SPECIAL BEGINNER OFFER

• Free Trial

• Free Premier BJJ T-Shirt

At Premier BJJ you will get a warm welcome by the team in all of our classes. We teach authentic Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Our head coach Chris Foran has 41 years martial arts experience and continues to train directly with Roger Gracie and his father Mauricio.

In the beginner classes we will make sure you’re comfortable with the basics in the shortest time possible, you will get a great mix of the fundamental techniques needed for self defence as well as the fun drills and skills to set you up for competition gold, if thats your goal.

If you're a complete novice we suggest you try the beginner classes before stepping in the mixed level or No Gi classes.

Preparing for Your First Class

You don't need to wear a uniform (called a 'gi') to your first class unless you already have one. At Premier we have a clean gi you can borrow. Pack a pair of flip-flops if you have them, and bring a bottle of water as well. The flip-flops are for you to wear while you're walking around the academy. There is one rule that is universal across all Jiu Jistu academies, and that is "No shoes on the mats!" You should remove your shoes when you get changed, and wear flip flops to walk up to the matted area, then step on the mats barefoot. This is done for hygiene reasons, since people will be rolling around on the mats, so it's important to keep them clean.

Your packing list should include the following:

• A small towel (you will get sweaty!)

• A bottle of water

• A t-shirt or a compression top

If you have long hair tie it back with a soft hair tie, make sure that your finger and toenails are short, lastly remove all jewellery.

At THE premier academIES

Try to arrive about 10-15 minutes before the class starts. This will give you time to meet the instructor, borrow a gi, get changed, and learn any important rules.

If you are new to the sport and want to get an idea of whether the gym you are training at is legitimate, then there are a few questions you can ask. The most common questions are "What affiliation are you a part of", "Who gave the head instructor his black belt" and "Do your students compete much?"

Premier BJJ are members of the IBJJF, UKJJF and UKBJJA. Any legitimate instructor should be able to give the name of the person who gave them their black belt, and will not take offence at being asked. They should also be able to tell you who gave their instructor his black belt. In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, lineage is important. Our head coach is Chris Foran, a 1st degree black belt and still trains directly with Roger Gracie.

Click Here to check out the Premier BJJ instructors and our linage.

THE LESSON

A Premier BJJ lesson is usually divided up into four parts:

• Warmup

• Drilling

• Specific sparring

• Free sparring (in the mixed and advanced classes)

At Premier the warmup will consist of skill-specific moves, at some it will be a mixture of jogging, stretching and bodyweight exercises. Most days will have you 'shrimping' and performing other strange animal-like movements. Just try to copy what other people are doing. The moves may seem strange now, but you will eventually see why they are used so often. The moves you do in the warmup are the basic movements that you will use in class.

If the warmup includes 'breakfalls' then you should pay close attention to these. A breakfall is a technique for falling over safely if you are taken down or thrown. That is a really valuable skill that could be useful in your day to day life even if you don't keep up with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

In the drilling section, the instructor will show you a few techniques, and then you will practice those techniques with a partner. For your first class, the instructor might put you with an experienced student. Try your best to replicate what the instructor showed you. If you don't quite get it, then ask your partner for help. Don't say "but what if I did this" and try to counter the move, and don't try to show off knowledge from other arts, if you have trained. Sometimes, the instructor may be showing a move that is a response to another person making a mistake, or the next move he shows could be a counter to the current move. During the drilling portion of the class, it's important to drill the move as it was shown. If you have questions, ask them at the end of the session.

In the final section of the class you will get the opportunity to do some sparring. This is where you try to put into action what you have learned, while the other person is resisting. In sparring, the objective is to get your opponent to submit by tapping you, or by saying the word "tap". When someone taps, you should stop what you are doing and get up and reset the position. 

After The Class

After the class, you might do a light cool down, and stretching to end the class.

If you enjoyed training with us at Premier BJJ, ask reception about membership options and how to get a gi to wear to future classes.

Once you have your own gi, wash it, and your belt, after every class and then air dry it. Do not tumble dry your uniform, because this can cause it to shrink and can make the collar warp. Gis are expensive, so follow the care instructions properly! 

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a great martial art & sport, you can progress at your own pace. It's up to you how often you train. Most people start training twice a week and build up from there. Be consistent, be patient, and have fun!