A lot of great people try jiu-jitsu. The most common questions I get from well-intentioned new folks all relate to this question: how do I become a good BJJ training partner? How do I contribute positively to the gym community?
There are a lot of ways to answer this, and I’m dividing this post into two sections: this one is about preparing for class and your off-the-mat activities, and I’ll do a follow-up about how to be a great training partner once class starts. Keep in mind that every gym is a little bit different. Some practices are universal, though, and I break them down into three categories: be clean, be ready, be nice.
If you guessed that the last category features a Road House reference, read on!
BE CLEAN
Hygiene is important, both for comfort and for safety. No one likes mat-borne infections, and being clean minimizes risks to everyone. That’s why gyms clean the mats with disinfectant after every class (and if you want to be really polite, you can offer to help do that, too).
Clean mats are important, but so are clean bodies. This is a close-proximity art, and no one wants to be in close quarters with someone who doesn’t smell great. I have known two people whose BJJ community nickname was “Stinky [insert name].” You don’t want to be that human being. It’s easy to avoid, though! Here’s how:
- No shoes on the mat. No bare feet off the mat. This is to prevent the bacteria we pick up from walking around from being transmitted to the mats where we roll around. Especially important: never go into the bathroom barefoot.
- Shower before class! Not just to prevent infections, but also to be courteous. We all get sweaty, and we all get stinky. That’s inevitable. But start fresh, no pun intended. You never heard anybody say, derisively, “That dude? That dude smells clean.” Be the dude that smells clean. I keep deodorant and breath mints in my jiu-jitsu bag, and I try to brush my teeth before class, too.
- … but be careful of lotions and scents. Patchouli. Axe body spray. Febreze. These are all scents that do not disinfect, but do attempt to cover up odors. It doesn’t work. Neither do perfumes and colognes. Nothing is a substitute for regular showering, and if you must use a fragrance, use a light touch. Ditto for lotions: it’s cool to moisturize, but don’t use a lotion that’ll stay on top of your skin and coat the mat. Slip n’ slides are fun, but we’re grappling here.
- Trim your nails. You can seriously scratch someone up if you aren’t careful. One of my friends has a scar on his head from someone’s toenail. Yikes! You are not a majestic eagle, so please clip those talons. I feel so strongly about this I made branded nail clippers for the Dirty White Belt BJJ podcast.
BE READY
- Be on time. I’m habitually early, so this is fairly easy for me. Personally, as an instructor, it doesn’t actually bother me a ton if people are late — but I’ve known instructors that won’t let you train if you aren’t there on time. My instructor would force students who were late to answer questions about Gracie Jiu-Jitsu history before he’d let them on the mat. Peoples’ opinions vary, but just like dressing up a little nicer for a job interview than you think you have to is a good idea, being a little early is a good idea. Plus, you can meet and socialize with people!
- Remove jewelry, like rings and piercings, before class. Sometimes people forget this, but especially with gi grappling, it’s important to remove these if they can scratch your partner — or, worse, get ripped out. Thankfully, I’ve never seen the latter happen, but why risk it, and why risk delaying class for it?
Finally, as the great James Dalton would put it …
BE NICE
It’s a simple principle, but an important one. Being nice can mean a bunch of different things, but here are a few tips that apply to most gyms I’ve trained at.
- Try to know your academy’s rules. Just like traveling to a different community, there are different norms from place to place. Some gyms bow in and out of class; others are less formal. Some gyms have uniform requirements (say, white gi only). Some gyms require you to line up in belt rank order, or have specific guidelines for drilling or … whatever it is. None of these are necessarily right or wrong, but if you want to be a good participant in the community, know the expectations. Ask the instructor if there is anything specific and important that you need to know.
- Do what the instructor is teaching. If it’s the instructor’s class, that person sets what the topic is. You might know an amazing choke transition after a mount escape … but if the instructor is teaching mount escapes, it’s respectful (and good practice, in my opinion), to just take the class and drill the move exactly as shown without making suggestions. You can always ask a question later!
- Assume that everybody is trying to help you. The overwhelming majority of them are! Assume the best intentions in those around you: we’re all here to help each other get better. Training hard can fire up emotions, so keeping this in mind is key.
Is there a time when this rule doesn’t apply? I’ll let Dalton from Road House answer that.
So be nice, and if you either think it’s time to not be nice, call and ask me if it’s that time. I’ll let you know. Promise!
This is the fifth post in a series called the White Belt Starter Kit, advice for newer students. This series will answer some of the most common questions you might have, like how to get the most out of drilling, how to roll safely and well, how to maximize your training benefits, and how to be a helpful and valuable training partner. There will be a dozen or so posts in the series, which will be available here and updated consistently.
Want to join us on the mat? We’re offering an 8 Week Intro to BJJ class for just $150, and the first 25 registrants will receive a FREE Toro BJJ gi that retails for $155 as part of your registration. You can find the tentative curriculum for the eight-week class here. You can sign up for the Intro to BJJ class here, or you can e-mail jeff@bellinghambjj.com. The first class begins on WEDNESDAY, AUG. 8 from 5:30 p.m.-7 p.m. and runs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays following that from Aug. 8 to Sep. 26 at 5:30 p.m. Classes take place at Bellingham MMA, 2694 Roeder, Suite 101, Bellingham, WA, 98225. The last class will be Sep. 26 at 5:30 p.m.