior as well as rough matches to weed out those who aren’t “strong” enough to make it on their mat. A good coach will help the weakest student become their best. This practice of weeding out the weak is outdated and will always keep the academy small. The people who need Jiu Jitsu the most are those that come in physically or mentally weaker. I have never understood instructors who spend all their time helping only the strong.
I think that a good gym community should reflect the population of the surrounding town. One of my coaches Cane Prevost said this best. It means that there are women, children, and people of all ages and sizes practicing. This is the best-case scenario. No matter who you are, there is a place for you at a gym like that. If it is a small gym, there are no women, smaller people, older people etc. you might have to make a place. This is very possible, but it is always harder to break trail than to follow.
As a side note, the academy should be very clean. There is zero reason to have dirty mats or bathrooms. If there is not a professional cleaning service that comes in, there should be some dedicated students trading or being paid to clean the mats and bathrooms particularly. If this is not done, you will struggle with skin disease throughout your grappling practice.
3. Personal Goals
This is a question I always ask as a coach. “What made you decide to train Jiu Jitsu?” There are lots of other ways to get in shape. It is easy to place your own motivations on a student as a coach. Not everyone wants to compete, not everyone wants to train seven days a week, they can still be really good. They can still be a vital part of the team. They are often less likely to burn out. Many people start just to get in shape and to become a stronger and more confident version of themselves. I think that this is possible at most good schools.
Others are interested in learning self-defense. This is also a big part of sport Jiu Jitsu, however if the school is ONLY focused on competition Jiu Jitsu, it might be challenging to learn the type of skill set you are after. This is a good question to ask. “Is there a self-defense focus or component to the Jiu Jitsu taught here?” At a good school they teach you the fundamentals and then you create your own style. This can be very rooted in fighting and self-defense if you so decide.
Other students want to compete. Maybe they were a career athlete in high school, college, or just want to push themselves in this way. They want to train in MMA or do competition Jiu Jitsu. Check to see if the academy has an active competition team. If they do not, you may end up with no coach or no corner at a tournament or fight. Ask what the path is to become invited to their competition or MMA team. Is that an investment that you are willing to make?
In any case, if you are new to Jiu Jitsu, it will feel physically awkward. You are very close to training partners, it is a totally new movement pattern, you are learning. The people around you should not make you feel more out of place. They all started exactly where you are. The people at the academy you choose should make you feel like you belong, and you are welcome there. This is part of that “community” piece, and I think most important of all. If you have been training a while, don’t forget what it felt like your first day and welcome someone onto the mat this week!
Rolling Under The Big Sky 