Jiu Jitsu Near Me - The Trial Period
At this point you've read the previous blog post about how to narrow down your search and find the right gyms to try out. As previously mentioned, many gyms have trial periods you can use to check out the gym and understand if it's a good fit for you. In this article we will discuss things to look for and what to expect on day one. The first day trying any new gym can be pretty nerve wrecking even if you have some experience under your belt, so I hope this can serve as information to take the edge off when walking in the door.
Attending Class
- Preparation
- Arrive Early
- Attending Class
Reflecting on your Experience
- Did you have Fun?
- Did you learn something?
- Was the instruction professional and well put together?
- Do you want to go back?
- How was the gyms staff?
- How was the teams Rapport?
- Was the team inclusive?
- Did the instructor make sure you had everything you needed?
Attending Class
Preparation
Usually if you're not sure if you're planning on doing jiujitsu long term then it doesn't make sense to invest in a brand new fancy gi or a lot of equipment. One benefit of jiujitsu is that it generally requires less equipment than other sports. What you will want though is a "not so baggy" t-shirt as well as shorts or leggings that don't have pockets. The reason for this is that you don't want the possibility of someone's hands, feet, fingers, or toes getting stuck in your clothing. Also, be prepared to remove jewelry or just leave it at home so you're not worried about storing it.
Make sure you get enough food and water throughout the day before attending class. While you shouldn't be run through the gauntlet or forced to work super hard on your first day you will be trying movements and learning things your body has never done before. Having enough food and water will ensure that you aren't going to set yourself up to get too awfully tired.
Make sure you review the gyms schedule on their website and you know which class you plan on attending and when that class starts. You don't want to be super late to a class as a beginner and force the instructor to stop what they are doing for the class just to make sure you have everything you need.
Arrive Early
When you first arrive at a gym they'll have you sign a waiver basically saying that you are there to train and that the gym isn't liable for any possible injuries that might occur. This is normal and just protects them from someone trying to make a quick buck. Usually the gym will get you signed up and then will give you a tour and make sure you have everything you need to try out class.
Some gyms have a small staff and you may be dealing directly with the lead instructor of the gym. Showing up early shows them that you respect their time and this will give them a good impression of you and they'll likely do whatever they can to help you out.
Attending Class
This is pretty straight forward. You're in the instructors hands at this point. Pay attention, don't talk when the instructor is talking, and pay attention to the rules of the gym that the instructor lays out for you. For example:
- Bowing when you come onto or when you leave the mat.
- Shaking hands with everyone before class.
- How to properly line up to start class.
Every school or gym is different and will have have their own quirks that you'll have to pay attention to. I've even know of a specific team that has their own handshake they use when they end class. No one will be upset if you don't know these rules, but they will get upset if they think you're outright ignoring them.
Reflecting on your Experience
Was it Fun?
The most important question your can reflect on is "Did I have fun?". If you did have fun then I think that's a pretty strong indicator of if the gym you tried was good for you. It serves as a litmus test for if you should even ask the rest of the questions below. If the answer is "No, I didn't have fun." then either the gym isn't a great fit for you, or you just don't really enjoy Jiu Jitsu all that much.
Do you want to go back?
Once again, another litmus test type of question. If you just have a feeling about the environment or the way things were run that makes you feel like you don't actually want to go back to that gym, then don't. As a beginner though, make sure you're not making a decision with your ego. Getting beat up on your first day or week isn't a legitimate reason to not return, unless of course you felt someone was trying to injure you or "roll" with malice, which the instructor should be there to avoid.
Did you learn?
Another important point to think about is if you picked up some value from the class, or rather, did you learn? If you felt like you walked away from a class not having learned anything at all then something is probably wrong. Day one you should always learning at least one thing, which is very easy to do given the complete lack of knowledge on the subject. In the case of a more advanced student changing gyms you'll be able to better gauge this, but still a valuable thing to think about.
How was the instruction?
Even if you learned something, which should be the bare minimum, how was the instruction? As a Black Belt there is nothing more annoying, in my opinion, than an instructor thinking of what to do on the spot. There can be a time and a place for that (filling in on short notice, catering to a specific individual or group, etc), but for the most part the class should feel structured. If you attend over a trial period of a week, was there a general theme to what was being taught, or were things done haphazardly? Once again, in my opinion, bouncing around to different ideas and concepts for beginners is more detrimental to their development than beneficial, but to each their own. Think about how you feel about the way it was structured, and place your own opinion on the ability to relay knowledge to you successfully.
How was the Staff?
How were the staff at the gym, to include the instructor? Were they helpful or did they let you flounder around with no instruction the entire time? I've been to gyms where the staff doesn't care if you're new, visiting, or come in every day and it's a sign to me that I likely wouldn't want to train there. If everyone was helpful and introduced themselves then that's a great way to see they care that you are there, and will likely impact the next sections.
Was there a rapport?
Did the team overall seem close knit? Was there a friendly and happy environment, even if maybe it wasn't super vocal? Jiu Jitsu isn't always the most social sport, but you should at least have a few people say hello and introduce themselves. It's important to see how the rest of the team interacts though. I've heard stories of even really great gyms that are too competitive at times that have made people unwelcome and with everyone on the mat sitting in silence uninterested in talking with each other. If you want to train really hard and become a world champion then maybe that's something you're interested in, otherwise you need to figure out what balance will make you happy.
Was the environment inclusive?
Did the instructor, students, staff and others introduce themselves to you? Were the genuinely interested you were there? Was there a good footprint of different types of people (may vary based on area/region)? I think most importantly you want to feel included and like you're welcome to be there training with everyone else.
Consider though that Jiu Jitsu is also a respect based sport. When you are new you will gain the normal respect levels of anyone that walks through the door, but you will need to show people that you are there to learn and train through commitment and consistency. As you train you will start to build rapport and respect with the team as you go, and you'll see yourself being included more frequently.