Tips for Joining a BJJ Gym for The 1st Time 

I thought your whole gym was just the red mats.. I feel like I've been let out of the matrix

That's why I take Rex Kwon Do. No question on legitimacy

I joined last Saturday. As I was leaving, the owner/head instructor said "Welcome to the family." It's definitely the right spot for me.

I fcking did it, bro, I started yesterday it is the best thing ever

I called my local gym, a HUGE gym, and the owner talked to me for about 30 minutes answering all of my questions. He also, without me prompting him, told me about the culture that they have built at the gym. At no point was he pushy, got tired of my list of questions, and he was very very open. I’m so excited to join!

Dirty/smelly gym? = No Pressure to pay/join? = No Gym owner trying to make you "a deal"? = No Noone smiling/ultra-competitive atmosphere? = No Clean gym? Laid back, passionate instructor? Team atmosphere? Yes!

The first Jiu jitsu school I attended was a total shit show. No curriculum, just dudes who wanted to fight. They were showing all these super complex chokes, without any knowledge of even a basic guard pass. It was ridiculous. I left that school and joined Mid-America under the lineage of Rickson Gracie. I was so much happier there. The guys I drill with have become my best friends. They have a solid system, and rotate the concepts of Jiu jitsu over a 12 week period before repeating it again. Even the blue belts coming out of my school are legit BJJ practitioners.

Man, I've been watching your videos for almost 3 years I think? And I'm finally starting my first day of Jiu-jitsu tomorrow. 🙏💯 Thanks for the inspiration Chewy

I actually left a gym in the past because it was too competitive, reason for leaving one is because im a 30+ year old man and this was a gym full of mma meat heads I thought i was going to get hurt, gym I'm at now is far more laid back however I'm progressing better because im not getting beaten down on a regular basis.

Started BJJ mid January, best decision of my life. The gym I go to is really great, we normally start with a warm up then they show us 2 or 3 different moves and we drill them for a couple of minutes, then we roll to showcase what we learned

1) be stoked you have 3 gyms to choose from. Not everyone even has that opportunity of choice. 2) if you want challenge look for the gym that is more structured with their warm ups and drilling. More laid back gyms will teach like 1 move, drill it for 10 minutes, then just roll the rest of the class. Fun, but not challenging. Structured gyms will teach and drill something like 5 moves, usually variants of a series, and then do less open rolling. I do 2 hour rolls on Saturdays at a laid back gym and then do 1.25 hour classes at a more structured gym Mondays and Wednesdays. I learn more at the structured gym and it's more challenging as everyone there is more technical. I get more of a workout and fun time at the laid back gym.

Holy cow your gym is amazing! Way bigger than I expected. Very cool.

Before i thought you where on a green screen until now haha

I tried 3 different gyms before making a decision. First was a Gracie gym. Good instruction, good atmosphere. However I want to do Muay Thai on the side and they did not offer that. The second gym was the biggest gym probably in my whole state, ran by a 2x BJJ world champion. The title speaks for itself. However, I did not get much 1 on 1 critique while running drills or sparring because it’s such a big gym with a ton of students. The 3rd gym was the smallest of the 3. The instructor in a knowledgeable black belt trained by the head instructor of gym #2. From day 1, he gave me CONSTANT critique and tips and demonstration throughout the entire class. They also offer Muay Thai and a takedown class I am going to try. I really love this gym. Maybe after I get a few years under my belt I may revisit gym #2, but for newbies I think the smaller gym vibe is the way to go.

You are so right about getting stuck at a gym. I feel so bad wanting to go to another gym because of the friends I've made and ect

Chew you are awesome man!!!!! Taking time out of your day to help us fellow bjj lovers

Starting today after work at 34. My son has been going there for a few years already, so I already know it is a great gym. Nervous and excited about it. My son is excited too.

I just found your page. I enjoy how the advice you give on vids like these also relates to life in general. Keep up the amazing work.

I always wondered if the background was a green screen. Finally answered that.

Thanks, this is really helpful. I’m a judo guy that always enjoyed the ground work aspect but haven’t trained in 15 years. I’ve been looking at trying out BJJ and it’s good to have a sense to look for in terms of community, etc.

You're so young chewy but you definitely have the wisdom of the old Masters. Good job Sir 👍

Your gym looks awesome man!!

