Preparing for your very first class, whether for Karate, MMA, or Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ), can be very exciting. But beforehand, you must already be equipped with the necessary knowledge when it comes to preparation. Mind you, preparing yourself entails both mental and physical aspects.
First Day
Needless to say, first day of classes are usually the most nerve-wracking. However, as much as possible, your first day should sum up to a great experience for you to be encouraged to come back for the next classes.
An effective way of making sure your first day goes well is to follow the necessary preparations. Some of these are listed as follows:
Right Attire
When you skate, you need the right skating equipment and when you play football, you need the right gears; similarly, you also need the right attire for BJJ. For some newcomers, t-shirts and sweatpants are acceptable. However, if you wish to be extra prepared and if you’re truly serious in pursuing BJJ, you may as well get yourself a BJJ gi. Your gi or BJJ outfit will be your best friend; hence, you need to look for something that truly suits you. Look for the best lightweight BJJ gis to maximize what you’re paying for.
Although many may skip buying gis, especially as beginners, it is highly encouraged as it also serves as a motivation in continuing your BJJ course. In line with attire, make sure you remove your jewelries and other bodily accessories that might cause injury during sparring.
Proper Hygiene
As you might already know, BJJ will require you to get into other people’s personal spaces and for them to freely enter yours as well; that being said, you need to have proper hygiene. Basically, this means you’ve cleaned your body and groomed yourself. Make sure you nails are trimmed and cleaned. Furthermore, make sure you tie your hair if it is long.
Early Bird
For your first day, be a little extra early. This is so you won’t be out of breath and rushing to catch up with the class. By being early, you will also have some time to talk to your instructor with regards to some questions or queries you might have.
Warm Up
Expect to undergo a couple of warm-ups before each classes. The purpose of warming up is to not surprise your muscles as this may cause strain. Usually, instructions for the warm ups will employ collective warm ups composed of push-ups or running lapses. This is to prepare your body for the sparring.
Sparring
Know that you will undergo sparring when it comes to BJJ. There is no way for you to avoid this as this is essential to your training. Prepare yourself by practicing with your sparring-partner, teachers usually assign this, with the basic moves and techniques.
The Bottom Line
Simply keep in mind all the things mentioned above and you won’t have much problem. As previously mentioned, make sure you prepare yourself physically and mentally. Test the waters first and get to know how things work in BJJ classes.