Prep checklist
First class + checklist
Jiu-jitsu for beginners
What to wear, how a class works, when to tap, and how to choose a gym you can actually get back to.
By Owen Bellamy 15 min read
The Let’s Roll learning room
Learn jiu-jitsu.
Know what
comes next.
Choose a class, learn the language, and understand what happens on the mat. Practical guides to Brazilian jiu-jitsu, from your first visit or a child’s trial to private lessons, positional sparring, travel plans, and tournament decisions.
Read a little. Ask a better question. Go train.
A place to begin
You don’t have to know the whole game
to take your first class.
You don’t have to know the whole game
to take your first class.
Start where you are.First-day questions belong here.
Keep something useful.Checklists, charts, budgets, and class plans.
Take it to the mat.Find a gym and ask about its classes.
01 / The starting points
Start with the question you have.
Start with the question in front of you. Each guide has the context, the sources, and a practical tool to help with the next step.
A short way in
Find the right guide.
Two choices can give you a useful starting point. The full library is below.
Changing the situation clears the second choice. Your choices stay on this page.
Choose a situation to find a starting point.
Bring one question.
Choose the practical decision in front of you. You can explore another topic whenever you need it.
Explore the full library
Look for a topic, a practical task, or a word you heard in class.
36 guides to explore.
Belt chart
Ranks + interactive belt chart
The jiu-jitsu belt system
Adult and kids’ belts in order. Minimum ages, stripes, and the difference between eligibility and your next promotion.
By Nina Okada 14 min read
Budget calculator
Published prices + budget calculator
How much does jiu-jitsu cost?
Real gym examples, billing periods, equipment, and the terms behind a quote. Build a budget using your own numbers.
By Tess Hanley 14 min read
Class planner
Format comparison + class planner
Gi vs no-gi jiu-jitsu
Compare the kit, grips, and rules. Then work out which beginner classes fit the week you actually have.
By Kit Langford 13 min read
Kit planner
Clothing guide + kit planner
What to wear to jiu-jitsu
Work out what you can wear, borrow, or confirm before buying. Gi, no-gi, first-class kit, and competition requirements.
By Owen Bellamy 12 min read
Trial planner
Trial questions + shortlist planner
How to choose a BJJ gym
Compare beginner access, the timetable, and the terms. Keep track of the questions to settle before booking a trial.
By Maya Corbett 12 min read
Week planner
Weekly options + schedule planner
How often should you train jiu-jitsu?
Start with classes you can actually attend. Separate confirmed weekly options from the sessions you still need to check.
By Owen Bellamy 12 min read
Visit planner
Visitor guide + visit planner
What is a BJJ open mat?
Understand the format, check who can attend, and settle booking, kit, and fees before visiting another mat.
By Maya Corbett 12 min read
Position map
Position reference + explorer
BJJ positions explained
Recognize guard, side control, mount, and the back. Compare top and bottom perspectives before choosing the next question.
By Nina Okada 12 min read
Scoring examples
IBJJF points + scoring examples
BJJ rules and scoring
Understand points, advantages, penalties, and submissions. Work through examples and know which rules belong to your event.
By Tess Hanley 12 min read
Tournament planner
Entry guide + preparation planner
Your first BJJ tournament
Check the entry, division, deadlines, and match-day arrangements. Keep confirmed details separate from questions for the organizer.
By Miles Serrano 12 min read
Rules comparison
Sport comparison + crossover examples
Jiu-jitsu vs judo
Compare throws, pins, ground exchanges, and class choices. See how a similar situation can mean something different under each ruleset.
By Kit Langford 11 min read
Size charts
Maker charts + size explorer
BJJ gi size charts
Compare published charts for specific gis. Understand height, weight, garment measurements, and the questions to ask before buying.
By Tess Hanley 12 min read
Division charts
Adult IBJJF charts + division explorer
BJJ weight classes
Read the adult gi and no-gi limits in kilograms and pounds. Keep weight categories, the absolute, and weigh-in procedures separate.
By Nina Okada 11 min read
Parent trial planner
Parent guide + trial planner
Jiu-jitsu for kids
Check age groups, class arrangements, and trial terms. Prepare questions for the coach and leave room for your child’s answer.
By Maya Corbett 11 min read
Lesson brief planner
Booking guide + lesson brief
Private BJJ lessons
Choose a question worth working on, compare the actual booking terms, and prepare a brief for the coach before paying.
By Miles Serrano 12 min read
Program reference
Class routes + program explorer
Jiu-jitsu for women
Compare named women’s programs, beginner routes, and mixed-class access. See which questions belong to the actual session.
By Maya Corbett 11 min read
Searchable glossary
Training vocabulary + searchable glossary
BJJ terms explained
Look up common class and competition vocabulary. Keep an everyday coaching cue separate from a ruleset’s exact definition.
By Kit Langford 6 min read
Rules comparison
Competition comparison + situation explorer
ADCC vs IBJJF rules
Compare selected contest situations under ADCC and IBJJF rules. Keep the event, division, clock, and scoring conditions in view.
By Nina Okada 8 min read
Care reference
Manufacturer guidance + care explorer
How to wash a BJJ gi
Compare named manufacturers’ care instructions. Check the label, washing and drying directions, and product-specific shrinkage claims.