I started Gracie Barra recently. Not knowing anything about what gym to go to or what I’m looking for. I’m not the biggest fan, it seems more like a school/business than a gym. This video helped out

yo elliot! (beat drops)

Awesome videos brotha! I reference your videos often. I just started my Jiujitsu journey and your videos have really helped. Thanks for putting out awesome content

I appreciate this guys honesty and straightforwardness. I’m so glad I subscribed to his channel!

Glad I found your channel man... I just joined a new gym and I am starting to wish I looked a little more before committing... my fiancé also joined and it’s one of these multiple martial arts/weight training places so at first I was happy about being able to do some striking and BJJ... now I’ve been really into BJJ and I’ve leaned away from wanting to do anything else because I only have 3-4 days a week I can do BJJ... anyway my issue is the classes vary from purple belts to me who has only taken 2 classes I’ve learned a couple moves but I don’t know step one to even start... I know it’s like that for everyone who starts but what I’m feeling right now is that the one on one tips aren’t there yet. I rolled with some good white belts and a purple belt my second day and got smashed of course. I asked many questions and the other guys have been helpful but I feel like maybe it’s hard for the trainer who grew up doing BJJ and is a black belt and well accomplished for him to focus on me with 0 skill and also his white belts and purple belts etc... I just don’t want to hold people back but also I wang to learn what is and isn’t correct at least the most basic of things... I’ll prob finish out my contact with the gym because of $$$ and then maybe look if I feel this way in a years time... I feel like I’ve learned some already which is great but also feel I could learn more under a more beginner based class... idk maybe jumping the gun maybe rolling my second day against everyone there that day was to see what I can and cannot do before the ground steps are put in place I’m not sure yet.. the other students have been there for years and that shows me something that they are still there so I’ll ride it out especially if I’m learning at least something each time. I do agree Chewy look around before committing in hoping my choice wasn’t a bad decision... we shall see I still love going I just want to learn and be taught by someone I feel wants me to learn as much as I do myself... I know it’s way early but listening to you and some other people I respect I feel like i May be in the deep end until I just figure it out and with 0 and I mean 0 knowledge I’d rather it not be that way until it just clicks because it could be lots of time wasted or learning improper technique.... I go again tonight I guess only time will truly tell .. one thing I do not doubt my instructors skill as a BJJ competitor or practitioner more so if everyone can be taught equally being at such varying degrees of skill and knowledge

I agree about the friends thing. I started doing Judo at the tail end of last year and I'm pretty shy, but it's gotten to the point where I go and eat out with the guys after class. I never pictured myself doing that prior to joining.

Great advise! I found a gym in my area right beside where i worked at and decided to give it a try. I had always wanted to try jiu jitsu and finally went in and loved it, been training there off and on for a while now and just started back full time!

Yeah completely agree about not misrepresenting your qualifications when you are trying to sell people training. It's like saying in a job interview that you a have a bachelors degree but leaving it ambiguous as to if the degree is in the thing that is actually being discussed. I personally have no problem training under say a brown belt, but i certainly don't want to be lied to about it. And thanks for showing us the gym! I was curious about that. It looks great!

Your place is so huge! 😱😱😱 Somehow I never knew there was also a striking section and a weight training section.

We have a small gym, but it has a really good sense of community. My training partners are my family.

Was a wrestler. Worked as a coach. Started bjj in may but had to take a few months off for work. Glad to be back. I feel like I'm worse then I was when I left.

New subscriber! I've been watching mma for over 12 years and I've recently been extremely interested inBJJ. Even to the point where I watch a few competitions occasionally, i trained in karate from the age of 10 to 20 without.a break 3-4x a week and i just love the environment of a martial arts class. I live in cbus and want to visit Matt Browns gym in 2019 and start learning some bjj and muay thai! I've been watching ur videos over the months and great stuff! Thanks for the sound advice

Another thing to pay attention to is he upper belts. Make sure their rank didn't go to their heads, that they aren't douche-ey because there are some gyms where a lot of the people are cool but they have an upper belt clique that is just shitty for the environment. Also leave immediately if the gym has a culty vibe with their professor or lineage

Couldn't have said it any better. What a nice and big gym! Wish I could visit one day😀 Thanks chewy

I just joined a gracie humaita gym 2 days ago and I loved every bit of it:)

I thought this was a Dane Cook impersonation. I thought he was gonna tell me amusing anecdotes about working at Burger King and how many keys he has....

