We’re one week away from the final class of our 8 Week Intro to BJJ series. We’re expanding class times after Intro ends! For more, read on.
The Intro class has been a great success, with lots of new people (and some jiu-jitsu veterans) training together and having good times. We will probably offer another Intro to BJJ series in 2019, but not until after the first of the year. Until then, we’re going to continue to offer beginner and advanced jiu-jitsu classes, both in the gi and out. If you’ve been taking the 8 Week Intro, we hope you’ll sign up and continue to train with us! If you do, you’ll also get access to all of the classes at Bellingham MMA. There are student discounts, veteran and law enforcement discounts, so if you want to train, don’t think finances are a fundamental barrier.
We are pleased to announce that we’re keeping roughly the same schedule for continuing gi jiu-jitsu classes, but adding a little time.
Beginning Friday, Sep. 28, 2018, Gi Jiu-Jitsu classes will run from 5:15 p.m.-7 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights. I’ll still be arriving early to most classes, so if you stop by at 5 p.m. I’ll most likely be available for drilling, answering questions, and the occasional roll, so don’t shy away from coming by at 5.
The structure of the class is going to change, but just a little bit. We’re going to break it up into Fundamentals and Advanced technique sections (adding the Advanced Technique portion). Everyone is encouraged to attend the whole class, i.e. both the Fundamentals and Advanced sections. If you have experience, believe me, you will always need the fundamentals. If you’re brand new, you definitely need the fundamentals more, but you’re welcome to stay and try the advanced techniques as well. The advanced technique portion of the class will expand on the themes we explore in the fundamentals portion.
General breakdown of time, with some wiggle room, will be:
5:15-6 p.m.: BJJ Fundamentals. We will do a quick warmup, then do technique instruction and drilling. Sometimes, we will do positional sparring.
6 p.m.-6:30 p.m.: Advanced BJJ technique (everyone welcome)
6:30 p.m.-7 p.m.: BJJ Sparring (everyone welcome, although new people will not spar at all at first, and will begin only sparring in a structured setting approved by the instructor)
For a typical class, let’s say, for example, we’re working on guard passing. We would start with a warmup, followed by instruction of three or so fundamental guard passing techniques, such as the knee cut, the stack pass, and the bullfighter pass. After we drill those, we may play a sparring game where people start in the guard, try to pass, and then switch top to bottom and repeat.
Then, after a short break, we’ll start with advanced technique, where we’ll do two or three more advanced passing techniques — such as using the knee cut pass to set up submissions attacks, for example. Then, we’ll do (mostly) free sparring. The instructor may still match certain people up if he or she thinks that’s best for training that night.
But what if I want to start training jiu-jitsu and I missed the Intro class?
If you missed the Intro class, don’t worry: Our Fundamentals curriculum will cover all of that material and more. Come in and try a free class so you can get started on your journey.