Blog

A plain-English BJJ glossary for beginners — positions, movements, submissions, gi terms, and gym culture words like oss, roll, and flow, defined honestly.

New to no-gi jiu-jitsu? A beginner's guide to no-gi BJJ: how it differs from gi, what to wear, the grips and style, and how to start training submission grappling.

Is Brazilian jiu-jitsu hard to learn? An honest look at how difficult BJJ really is — physically and mentally — why it humbles everyone, and why almost anyone can still do it.

Not sure what to wear to jiu-jitsu? Here's exactly what to wear to a BJJ class — for your first trial, gi classes, and no-gi — plus what to bring and what to avoid.

'Rolling' is live sparring in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Here's what rolling means, how it works, rolling etiquette, how hard to go, and how to survive your first rolls.

BJJ, wrestling, and judo are all grappling arts, but they're very different. Here's how each one works, their strengths, and which is best for you to start with.

How to choose your first BJJ gi: how gi sizing (A1, A2, A3) works, gi weaves explained, what to spend, IBJJF-legal colors, and the mistakes beginners make.

Is Brazilian jiu-jitsu effective for real self-defense? An honest look at BJJ's strengths, its limitations, and how to train it so it actually transfers to the street.

A beginner's map of the main BJJ positions — guard, mount, side control, back control, half guard and turtle — what each one is, who's winning, and why position matters.

How to wash your BJJ gi so it stays clean, odor-free, and the right size: water temperature, drying, fighting shrinkage, killing bacteria, and the mistakes to avoid.

The white belt phase is the hardest in BJJ. Here are 11 honest survival tips — from tapping early to surviving your first rolls — to help you get past it and stay.

Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) is a grappling martial art built on leverage and technique. Here's what BJJ is, where it came from, how training works, and how to start.

No, you're probably not too old to start Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Here's the honest case for starting in your 30s, 40s, or 50s — how to train smart, stay injury-free, and find the right gym.

Open mat is unstructured BJJ training time — no class, just rolling and drilling. Here's how open mats work, the etiquette, what to bring, and how to find one near you.

A practical guide to finding a Brazilian jiu-jitsu gym near you: how to compare schools, what to look for in a first visit, the questions to ask, and red flags to avoid.

A practical framework for picking a gym you'll actually keep training at — covering schedule, drop-ins, vibe, and the things nobody tells beginners.

Everything that happens in your first hour on the mats, in order — from showing up to the front desk to surviving your first roll without panicking.

A no-affiliate-link guide to what a new BJJ practitioner actually needs in year one. Skip the marketing, buy four things, train.

Honest 2026 pricing for monthly membership, drop-ins, gear, and seminars. Where to save and where you'll regret saving.

The honest tradeoffs between training in the gi and training no-gi. What each one teaches, what each one neglects, and how to pick.

The gi versus no-gi debate is one of BJJ's longest-running arguments. Both have distinct advantages, and the answer to which you should train depends entirely on your goals.

BJJ was born from self-defense, but modern sport BJJ has evolved beyond its roots. Here's an honest look at what BJJ offers for real-world self-defense and where its limitations lie.

Picking a BJJ gym is one of the most important decisions you'll make as a grappler. Here's a structured approach to evaluating academies so you find the right fit — not just the closest one.

Everything you need to know before your first BJJ class — from what to wear and what to expect on the mats, to the unwritten rules every new student should understand.