Just started a week ago. All physical distancing and can train in the academy but not with a partner. Way I look at it, I’m trying to get the fitness and flexibility down and when I can spar hopefully I’m in a good place to begin!

Great gym! Thanks for giving us a tour. I'm in the same boat right now, but trying to choose a new gym.

chew, nice to see the rest of the dojo.. Louisville is a small city, Lexington is a big town.. we have mutual friends abound

Gym looks nice!!

Thanks for the mini tour. Having split floors is awesome!

Damn dude really nice gym. Glad you showed that. Hardwork and dedication pays off🙏👍

I think a good gym has a mix of students with different goals so that you can kind of roll with someone based on your mood, goals, etc. After a while you learn who is there to go nuts every roll, and who is there to roll in a laid back fashion, and you can pick your partner based on your training goal, energy level, etc., each day.

Thanks for the tour ! Been curious about what the rest of the gym looks like.

Great advice chew

I'd like to try boxing. The why: I need to get into shape, defend myself, and I have taken Kickboxing at the Y, and discovered that I like hitting stuff, and feel better afterward.

The instructor at the first gym I joined was like "Hey, I'll waive your enrollment fee if you buy this $120 gi from me since I have a special account that gets me good prices". I was like wtf? I posted on a bjj forum about it and people were like gtfo. Glad I did. I'm at a gym now where the focus is always on technique and not killing yourself. I'm enjoying it so far.

Amen a lot of jiu jitsu gyms have a free trial free month she should take the free month I hope your gym looks like heaven keep up the great I'm in a third world country and will only have a gym like that in our dreams keep up the great work awesome videos thank you

My first BJJ class is tomorrow! I'm super excited

I've only got one gym to choose from where I'm at, but I love it

We've never seen the whole gym before. Awesomeness!

You have an awesome gym Chewy! Wish you showed a little bit more of it.

Hey Chewie can you please make a video just of the gym please. Please like this if you would like to see all of the gym. It always looked good with all the mat space. Never imagined there were two more such large areas. Please do a video tour of the gym.

Hey, please read this. I started BJJ around a few months ago and I’ve really been enjoying it, but I feel like I’m not getting anywhere. It feels like I haven’t been making any progress at all and it really sucks.

Hey bro, i really like your videos! i want to ask you a question but before here's the situation, I am 34 years old, i practice amateur boxing for about 8 years from 12 to 20 years old, then i did just sparring with some freestyle wrestling added to boxing with my friends who were wrestlers, and for the last 4 years i just train, run, heavy bag and do some weights i have a little experience with freestyle wrestling but its just on beginner level. So my question is: is it too late to start bjj for self defense or should i go to an mma gym instead where my boxing will help? although i would like bjj more than mma because of grappling... it seems hard and i kinda wanna try it! i enjoy your channel a lot! Respect!

Interested in starting BJJ as a 37 y.o. and have a nearby Gracie gym but it's run by purple and blue belts. Would it be a bad idea to start there? There are other gyms in my city but they are a good drive away.

There’s no way to say this without being offensive, but a *huge* reason to say no to a gym is if the instructor doesn’t speak solid English (whatever language you speak) and can’t explain what’s happening accurately. Sooooooo many BJJ studios, understandably, are run by Brazilian folks who speak Portuguese. That’s fine, but if that’s all they speak or they know the bare minimum of English, there’s no point in joining. Sure you can learn *some* techniques by watching but eventually you’re going to need a verbal explanation of a technique, and if they can’t explain it adequately you’re not going to advance how you should.

Yea I have the same problem. I have 3 gyms to choose from. Gracie Barra which is closest. Then Marcio Andre bjj school is a couple miles further but he was a champion. Then Jay Pages a couple miles further which offers Muay Thai and MMA too. I’m at a Muay Thai gym now, so to just go to one place with one price would be nice. Plus Jay pages offers judo and MMA which I would like.

Really like your videos! Keep up the good work!

That gym is nice

I love your videos. Thanks for spreading you BJJ wisdom.

Eh, as someone who attended a belt factory, I'd say that going from an environment where you spend months "training" and know nothing more about fighting than when you first got there to an environment where you leave your first session more knowledgeable about fighting than when you walked in is pretty refreshing. Likewise, leaving unhappy environments really takes a load off of you. There are those martial arts cults, but that's a cult problem, not a problem with some kind of law of primacy.

