Jiujitsu is a weird sport. I mean really weird. If you have been training for a while, you are used to the extremely close contact, the sweatiness, the odd positions, the nonsensical terminology, the loud spandex. Sometimes we forget what it’s like to be an absolute beginner. With these in mind, how about some information on what to expect with your very first experience in a jiujitsu class – and what equipment you will need.
First up, the sport itself.
It is very easy to get overwhelmed in your first few sessions, especially if you have just jumped in regular classes. For this reason it is always good if a gym has a dedicated beginners program to funnel you into regular classes but if not, even a basic class can be confusing.
The first thing you need to understand is that BJJ, Brazilian Jiujitsu, Jiujitsu, Grappling, No Gi – they all essentially refer to the same sport, just with slightly different interpretations and rulesets. The gi is slightly more traditional and tends to follow the rules and regulations of the International Brazilian Jiujitsu Federation, while no gi grappling shares about 95% of its DNA with gi training but increases an emphasis on stand up wrestling, and attacking the legs.
However, at its heart, whatever you are doing, you are learning the art of controlling an opponent and forcing them to give up using a submission, and the submission either attacks a limb / joint, or attacks their breathing / blood flow. There are no strikes in jiujitsu.
If you wanted to break it down a bit further, you will be looking to take your opponent down from standing to the ground, pass any kind of resistance they may put up (their guard), establish a controlling position, and then force them to submit. Each aspect of jiujitsu should play into this outline, albeit in gradually more complicated ways as the opponent’s defences get more complex.
Underlying most of the sport is a points framework that rewards each aspect of the description above, which means that if you develop these good habits and then go out and compete, you can rack up “points” in order to win a match.
So any time you get confused, just remember the big picture, which is the paragraph in bold above. The average jiujitsu class will usually involve some kind of physical warmup to get you ready for some activity and to begin to train your body to move in a jiujitsu like way, then a demonstration of whatever techniques the class is working on, followed by you attempting those techniques against varying degrees of resistance, followed by open sparring. Some classes might be technique only, some may be live sparring only, both are very important especially at the beginning of your journey. Live sparring means trying to execute the techniques you know at pretty much full resistance – it can be very intense, especially in the beginning.
So when you go to jiujitsu training for the first few times, be prepared to be practicing something from the above. It might be a takedown, learning how to take an opponent from standing to the ground (we do this because, once you know some technique, controlling someone on the ground is much safer and easier than when standing.)
You might learn a guard pass, which is what you do once you have got someone to the ground but they are resisting your attempts to solidify a controlling position on them.
You might learn a sweep, which is when you are on your back and your opponent is on the top, and you want to reverse this position so that you can be in a more controlling position.
You might learn a submission, which is the art of locking up a joint and stretching it to breaking point, or choking / strangling your opponent.
It may feel in the beginning that it is difficult to follow, but sooner or later, a pattern will begin to emerge from the chaos and things will begin to fall into place. You will see how the takedown blends into the guard pass, how the sweep blends into the submission. The important thing in the beginning is simply to do the things in front of you and keep turning up and just trust that it will slot together eventually.
Another thing to note is that the first few weeks, even months, will almost definitely suck. You don’t begin to feel “good” at jiujitsu until you come across someone who is not as “good” as you, and the people you start with will likely improve at the same rate as you, so you might never really feel that you are improving when compared to your classmates. However, the first day you roll with someone less experienced than you, and find that you’re able to execute the sweeps and submissions you normally struggle with, then you will start to feel the addictive buzz of jiujitsu.
If you are reading this before or right at the beginning of your jiujitsu journey, then it’s worth briefly discussing your mindset. I would forget about trying to submit your opponent, in the beginning. Instead, count “winning” a round as whether or not you could successfully execute any of the moves you have recently been taught. Training should be just that – training the moves. Don’t get too hung up on “winning” and instead approach each round as practice. Later on, if you decide to compete, you can have much more competitive rolls and set yourself the task of not being submitted, or submitting someone as quickly as possible. But in my opinion, you will go further faster if you don’t concentrate on that.
Now, onto Equipment, or what you will need to start training jiujitsu.
Firstly, find out if you want to train gi or no gi. Gi being using the traditional kimono (which looks like a judo gi, only lighter and more fitted), no gi meaning training without kimono (which essentially boils down to shorts and a top.) No gi is becoming more popular recently, and is a slightly more dynamic version of the sport with some different rules around attacking the lets, but at its core, they are essentially the same form of combat – the art of taking down, controlling, and submitting your opponent, without using any strikes.
If you are going to be training in a gi class, then you will need a BJJ gi and a white belt, as 100% certainties. Gis come in various weights – the traditional nomenclature being GSM or Grams per Square Meter. An average GSM for a gi top is probably around 450. Under 400 is light, over 500 is getting on the heavy side. The industry standard for the material these days is known as Pearl Weave, which is the rough small pebble texture that is most popular now. The pants are usually around half this weight, and will either be plain cotton (drill or twill) or ripstop cotton. This can be down to personal preference, although the grid structure of ripstop can make it a bit more robust and resistant to shrinking.
Optionally, you can elect to wear a Rash Guard underneath. The rashguard is the standard top for jiujitsu and most people wear them under their gis. Evolved from traditional surfing rashguards, most rashguards are lightweight polyester blends that dry quickly and provide some protection for your skin. You can choose long sleeve or short sleeved depending on your preference. I prefer long because of the extra coverage it can give. You can also elect to wear “spats” or tights under the gi. I usually wear short spats as a form of extra “protection”. May we suggest some items below!
If you are looking for no gi equipment, then you will need a minimum of a rashguard and grappling shorts. As mentioned above, the rashguard originally came through from the blending of surf and jiujitsu cultures, and is now a standard for no gi training. Long or short sleeved is up to you, I prefer long as it gives extra protection for the skin (against matborne nasties like staph and ringworm), and also covers the elbows which can get chafed from rubbing on the mat. Shorts are fairly straightforward, lightweight polyester items that allow for ease of movement and allow the sweat to quickly wick away. Due to the light and airy nature of grappling shorts, I recommend the optional spats underneath – just for that added layer of protection and comfort. Some best-sellers below!
