Your first class
Everything that happens on your first night, in order
The fear of a first jiu-jitsu class is almost never about the training. It's about not knowing what you're walking into.
Tell us you're coming
Let us know before you turn up — ideally the day before — and we'll have a gi ready in your size. Bring a t-shirt and shorts without pockets, zips or toggles to wear underneath.
You will be rolling
Classes finish with live rolling and you'll take part. You'll be paired with someone experienced whose job that round is to look after you.
You won't be alone
Toshi teaches the fundamentals directly, and being the new person is normal here.
Minute by minute
What actually happens
Times are approximate and vary by class. The order does not.
-
15 minutes before
You arrive and someone says hello
Come early on your first night. Tell whoever is at the desk it's your first class — they're expecting you. You'll fill in a short health and waiver form, which takes about two minutes. Shoes come off before you reach the mat.
-
10 minutes before
You change and put your gear away
There are change rooms. Leave your bag in the racks, not on the mat. If you're borrowing a gi, someone will find one close to your size — it will not fit perfectly and that's completely normal.
-
0:00
The class lines up and bows in
Everyone lines up facing the front, roughly by rank. You stand on the end. There's a short bow to start the class — a mark of respect, not a religious act. Copy the person next to you and you'll be fine.
-
0:02 – 0:12
Warm-up
Movement drills: shrimping, bridging, breakfalls, a bit of light cardio. This is the part people worry about being fit enough for. Go at your own pace and stop when you need to. Nobody is watching you.
-
0:12 – 0:35
Technique
The instructor demonstrates one position and two or three things you can do from it. You will not remember all of it — nobody does. The goal is to recognise the shape, not to master it.
-
0:35 – 1:00
Drilling with a partner
You pair up — on your first night, usually with an experienced student or a coach — and take turns repeating the technique slowly. There's no resistance and no competition. Talk to your partner, and ask them to slow down.
-
1:00 – 1:25
Rolling
The class finishes with live rounds, and you'll roll — paired with an experienced student or a coach. Go at whatever pace you can, and tap whenever you want to.
-
1:30
Bow out, shake hands, go home
The class lines up again, bows out, and everyone shakes hands or bumps fists on the way off the mat. Someone will ask how you found it. Answer honestly — it helps us put you in the right class next time.
What to wear if you don't own a gi
You don't need one for a trial — train in a t-shirt and shorts. Once you're staying, you'll want your own gi for the Monday and Thursday classes at Carlingford, with a plain t-shirt or rash guard and compression shorts underneath. Tell us your age, height and weight when you book and we'll have a loan gi ready.
For a no-gi class: a rash guard or fitted t-shirt, and shorts with no pockets, no zips and no drawstring toggles. Pockets catch fingers and toes, and that's how people get hurt. Board shorts are fine if they have no pockets.
Bring thongs or slides. You walk to and from the mat barefoot, and the mat stays clean because nobody's street shoes touch it.
- A drink bottle
- A towel
- A mouthguard if you have one — not required for your trial
Hygiene: the short version
Jiu-jitsu is a contact sport on a shared mat, so this part is not optional and everyone takes it seriously.
- Fingernails and toenails cut short. This is the number one cause of accidental cuts and scratches.
- No shoes on the mat, ever. And no bare feet off the mat.
- Wash your gi after every single session. Not every second session.
- Any skin infection, cut or rash: stay home until it's covered or cleared. Tell a coach, they'd much rather know.
- No jewellery, no watches. Remove earrings before you get on the mat.
Tapping
When someone catches you in a submission, you tap — two or three firm taps on their body or the mat, or say "tap" out loud. They let go immediately. That's the whole system, and it is what makes it possible to practise a grappling art at full speed without hurting each other.
Tap early. Tap because you're uncomfortable, because you're stuck, because you're out of breath, because you don't like where this is going. You do not have to wait until something hurts. Every black belt in the room taps regularly. The people who get injured in jiu-jitsu are almost always the ones who tapped too late.
Honest answers
Common questions
Will I get hurt?
You could pick up bruises, mat burns and sore fingers. That settles down as your body adapts. Serious injuries are uncommon but not impossible — it's a contact sport.
What reduces the risk is entirely within your control: tap early, tell your partner when something feels wrong, don't train through a real injury, and don't try to "win" drilling rounds. Beginners get hurt when they treat practice like a fight.
I'm not fit enough yet. Should I get in shape first?
No. This is the most common reason people delay starting, and it's backwards — the training is what gets you fit. Sit out a drill when you need to. Everyone did at the start.
I'm in my forties (or fifties). Am I too old?
No. A large share of adult beginners start in their late thirties and forties. Tell the coach about any old injuries or dodgy joints before class and they'll give you alternatives for anything that aggravates it.
How often should I train when I start?
Twice a week is the sweet spot for the first few months. It's enough for the techniques to stick, and little enough that your body and your calendar can absorb it. Three or more is great once you've settled in.
What does the belt system actually mean?
Adults go white, blue, purple, brown, black, with stripes marking progress in between. It's slower than most martial arts — years, not months, between belts — and it's awarded by your instructor rather than by an exam you sign up for.
Kids have their own belt system with additional colours, and convert across when they turn 16.
Can I just come and watch first?
Yes, any time. Message us first so someone's expecting you, and sit at the edge of the mat area. Watching a Fundamentals class is a good way to see that it's less intimidating than it looks from outside.
Still nervous? That's the normal state.
Book the free class. If you hate it, you never have to come back, and you'll have lost ninety minutes of a Monday.
Book My Free Trial