Question 1: What on earth do I wear to Jiu Jitsu?
Great question, and the answer depends on the type of Jiu Jitsu training you're doing. There are typically two kinds of training and ways to compete in Jiu Jitsu, Gi and NoGi. NoGi is easiest to explain as it's exactly what it sounds like. It literally means not training in the Gi. Typically people will wear a type of Under Armour compression underwear, grappling shorts, and a t-shirt or rash-guard. Fellas if you're going to rock a sweet pair of spats, do us all a favor and wear some shorts over them. You can check some examples of NoGi Jiu Jitsu attire in the links listed below. Quick note, you do not need to purchase from any of these company to train at our facility. The list below is a list of companies I have personally used and would recommend to anyone that asked. There are lots of other companies out there that can fit your personal style needs, have fun with it
Question 2: What the hell is a Gi and why do I wear it?
The Gi is the traditional wear of Judo practitioners which is where Jiu Jitsu stems from. One reason why we wear them is they're cool. No, really, they look wicked cool. They're also practical. The traditional practical reason is that the clothing of the time in Japan was the kimono. It made sense to train in clothing that was similar to their everyday dress. While we sadly don't get to wear kimonos in our daily life here in Boston they still make a great simulation for using people's clothes against them and also using your own clothes to your advantage.
Some Gi recommendations to check out:
Fenom Jiu Jitsu https://www.fenomkimonos.com/ (recommended site for women specific sizing!)
Question 3: Will we be training in both Gi and No-Gi?
Absolutely! It is important to train in both disciplines to truly understand Brazilian Jiu Jitsu . Both are also a lot of fun to train and compete in. How do we know when to bring Gi or NoGi? I'll tell you, that's easy. We will typically spend at least one week a month working on NoGi with the rest of the week training in a Gi. You can also always bring both types of gear just in case.
Question 4: What is Gym etiquette like?
I like to keep it simple. Step one, don't be a jerk. Step two, you're all part of the same community so the more you help each other improve the better your training partners and you will become. As far as hygiene, please wash your Gi and training gear after every use(mandatory). Your body is part of your training gear so wash that too. I also require having flip flops, slides or my personal favorite, Crocs to put on your feet for when you step off the mats or need to use the restroom. No bare feet in the lobby!
Question 5: What was the schedule again?
This one will be easy as I don't plan on changing the schedule anytime soon. Our Jiu Jitsu classes will run from 6:30 - 8pm every Monday and Wednesday and Friday. These classes have a heavy focus on the basics/fundamentals of Jiu Jitsu and are open and encouraged to all students. On Sunday we now offer a BJJ drills class on Sunday that runs from 10:30am-12:30pm. Nothing better than Jiu Jitsu and brunch on a Sunday in the Back Bay
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