Blog

A welcoming beginner's guide to BJJ for women: why it's great for women, what to expect, how to handle a male-dominated gym, what to wear, and finding the right gym.

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.

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.

The highest-percentage BJJ submissions for beginners — armbar, rear naked choke, triangle, kimura, guillotine and more — what they are and why to learn them first.

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.

A blueprint for picking the positions, transitions, and submissions that become your game — and how to drill them so they actually show up under pressure.

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.

Finding the right training frequency balances progress with recovery. Whether you're training twice a week or six days straight, here's how to dial in your schedule for sustainable growth.

Every new BJJ student makes the same mistakes — relying on strength, holding breath, ignoring defense. Here are fifteen of the most common errors and practical fixes for each one.

Mastering positions is the foundation of effective BJJ. From closed guard to the back, here are the ten positions that structure every roll — and why understanding them accelerates everything else.

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.