First lesson of bjj I had my rotator cuff torn and cracked ribs. Teacher said it's your first lesson, just try to survive. Rolled with a mean af blue belt who just smashed me for 15 minutes while everyone laughed. Yeah, awesome experience 😞. Now train at a very friendly and reputable gym, the guys are constantly taking home state and national titles, everyone there is incredible. Not all gums are the same. Plus, the better gym charges less and offers sooo much more.

Not sure where I can ask this but I want to learn BJJ for both fitness and self defence and for my self Confidence. I’ve lost my confidence. I’m willing to commit 3-4 times a week. I’m so bored of just going to the gym and just lifting weights and going home. I’ve got no experience in martial arts, I’m worried I’m going to get into the wrong type of BJJ, is there a certain style of BJJ I should be learning?

Great content as always! In finding the right school for someone with no knowledge of jiu jitsu, would you recommend that the school has a curriculum similar to Gracie University, where they focus on the 36 core positions? I came across an affiliate of Gracie University, as well as a Relson Gracie Academy, and they only have a fundamentals course. However, I am not sure if that is as step-by-step like the Gracie University gym. I appreciate your response.

Nice gym bro. I had a question Ive been going to this small gym, and its the only gym around town, and every time we start to roll we start sitting down. My question is would it be better to start rolling standing up or sitting down?

The school I'm at now does lots of takedowns. It's often 20 minutes of every hour long class. I have a lot of fun when I'm on the ground, and I go back for that ground work. But I'm 40+ and those takedowns are really hard for me to roll with and walk away from. Last class I had to lie on the ground for 5 minutes after the last take down and literally hobble out of class at the end. I've thought about looking for another place that focuses a lot more on the ground work. Where I'll get smashed but not slammed. However, I'm a little worried that asking a new place about takedowns is going to get met with scorn. If I'm like "Do you guys do a lot of takedown work? Because that hurts too much." I'm afraid the instructor will be like "Zip it, wimp. Getting slammed into the ground is what it's about. Why do you want to be weak?" Any thoughts on how to ask a question like that without turning it into a touchpoint for the instructor to just tell me I need to man up and deal with it?

I am 0 for 2 with BJJ gyms thusfar...I liked the last one, the instructor was certified but the blue belts up were standoffish, the other whitebelts I trained with lacked fundamentals (this chick during choking drills was ramming her forearm in my throat christsakes) and rolling it was all about the win....trying another gym next week .... hopefully the 3rd gym will be a charm. They offer fundamentals class before the adult classes first....makes sense we will see

I’m in Cincinnati Ohio and I’m about to take my first bjj class next week at Brazilian ju Jitsu and fitness and I’m excited to start but a little nervous that I’m not going to be able to train wnough

Beautiful gym ! tough it might have changed over years. ha ha :)

I am getting ready to join a gym and start …. But there are 5 gyms around me and not sure which one to go to

Ive got a trial at alliance bjj this Saturday very excited

Love ya Chewy! I live in MOntreal. Ive never trained. Was thinking about Tristar but Im hesitating because they train so many killers. Should I go somewhere else to learn basics first? Or is it better to be a noob with arguably the best in the area?

The only thing i don't like about BJJ and MMA gyms is that they are so expensive. This is not a question of whether or not they're worth the price. That is nit my point. But if you don't have $150 per month to spare you arw out of luck.

I've been weight training for a couple years, should I continue with this if I join a BJJ gym, or switch it up? I've heard kettle-bells are good for BJJ strength and conditioning.

Hey Chewy, love your videos! I’m trying to get into jiu jitzu and there’s an American Top Team in my area, how do you feel about them? any reviews?

Hi, i'm 40+ and i wonder if grappling would harm my joints and tendons etc. as a newcomer?

I've never practiced bjj but love this channel! there's abudabi world champions male and female in a school by me with 100 students, and there is also a small class with no champions and a brown belt intructor but I've here'd it's a really friendly class with a good vibe what class would I be best going to does it matter if the teachers a black belt I know he's working towards it, and will I get better faster in the class with 2 world champions and black belt teaching?

