In the right fighting or mixed martial arts program, students learn techniques to build their self-esteem, get great exercise, and most importantly, defend themselves.
Children learn to defend themselves with practical techniques that benefit the youngest practitioners. They learn how to build trust, avoid dangerous situations, and most importantly, how to avoid fights before they happen.
It all starts with selecting a good wrestling school or program that meets your criteria and needs. Let me give you some of my advice on choosing a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu or fighting school, especially as a beginner.
You should not choose a jiu jitsu dojo simply because they are close to your home or just because of the price. You have to be very selective. Appearances can be deceiving… for example, just because a website looks good doesn’t mean the grappling or jiu-jitsu school is right for you. It just means that they are better at marketing and design than some of the other schools listed.
I suggest you check out some of the schools by calling and visiting them and then make your decision. You might end up going to school with the cool website… and that’s okay. But, at least you did your homework first.
If you want to be at the highest level of success quickly, I suggest looking for a school that has all the pieces of the ‘Right School’ in place. In my opinion, you should never consider joining a mixed martial arts school or Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) program unless you meet the following FIVE BASIC criteria:
1. The school MUST have a qualified instructor or trainer. Too many people have the belief that because they have earned a purple or brown belt, they can now open a school and teach martial arts. My analogy for that is that just because you like to eat fine foods doesn’t make you a chef.
2. The school MUST have a value-rich program. Why? Well, because you should buy for the value you get from the school, not just the cost. Remember the saying: “You get what you pay for”; well, this is also true of mixed martial arts and fight shows.
3. The school MUST have a written curriculum that they can show you on the spot. You’d be surprised how many mixed martial arts (MMA) and Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) schools don’t follow a step-by-step program so neither the teacher nor the student knows how far along they are. These schools just play by ear… It is absolutely a horrible way to run a professional school.
4. The school MUST allow you to set your own goals, whether you just want to get physically fit, learn self-defense, or train for the competitive level. You don’t want to be forced to fight if you don’t want to.
5. The school MUST be clean and well-maintained. Of course, you want to see a clean, well-kept environment that you should expect from any professional school. You don’t have to settle for anything less.
I cannot stress enough how important it is to choose a Brazilian jiu-jitsu school or mixed martial arts program. It is not to be taken lightly, which is why many BJJ schools have created some form of risk-free testing package.
The cost of most of these trial packages will range from free to $200. Of course, the price will often depend on the length of the training (for example: one class or one month) and whether bonuses are included (such as an official Brazilian jiu-jitsu uniform and belt or instructional DVD).
I strongly suggest you buy a trial package that doesn’t commit you to signing up.