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!

Read more about How To Be a Great Training Partner, Part One: Off the Mat …