Found this video very helpful. I'm relocating to Pacific Palisades CA. There's a Gracie West LA, Gracie Beverly Hills, and 10th Planet West. LA all within a 9 to 12 mile distance from me. And Paragon Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu about 20 miles west of me. There are others but those are the names that keep popping up im my location. One of the factors for me is distance. Every mile traveled in LA is no joke. So just want to make sure time is maximized for the place that is the right fit for me.

Im currently doing wrestling in my 2nd year hs. Its my first time so when my season ends i want to go to BJJ during my off season so i can get better on the floor for next year’s wrestling season

This man is in a flow state with his answers

a bit off-top: it's nice to have a few gyms to choose from. we have only two in the city 😂

Chewjitsu I’m looking for a gym I plan on training two martial arts most likely bjj for a bit and then startingThai boxing as well I’m doing it partially because I’m a fan of competition in the two partially because I wanna get in shape and make a better healthier lifestyle and partially because I wanna know how to fight in depth standing and on the ground my closest gym is 30 miles away and there’s 4-8 within 6 miles of each other what could I do to choose which one I want to join and should I go to a gym for bjj and a separate one for Thai boxing thanks chewy and I also subscribed I’ve watched your videos here and there for a while now and love your content keep up the good work!!

I have been living in different countries/places in the past 20 years, so I've attended in many different clubs of various martial art. Half of the clubs that I went to didn't have the great culture/atmosphere, which is something matters to me. Now I have to find a BJJ club in the city I just moved to. It's gonna be my first time joining a BJJ club, hope the coaches and students there are nice. After trying for a month, if I don't like it and switch club, would they think I am a traitor? What does loyalty mean in BJJ culture?

I start my first class tomorrow morning i’m nervous asf but not really because i wrestled in highscool so i guess i’m experienced lol

What's the best way to send Chewy a question? I hope to begin BJJ soon and there is only 1 gym within an hour of me that teaches BJJ but it is an MMA gym so I am not sure how legit it is.

We only have 1 bjj gym anywhere near here. The instructor is a purple belt. There are no black belts. My questions is who does he train with? How does he get his black belt? Is it worth signing up if the instructor isnt a black belt?

I always thought he was in front of a green screen

Do you recommend Chessmat?? Thanks for the video!

Never seen the gym before, looks wicked

So I’m in the US Army, and I want to learn how to fight. I never grew up fighting, and I’m in a unit that doesn’t have to fight. I don’t want to fight, but the way the world is going, and the possibility of being deployed and needing to know how to protect myself as my future family is a must. Is going to an MMA gym the right choice?

Training about a month now at a friends school for super cheap, because of debt I need to clear. Class starts off with some techniques. Not much attention to detail, kind of feels rushed and random with no logical progression. Then we go at it. I've certainly been getting more comfortable with wrestling/ grappling but the attention to technique, the how and why seems to be lacking. The instructor trains fighters at another location and seems kind of bored here, small group of regular guys. I've learned more at a couple of free trials then the month I've been here and Injuries are accumulating faster than I'm learning, but I don't want to quit. I just can't afford to train anywhere else at the moment.

I have the same question I’ve always been interested in martial arts did a little in grade school and I wanna get back into it

Just started doing BJJ (on 12/21/2022) there's 4 BJJ gyms in the area. I was kinda thinking I would check out a few of the gyms before I decided which one I was going to commit to. However when I went to the first gym, everyone was so helpful when I asked questions or they saw things I could adjust. People at the gym work hard, but they also know how to take a joke, which makes it a great place to train. I know people like to get updates on how things are going, so just ask because I'm happy to do that

What would you consider to be an adequate amount of experience to begin teaching.... I've had years of experience in various arts from self defense seminars, Kung Fu, and karate to Muay Thai, BJJ, boxing, and judo I've had hundreds of rounds of full contact sparring but never competed or been at a school long enough to achieve any high belts.... I plan to open a gym teaching self defense but feel like I have more to learn before doing so... I just wanted any opinion of what you would think is an adequate amount of experience

Train at as many different gyms as possible. Learn from as many instructors as possible. DO NOT get attached to any one gym.

I’ve been on the fence for like the past month on joining a place. But where in from we only have one jui jitsu/ kick boxing place so there’s not a lot of options. And also in most places can you wear just whatever? Or is it not common you have to wear a gi?

Where do i post questions to the great Mr Chew?