Starting at Combat Base: what to expect

First Steps
Obviously you have an interest intraining or you wouldn’t be reading this. Read the information below then decide what route to follow from there. Either

1) Drop me an email with your name and address and I will send you the ‘Starting at Combat Base’ info pack.
2) Call or email me to see about watching a class
3) Call or email me for a chat to discuss your training needs

Any/all of the above will help you to decide if our gym is the one for you.

Please also check our Frequently Asked Questions page.

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Next Steps
* Am I fit enough to train in Jiu Jitsu
* What to wear/bring to class
* Hygiene
* Rules of the gym
* Insurance

Am I fit enough to start Jiu Jitsu?
If you have/had any medical condition whatsoever you should get permission from your doctor prior to any sort of athletic training. If you get the go ahead from the doctor please inform the instructor of your condition as soon as possible.

Many people start training without any prior athletic training. They maybe a little overweight, have a less than average fitness level etc but it really does not matter.

Having a decent level of fitness and muscular endurance it is not immediately important. Training in Jiu Jitsu will increase your fitness, strength, speed, flexibility and can even help you to lose weight.

It also helps build mental skills as well as physical skills, improvements to concentration, confidence, tenacity to name but a few.

If you are in below average shape then just work at your own pace, do what you can and over the coming weeks and months you will improve all aspects. I guarantee it.

Warning, results come from hard work so be prepared!

What to wear/bring to class
Before you come to your first class, you’ll need to figure out what to wear. If you have a Judo gi, wear that. Karate gis may also be worn but are not as strong as gis designed specifically for grappling and may rip so be warned. If you don’t have a gi (it is unlikely you will) then shorts or jogging bottoms and a t-shirt or vest will be ok. Wear old clothes because they will get ripped and/or stretched.

Make sure that you don’t wear anything with zips, buttons, anything metallic attached etc or anything that could cause injury.

Any jewellery, watches and piercings should be removed to prevent injuries.

Please note that shoes of any kind are not allowed on the mats unless you have an ongoing medical condition.

It is a good idea to bring a drink with you, you will need it.

Hygiene
Make sure your fingernails and toenails are short and clean.
Long hair should be tied back.
Training clothing/equipment should be clean and in good state of repair.
Bring a towel with you; you will definitely break a sweat.

Rules of the gym
*Train safely, always listen to your coach and never mess around.
*Don’t be afraid to speak to your partner, tell them if they are doing something that hurts or something you don’t like
*Don’t be afraid to “tap out” when drilling or grappling. If you are in a position that you are not comfortable with, tap out and start again.
*Always, immediately, release your hold when your partner taps. It is extremely dangerous to keep applying a move when your partner has tapped.
*Work at your own pace, take your time, and stop if you need to.
*Always work with your partner, never apply submissions explosively. Be aware of the level of force you are using, don’t try to hurt your partner.
*Listen carefully to the instructions of the coach; only try to do what you have been asked to do.
*When the coach calls “stop” you must immediately stop what you are doing.
*Always leave the gym area tidy, put equipment back when you are finished with it, do not leave anything lying around on the floor.
*Never use the equipment for anything other than what it is intended for. Do not throw things around.
*Take home all your equipment with you, don’t leave empty water bottles or rubbish lying around.
*Be respectful to your coach and your fellow teammates.
*Please sign in as you pay every time you enter the Gym.

Insurance
Every student needs to have insurance, this can be purchased through the gym at the cost of 15.00 per year. This is very important.

What can I expect in my first class? What is a class like?
Classes can and do vary but a general structure of a class is;

Warm-up and stretching
Sports specific drills
Technical training, introduction of a technique
Drills using the techniques just learned
Sparring, often called rolling.

You will want to arrive a little early to class just to introduce yourself to the instructor and make sure everything is ok.

You will have to fill out a waiver form before you can train.

Warm-ups
Most classes start with a group warm-up, sometimes a little jogging and general bodyweight exercises, squats, push-ups, sit ups etc

Sports specific drills
Still part of the warm up but these drills are specifically designed for Jiu Jitsu purposes and include movement, agility, speed and strength drills. Usually performed with a partner.

Technical training, introduction of a technique
After warm-ups and drills, you’ll be partnered with someone and go to your own section of the mats to be taught your first lesson. As we do not have a beginners only class you will just learn whatever techniques are being taught that day. This way you will get a lot of help from other members of the gym as well as the instructors.

Drills using the techniques just learned
This would be your first chance to try out what you just learned against a resisting partner in a live drill. Your partner will assist your ability to make a technique work with “progressive resistance” You start off at an easy pace and build it up as much as you need to.

Don’t be afraid to communicate with your partner, ask if you are doing it right, does it feel right to them etc Ask your partner there and then and you get instant feedback.

Sparring
We almost always end the class sparring/rolling. You will be given a sparring partner to start with, usually the person you have trained with that day. After the duration of the match you will change partners and go with someone else.

At the start of each round, you’ll begin by facing your partner on your knees. When you're both ready shake hands and start to “roll”: try out your techniques, stopping whenever one of you taps and restart from knees.

Tapping
The normal way you signal submission is to tap. When you tap, make sure you do it hard enough that your partner can feel it; or tap yourself or the mat where they can see and/or hear it; or verbally tap by saying something to your partner.

Tapping is just part of training and there is no shame in it. Don’t worry about winning or losing. Don’t try to hold out too long before you tap, you risk getting hurt.

All this being said there are some basic rules for sparring in class:

Remember that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is designed to be trained safely without serious injury. These rules are to help keep you and your training partners safe and healthy.

If you are not sure whether it is safe or not, do not do it!!

After your first class
Congratulations, you got through your first class, wasn’t so bad was it?

Now you will probably have lots more questions, if you enjoyed the class and want to continue training, let your instructor know and you can take it from there.