Are you wondering how to choose a jiu jitsu gym for you? Maybe you have decided to embark on your jiu jitsu journey, but don’t know where to go. It can be overwhelming with the number of jiu jitsu gyms within an area continuously growing. Finding the right jiu jitsu gym for you is important because it will determine where you spend a lot of your time in this sport. Not only that, but ensuring you find a place that aligns with you and your goals will make a big impact on your journey as well. This post will walk you through a beginner’s guide on choosing a jiu jitsu gym for you.

Step 1: Understand Your Goals and Needs

Ask yourself, what are your goals as you start your jiu jitsu journey? Maybe it is to compete in the sport, get into better physical shape, or to learn self defense. You can use your goals to outline what you need out of your jiu jitsu gym.

Another important question to ask yourself is what does your commitment and availability look like? This will determine if the gym’s schedule will align with yours. Perhaps if you can only train jiu jitsu in the mornings before work, you’ll want to include “morning classes” in your gym requirements list.

Understanding your budget as well will be important when choosing the right gym for you. Jiu Jitsu gym prices have a wide range, typically based on what the gym offers. You’ll want to know what you are comfortable spending for your gym membership.

Step 2: Researching Potential Gyms

Searching for potential gyms is quite easy on the internet. Use Google to search for “jiu jitsu gyms near me” to begin your search. You can also utilize other sites such as Yelp or social media. Gather information such as their schedules, location and prices. This will help you begin to see if the gym meets your needs.

Outside of the web, you can also lean on friends, family and your local community to get any suggestions on potential jiu jitsu gyms. Ask around, whether in person or on social media, and you might come across information that you would not be able to get on your google search. Word of mouth is a strong form of information gathering. People love to share their experiences and feedback, and you can use this to help you decide which gyms might be a potential future home for you.

Step 3: Visit Potential Gyms

Once you have compiled a list of gyms that match your needs, a visit would be the next best thing to do so you can see what they offer in person. Most gyms offer a trial class specifically for this purpose. Reach out to the gym prior to showing up to see what they require before stepping on the mat. This could include signing waivers, or understanding the uniform policy.

While visiting the gym, be sure to observe the classes, atmosphere and gym settings. Is the style of teaching what you would learn best from? Is the gym clean and sanitary? Are the students mostly competitors or hobbyists, or is it a well-balanced mix? Make note of these observations so you can compare it to your goals and needs you outlined in Step 1.

Amenities are also great to look at while visiting. Things such as showers, restrooms and parking are small things to consider, but they may add the benefits that are nice to take note of.

This is also a great time to ask the other students for their feedback and experiences. This not only helps you get more insight on the gym, but also the type of students they attract. These will be the people you train with and they can make such a big impact on your jiu jitsu journey.

Step 4: Consolidate Findings And Make A Decision

Gather your findings from your online search and your visits. Do you know right off the bat, which gym you want to train at based on your trial class? This can happen sometimes when you hit it off and need no more persuasion, which is great!

But perhaps you are still torn between two really great options? Maybe try out a few more classes at each to help further see what it’s like at those gyms. Gather more data to make your decision, you don’t have to rush!

If you’re still struggling to decide, go back to your list of goals and needs, and compare your findings to that list. Making a pros-and-cons list might help as well. Remember, you are investing your time and money into the gym, so it’s okay to take time to ensure that it serves you and aligns with what you are looking for.

Conclusion

This post was all about choosing the right jiu jitsu gym for you as a beginner. Once you understand what your goals and needs are, you can use that as a compass as you gather information on potential gyms near you. Visiting the gym is highly recommended before signing up because it will give you a better idea of what the atmosphere is like and if it’s the type of environment you want to be in. After collecting your information, you can make an informed decision on what gym will best serve your goals and needs. We hope this post helps you in choosing the right jiu jitsu gym for you as you start on your BJJ journey.