Your First Time at Red River Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (RRBJJ)? This is what you should know…

Trying something new can be very intimidating and maybe a little scary. I’d like to put you at ease and assure you that this is a family-oriented environment and very friendly.  Everyone on the mat is usually willing to help the new students.  This is one of the many things that we teach our students.

For your first time at Red River BJJ, here are some things you should bring or leave at home.

What should I bring?

  1. Your ID.  Bring your parent with an ID if you’re a minor (17 years old or younger).
  2. Wear comfortable clothing that you can move in
    a.  Preferred: T-shirt, sweats, board shorts, biker shorts, spatz/leggings, etc.
    b.  Ladies, in BJJ there’s a lot of movement which can make our clothing move in odd ways, so wear biker shorts under your shorts and sport bra under your shirts to prevent wardrobe malfunctions. Yoga pants/leggings work well also.
  3. Water
    a. It’s important to stay hydrated. If you don’t like water fountain water, bring your own.
  4. Flip flops or slides.  We do not wear shoes on the mat, so bring shoes that are easy to take off and put back on.
    a. We roll on the mats, so if you walk off the mats, we expect you to wear shoes to keep the mats clean. We take pride in keeping those mats clean because it is easy to catch skin infections like staph, ringworm, etc.
  5. Hair ties
    a. If you have long hair, it is easier to work when your hair is off your and your partner’s face.

What should I keep at home?

  1. No jewelry to include piercings of any sort.
    a. Torn earlobes are not fun, and cleaning up blood isn’t either. Better to be safe than sorry.
  2. Tank tops on no-gi days
    a. Please be cognizant of others. Being in a guillotine choke while your opponent is wearing a tank top, is not very pleasant, especially if they are sweaty.  Let’s keep those armpits covered.

Jiu-jitsu etiquette:

A great martial arts school will not only teach you the actual martial art, but it will also teach many life lessons to include respect, discipline, and humility.  This is why we follow some “old-school” traditions.

  1. We line up before class in rank order to Bow-in and then we line up again after class to Bow-out. Black belts will line up in front of the students.
  2. If you are late to class (missed the Bow-in session), wait at the edge of the mat until the Professor or head coach motions you to join the class.  Then proceed to shake all the Professor and coach’s hands before joining the class.
  3. If you need to leave early from class, shake all the Professor’s hands to let them know you are leaving.
  4. During instruction, be respectful.  Listen, learn and feel free to ask questions.  Parents, please refrain from having loud conversations in the lobby when the professor/coach is instructing.
  5. NEVER walk barefoot on the floor and NEVER walk in the restroom barefoot.  Again, we take pride in keeping our mats clean.  It is very common to get skin infections when mats are not cleaned properly, and we need the students help in keeping them clean.
  6. Lastly, make sure you are clean as well.

Hope this helps.  If you still have questions, feel free to send us an email at [email protected] we would love to hear from you.

See you soon!