If you have booked a first BJJ class and your stomach has been doing flips ever since, you are in good company. Almost every adult who walks through our door on Downie Street felt the same way, and most say afterward that the worry was the hardest part. This guide covers what to expect at your first BJJ class at Stratford BJJ, from what to wear and where to park to how tapping works, so you can spend your energy on learning instead of nerves.
Five things every beginner should know before day one
- Your first session at Stratford BJJ is a free intro class of about 60 minutes, booked ahead so a coach can meet you at the door.
- You do not need a gi (the jacket-and-pants uniform). We lend you one, so dress in athletic clothing with no zippers, pockets or buttons.
- Classes start with a warm-up, then basic movements and one or two techniques, then light, controlled practice with a partner.
- There is no hard rolling on day one, and tapping (patting your partner twice) stops any hold instantly.
- Beginners train at 134 Downie Street in downtown Stratford, with adult BJJ Basics on Monday and Wednesday at 11 am and 7 pm.
What to wear to your first jiu-jitsu class
Keep it simple. You do not need to buy anything before your first Brazilian jiu-jitsu class, because we lend new students a clean uniform. Under it, or for a no-gi session, a rash guard and shorts or leggings is the standard kit. The only firm rule: nothing that can catch a finger or scratch a partner.
| Item | Bring it or skip it | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Fitted t-shirt or rash guard | Bring | Loose shirts tangle when you grapple |
| Gym shorts or leggings with no zippers, pockets or buttons | Bring | Hardware catches fingers during movement drills |
| Water bottle | Bring | You will sweat through the jog and the drills |
| Flip-flops or sandals | Bring | Bare feet for training, sandals everywhere else |
| Trimmed nails, no jewellery | Do this the night before | A 30-second check that protects your partner |
| Your own gi | Skip | We lend you one until you decide to keep training |
Our earlier page on what happens at your first class has the short checklist on its own.
What to expect in your first BJJ class, minute by minute
A beginner class at the academy is about 60 minutes on the mat and follows the same shape every session, so new students settle in fast.
15 minutes early: arrive and sign in. Pull into the free parking on site at 134 Downie Street. A coach greets you, runs through a short waiver and hands you a clean uniform. Tell them it is your first time: that is how Professor Ryan O'Shea and the coaching team know to pair you with an experienced training partner.
0 to 10 minutes: the warm-up. A light jog, then hip escapes (called shrimping), rolls and breakfalls. Expect to feel like a fish out of water while stepping onto the mats for the first time. You are moving in ways your body is not used to, which is normal for the first few classes.
10 to 25 minutes: basic movements. The coach breaks each movement down slowly and you drill it with a partner until it feels natural. Nobody is timing the drill.
25 to 45 minutes: the technique. The instructor will demonstrate one or two techniques from the fundamental positions, usually escaping mount (your partner sitting on your chest) or holding guard (you on your back, legs controlling your partner). You practice the techniques in turns while an upper belt circles the room fixing details.
45 to 55 minutes: light positional work. If the coach feels you are ready, you start from one position and work a single problem, slow and controlled. Optional on day one, and not sparring.
55 to 60 minutes: cool-down and the handshake. You thank your partner with a handshake or fist bump, and the coach checks how it felt and which session to come back to.
How tapping works and what a light roll is
Tapping is the safety valve of BJJ, and you learn it before anything else. When a hold is on and you want out, pat your partner twice with an open hand, tap the mat, or say "tap" out loud if your hands are trapped. Your partner lets go immediately, every time. Tap early, well before anything hurts, because tapping is not losing. It is how every black belt in the room learned.
Live training, often called rolling, is what people picture when they think of Brazilian jiu-jitsu: two people working for a better position while the other resists. At Stratford BJJ you do not spar on day one. Live sparring comes after a few weeks of drilling, and your first rounds are light, with a senior partner who slows the pace and talks you through it. It feels more like a moving puzzle than a fight, which is why so many beginners say the problem-solving skills hook them.
Etiquette: leave your ego at the door and ask questions
Coaches expect zero polish from anyone attending your first session, and the customs are simple. Bare feet on the mat, sandals everywhere else. Shake hands before and after working with someone. Keep your uniform clean. Step off to the side if you need water.
The phrase you will hear most is "ego at the door." Nobody cares that you are new, and getting caught is part of learning. Students of all levels get tapped every week. If you are unsure how to tie your belt or what a position is called, ask the instructor or the nearest coloured belt. And remember that everyone started where you are, including the people leading the warmups.
Starting Brazilian jiu jitsu in Stratford and Perth County
Stratford BJJ is the first academy Professor Ryan O'Shea opened, in December 2013, and it has taught adult beginners downtown ever since. BJJ Basics runs Monday and Wednesday at 11 am and 7 pm, with a Friday session at 6 pm, and the women's BJJ class on Tuesday and Thursday at 6 pm is a smaller room if you would rather start there. The full schedule has the whole week, including Saturday open mat, and the programs page shows where kids, teens and no-gi fit in.
On any given evening the room is a mix of locals, commuters from St. Marys and Mitchell, and a few who drive in from Kitchener-Waterloo. Some came for self-defence, some to build the engine, most because a friend told them to try it. It is a welcoming room for any Ontario white-belt. Coach Ryan is a 3rd-degree black belt under Professor Jorge Britto in the Royler Gracie lineage and a founding member of the Jiu-Jitsu For Life Team, and what you learn on day one is the same position-first system his team has refined on beginners for decades. Meet the coaches on our instructors page.
Want to see it for yourself? The first class is free.
Book Your Free Intro Class →What members say about their first class
These are real Google reviews from people who train with us, quoted as they wrote them.
“I can remember being scared to go to my first class. It seems so silly now, as it was love at first roll.”David Charlesworth, Google review
“Ryan (head instructor) took the time to personally show me some moves appropriate to my skill level (complete beginner) and broke it down into easy, understandable steps.”Chris, Google review
“Been attending for around half a year, what a supportive, empowering group!! ... I always feel better after class!”Steph Muma, Google review
Ready to stop wondering and get on the mat? Book a free intro class at Stratford BJJ and we will take it from there: a loaner uniform, an experienced partner and a coach who remembers their own day one.
Frequently asked questions
Your trial class is about 60 minutes of training, plus 15 minutes early to sign a waiver and change. Book ahead through the contact page so a coach can meet you at the door.
No. We lend you a gi, and no grappling experience is expected. Dress in a rash guard or fitted t-shirt with shorts or leggings, bring water and focus on learning one thing at a time.
Probably, and it's normal to feel stiff for a day or two. Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is your body adjusting to new movement, and turning up to the next session is the best cure.
This article is for general information only. Always train under qualified supervision and consult a physician before starting a new physical activity.
