Walking into a jiu jitsu gym for the first time can feel like showing up to a party where everyone already knows the rules. People are bowing to the mat, wearing heavy cotton uniforms and rolling around in pairs. The good news is that very little is expected of you on day one. If you know what to bring to your first jiu jitsu class, how to dress and a few simple mat manners, you will fit in faster than you think.
- Your First Class Checklist
- Gi or No Gi: What to Wear
- Hygiene Habits That Matter on the Mat
- Mat Etiquette for Beginners
- Choosing the Right Class to Start
- Frequently Asked Questions
Your First Class Checklist
The short answer is comfortable training clothes, a water bottle, sandals or flip-flops, and an open mind. Everything else can wait until you know you enjoy the sport. Here is a simple list to pack the night before.
- Training clothes: a gi if you have one, or a fitted athletic shirt and shorts or leggings without pockets, zippers or buttons.
- Water bottle: jiu jitsu is a full-body workout and you will sweat more than you expect.
- Sandals or slides: for walking between the mat, the washroom and the change area, so you never track floor dirt onto the mat.
- Mouthguard: not something every beginner class asks for, but a simple boil-and-bite guard is cheap protection once you start rolling.
- Hair tie: long hair should be tied back so it does not get caught.
- Small towel and a change of clothes: for the drive home.
Leave jewellery, watches and rings at home or in your bag. They can scratch a training partner or get caught in fabric. If you wear glasses, plan on training without them or bring sports goggles.
Gi or No Gi: What to Wear
Brazilian jiu jitsu is trained two ways. In gi classes, everyone wears the traditional jacket, pants and belt, and you can grip the fabric to control your partner. In no gi classes, students wear fitted athletic clothing and the grips change to wrists, arms and the body.
Our Flint location runs both formats, so the class you pick decides what you wear. For a gi class, a plain white belt is where everyone starts. If you do not own a gi yet, tell us before you come in and we will tell you what to wear for that first session. Plenty of new students try a class or two before buying their own.
For no gi, the usual outfit is a rash guard (a tight, stretchy athletic shirt) and board shorts or grappling shorts with no pockets. Leggings or spats under shorts are common too. Loose cotton t-shirts work in a pinch, but they stretch, ride up and get pulled over your head during drills. Whatever you wear, it should be clean, free of hard parts and comfortable enough to move through a full range of motion on the floor.
Hygiene Habits That Matter on the Mat
Jiu jitsu is a close-contact sport. You will spend most of the class touching other people and the mat, so personal hygiene is the part of etiquette that everyone notices first. Getting it right from day one earns respect quickly.
- Trim your fingernails and toenails short before every class. Long nails cut training partners.
- Wear freshly washed clothes every session. A gi that sat damp in a gym bag overnight will smell, and partners will notice.
- Cover any cuts with athletic tape or a bandage, and skip class if you have a skin rash or anything that could be contagious.
- Keep footwear off the mat and put your sandals back on whenever you step off it, including trips to the washroom.
- Shower soon after training and wash your gear the same day.
Skin infections such as ringworm can pass between people on a shared mat, which is why these habits matter so much in grappling gyms. None of them take long, and they protect you as much as your partners.
Mat Etiquette for Beginners
Every gym has its own culture, and ours is built around a family atmosphere where nobody should feel intimidated. Still, a few manners are common across jiu jitsu and will help you settle in on your first visit.
- Arrive early. Give yourself time to sign in, change and meet the coach before warm-ups start.
- Tell the coach it is your first class. They can pair you with a patient partner and walk you through each drill.
- Tap early and often. Tapping your partner or the mat means stop. There is no shame in it, and every experienced student taps.
- Respect the tap. When your partner taps, let go right away.
- Listen more than you talk. When the coach is demonstrating, stay quiet and watch closely.
- Thank your partners. A handshake or fist bump before and after each round is standard.
Do not worry about being good. Nobody expects a beginner to know a single technique. What your partners care about is that you are safe, clean and willing to learn.
Choosing the Right Class to Start
Once your bag is packed, the next step is picking a class. At Elite Martial Arts, our full jiu jitsu program runs at our Flint (E3) location on Flint Road SE, and our Shepard location also offers an early morning adult class. For what to expect on the mats over your first months, read our beginner’s guide to Brazilian jiu jitsu.
- Adults: our adult jiu jitsu classes at Flint include Gi on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 6 to 8pm, and on Tuesday and Thursday from 7:30 to 9pm. No Gi runs Tuesday and Thursday from 6 to 7:30pm and Wednesday from 8 to 9pm. At Shepard, Adult BJJ runs Monday from 5:30 to 6:30am.
- Kids aged 5 to 8: kids jiu jitsu runs Monday and Wednesday from 4 to 5pm at Flint.
- Ages 9 to 14: youth jiu jitsu runs Monday and Wednesday from 5 to 6pm at Flint.
Weekend Free Roll sessions at Flint (Saturday 11am to 12pm and Sunday 9 to 10am) are open training time, so a structured class is the better place for a true first day. You can see how the whole program fits together on our Brazilian jiu jitsu page, and if you are curious about mixing grappling with striking later on, our mixed martial arts page explains how the two styles combine.
Ready to step on the mat? Now that you know what to bring to your first jiu jitsu class, the hardest part is simply showing up. Our classes are open to everyone, from complete beginners to competitive fighters. Call us at 587-225-0337 or email calgarymartialarts@gmail.com to ask which class suits you, then pack your bag and come say hello. Prefer to start with striking? Our adult Muay Thai classes run at all three of our locations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I bring to my first jiu jitsu class?
Bring clean training clothes, a water bottle, sandals and a hair tie if you have long hair. A gi or a rash guard and grappling shorts are ideal, but fitted athletic wear without pockets or zippers works for a first session.
Do I need to buy a gi before my first class?
No, you do not need to buy one before you try a class. Let us know before you visit and we will tell you what to wear, or start with a No Gi class in athletic clothing.
Will I spar on my first day?
Not necessarily, and you can always sit a round out. Beginners usually start with warm-ups and technique drills, and the coach decides when live rolling is right for you.
Do I need to be fit to start jiu jitsu?
No. Most people get fit by training, not before it. Go at your own pace, take water breaks when you need them and tell the coach about any injuries before class starts.
Which Elite location offers jiu jitsu?
Flint (E3) on Flint Road SE runs our full jiu jitsu program for kids, youth and adults. Shepard offers an Adult BJJ class on Monday mornings, and Braeside does not run jiu jitsu.
Should I wear a mouthguard in jiu jitsu?
Yes, once you start live rolling it is a good idea. Elbows and knees move close to the face during grappling, and a simple mouthguard protects your teeth.
