If you are thinking about starting Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, the first thing you look for is a perfect Brazilian Jiu Jitsu school. Wait: What does perfect mean in this context? Does the perfect Brazilian Jiu Jitsu school exist? One thing first: every martial artist has a different idea of a perfect Jiu Jitsu school. Therefore, in this case, the principle applies: one martial artist considers one martial arts school to be the perfect choice, while another feels more comfortable in a different Brazilian Jiu Jitsu school.

Nevertheless, experienced Gracie Jiu Jitsu martial artists have identified five key factors that might be helpful in choosing the right BJJ school.

The five characteristics of a perfect BJJ school

The five factors serve as a valuable guide in choosing a suitable BJJ school. They are composed of the following points:

• Cleanliness
• Learning plan
• Class structure
• Coach
• Cooperation

A person who has chosen a BJJ school and realizes after the fact that there is no structured curriculum can look around and search for another Brazilian Jiu Jitsu school. A martial artist who asks himself the five questions takes an important step in choosing a good BJJ school.

One’s own well-being should be the first priority for everyone. Moreover, no other person can take away from a martial artist the decision which BJJ school is the best choice.

The role of cleanliness in any BJJ school

The cleanliness of the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu school plays an important role in finding a suitable school. It must be clean. After all, in Gracie Jiu Jitsu, when practicing the techniques of self-defense, intense physical contact takes place. In addition, the skin comes into contact with the mats. For this reason, it is essential that the mats are clean. Otherwise, in case of injury and in the course of contact with an unclean mat, infections can occur. Even if this happens extremely rarely, the factor of cleanliness is an important decision criterion when choosing the right school of BJJ. BJJ instructors also advise their students to wash their BJJ kimonos before each training session.

The curriculum of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu teaches self-defense techniques. These take place not only in the immediate vicinity of the body or on the mats. Street fighting begins with a certain distance. A BJJ school that places a high value on teaching students techniques of self-defense pays attention to the distance, which is crucial at the beginning of a street fight.

In Gracie Jiu Jitsu, BJJ instructors practice street fighting self-defense techniques with their beginners 100 percent of the time for the first eight months. However, this can take as long as it takes for the instructors to feel that the student has internalized the techniques and can successfully defend themselves in an emergency.

Class structures are an important decision criteria

Separate classes in Gracie Jiu Jitsu are the key to success. A class with only two students is just as effective as a class with 20 students if the level of the students is the same. The classic division into beginners and advanced is also important. This way all students feel comfortable and well taken care of.

A good Brazilian Jiu Jitsu school is able to structure classes to meet the needs of each student. After all, a nine-year-old beginner needs different instruction than a nine-year-old boy who has been practicing Gracie Jiu Jitsu for six years. Good BJJ schools know how to structure their classes so that every student gets their money’s worth.

In addition, the class structures are chosen to multiply the potential of each individual. Students learn in training exactly what they need to do in order to progress.

The degree of willingness to cooperate is highly important

In a good BJJ school, cooperativeness plays an important role. A beginner who decides to join a school does not immediately fight with other students who have been attending classes for a long time. This is because the goal is to learn, learn and learn again self-defense techniques so that a successful defense is possible in the event of an attack. Cooperation in this case means: BJJ students cooperate with each other by learning the techniques of self-defense to defend themselves against an attacker outside the school.

For this reason, it is important to ask the question: What is the level of cooperation in this BJJ school? It is not about the extent to which the BJJ training is demanding or less demanding. Instead, the focus is on the level of cooperation within the entire school. It is an important decision criterion when choosing the perfect Brazilian Jiu Jitsu school.

What is the role of the trainer in Gracie Jiu Jitsu?

In Gracie Jiu Jitsu, qualified instructors teach who know exactly what they are teaching their students. They learn how to teach the students. In the courses for successful BJJ teachers trainers learn an important aspect: to adapt to the needs of their students. During the training they acquire a filter that helps them to adapt the techniques of self-defense to the physical needs of the students.

Free trial training helps with the decision in the search for the right BJJ school

Trial trainings are important, because they facilitate the decision. As a rule, a school of BJJ offers the opportunity to test the training for ten days before deciding to become a member. According to the experience of trainers, it is not possible to decide after a single training whether you want to train in this school or not. Ten days, however, is a good choice to get an idea of the school and to feel the vibrations.