Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu basics in Stratford.
Beginner-friendly Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for adults and teens 13+, trained in the gi. No experience needed, no ego on the mats, and your first class is free. This is the room where almost everyone in Stratford started.
Book a Free Intro Class →What a BJJ Basics class actually looks like.
Every class runs the same shape, so you always know what's happening and never feel out of your depth. A light warm-up to get moving, a technique of the day broken down step by step, focused drilling with a partner at your own pace, then positional sparring where you try it out against gentle resistance.
You're paired with a friendly training partner and a coach walks the room the whole time. There's no throwing you to the wolves on day one, and no full-speed rolling until you're ready for it.
Am I too old, or too out of shape, to start?
No. Most adults who walk into Stratford BJJ have never trained before, and plenty are in their 30s, 40s and 50s. Jiu-jitsu rewards technique and timing over athleticism, which is exactly why it suits beginners: you get in shape by training, not before you start.
You set your own pace from the first day. Tap early, tap often, rest when you need to, and build from there. Nobody expects you to know anything on day one, that's the whole point of a fundamentals class.
What you'll learn.
BJJ Basics is the foundation, and the class we recommend everyone starts with. The format is the same every session, so the learning compounds week over week.
- Breakfalls and safe movement, how to fall and move without getting hurt
- Positional control: guard, mount, side control and back control
- Escapes from every bad position, so you're never stuck
- Your first submissions and how to defend them
- The same format every class: warm-up, technique, drilling, positional sparring
When BJJ Basics runs.
Adult classes run through the week, mornings and evenings, so you can train around work. The full up-to-date timetable lives on the schedule page.
See the full schedule →What to bring on day one.
Just athletic clothes, a t-shirt and shorts or leggings, plus a water bottle and a pair of flip-flops for walking off the mats. We provide a loaner gi for your free class, so there's nothing to buy before you start. Come with clean feet and cut nails, and get to the mats a few minutes early so a coach can say hi.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in the heart of Stratford.
We're on Downie Street in Stratford, and we're proud to train adults from across Perth County, St. Marys, Mitchell, Sebringville, Tavistock and Listowel, plus commuters from Kitchener-Waterloo and London who make the drive worth it. Free parking on-site.
Good questions, honest answers.
None at all. BJJ Basics is built for complete beginners, you'll learn the fundamentals step by step alongside others doing the same. Nobody expects you to know anything on day one.
No. Your first class is a guided fundamentals session. You'll learn to move and drill a technique or two, you can rest any time, and there's no full sparring on day one.
No, you get in shape by training. Jiu-jitsu is about leverage and technique, not raw athleticism, and you move at your own pace from the very first class.
BJJ Basics is trained in the gi (the traditional uniform) and is the recommended starting point. NoGi trains the same art without the gi at a faster pace, most people get comfortable with the fundamentals first.
Start on the mat.
One free class. No pressure, no contract, no experience needed. The hardest part is walking through the door, we make that part easy.
Book a Free Intro Class →