By Tess Hanley 5 min read
Model comparison
Published models + buying comparison
How to choose a BJJ gi
Compare named gis, published prices, what comes in the bag, and return terms. Build a shortlist around the class you attend.
By Tess Hanley 8 min read
Session planner
Instructor references + practice planner
Learn jiu-jitsu at home
Review a lesson, organize a task from class, and plan a short session. Keep one useful observation to bring back to the mat.
By Owen Bellamy 6 min read
Rules comparison
Sport comparison + match examples
BJJ vs wrestling
Compare pins, submissions, takedowns, and ground exchanges. Read complete examples under named wrestling and BJJ rules.
By Kit Langford 7 min read
Worked examples
Training reference + planning examples
Strength training for jiu-jitsu
Understand strength work alongside BJJ, read the evidence in context, and compare practical ways to fit lifting around mat time.
By Miles Serrano 8 min read
Recognition reference
Submission families + reference explorer
BJJ submissions explained
Recognize common chokes and joint locks, distinguish positions from submissions, and follow each name to its source.
By Nina Okada 7 min read
Program reference
Class scope + program comparison
BJJ for self-defense
Understand BJJ in a self-defense context and compare the practice, entry route, and stated scope of real programs.
By Maya Corbett 8 min read
Process reference
Application steps + process reference
IBJJF membership explained
Follow membership documents, professor approval, renewals, and academy changes. Keep membership separate from tournament entry.
By Tess Hanley 8 min read
Class-route reference
Class routes + first-visit reference
Starting jiu-jitsu after 40
Compare real introductory options, understand partner practice, and make room for a first visit around work and family.
By Rafael Moura 5 min read
Model reference
Model references + buying checks
How to choose a BJJ rashguard
Compare exact model charts, sleeve choices, care, returns, and the separate requirements for an IBJJF event.
By Tess Hanley 8 min read
Source reference
Sourced timeline + lineage reference
BJJ history and lineage
Trace the Japanese and Brazilian chapters, read competing accounts, and distinguish teaching, promotion, and affiliation.
By Kit Langford 8 min read
Program comparison
Named programs + format reference
Brazilian vs Japanese jiu-jitsu
Compare actual beginner programs, partner practice, and the different modern Ju-Jitsu competition formats.
By Maya Corbett 8 min read
Worked examples
Conditioning research + practical examples
Cardio for BJJ
Understand aerobic work, round pacing, and grip fatigue. Compare practical choices around the classes you already attend.
By Owen Bellamy 9 min read
Situation reference
Published policies + practical situations
BJJ gym etiquette
Join a new class, agree on a round, respect a stop, and ask before filming. Work through six ordinary gym situations.
By Maya Corbett 8 min read
Bracket comparison
Four-person diagrams + final-path comparison
BJJ tournament formats
Trace single elimination, true round robin, and true double elimination. Change the first final’s winner to see the reset.
By Miles Serrano 7 min read
Round examples
Five worked rounds + reset comparisons
BJJ positional sparring
Choose a starting position, compare both partners’ tasks, and see what different reset rules let you practise.
By Nina Okada 9 min read
Visit-time calculator
Visit-time calculator + worked trips
Training BJJ while traveling
Fit a class around the trip you actually have. Add travel, check-in, changing, and your own buffer before committing.
By Maya Corbett 9 min read
02 / Follow the next question
A little more context.
Before the first class
The timetable, the trial, the kit. Sort out the practical details before worrying about your guard.
Choosing your first BJJ gym What to wear to BJJ class A beginner course or regular classes?Once you’re on the mat
Learn the language of training, compare formats, and arrive at another gym knowing what to ask.
Training gi and no-gi on the same day What to expect at your first class BJJ drop-in etiquetteUnderstanding your rank
A belt color starts a conversation. These reads get into the details that a simple chart leaves out.
What blue belt means Kids’ jiu-jitsu belt colors IBJJF black belt certification03 / Put a class on the calendar
The next step has
an actual address.
Make a shortlist of nearby jiu-jitsu gyms. Then ask which class welcomes complete beginners, what the trial costs, and what to bring. Confirm the details directly before you go.
How we build these guides
Clear enough to use.
Specific enough to check.
Learning jiu-jitsu brings up small, practical questions that can be surprisingly hard to answer. Do you need a gi before trying a class? Does a stripe mean the same thing at every school? Which belt rules belong to a federation, and which decisions belong to your instructor?
Our writers approach those questions differently. Owen Bellamy keeps the beginner, clothing, and training schedule guides grounded in the realities of making it back next week. Nina Okada explains positions, practice tasks, ranks, weight-class charts, and the differences between competition rulesets. Tess Hanley follows membership costs, equipment care, and the rules behind a score. Kit Langford compares formats and sports, and explains the words that change meaning between a class and a match. Miles Serrano follows competition entries, bracket paths, and private lesson bookings. Maya Corbett turns class choices, a child’s trial, an open-mat visit, a travel schedule, or an unfamiliar room’s etiquette into specific questions to settle. Rafael Moura considers the practical decisions behind starting jiu-jitsu later in life. Each resource lists its sources and the date they were checked.
Use these pages to prepare and to understand the language. Practice needs an instructor, a suitable partner, and a shared agreement about what you are doing. When a gym’s policy or a tournament’s rules are the deciding factor, check with the people running it.