So you’ve decided to take your first BJJ class.
Congratulations! Welcome to the wonderful world of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, where you will learn how to drop people onto the ground, twist them like a pretzel, leave them completely helpless, disassemble their body, and choke the fight out of them.
All by having those things done to you over and over.
BJJ is a fun sport, and teaches skills that are great for anyone to have, but your first Jiu-Jitsu class can be intimidating. You’re probably filled with questions:
How do I prepare for my first BJJ class?
What should I know for my first BJJ class?
But most of all:
What do I need for my first BJJ class?
Here’s a list of what you need to get in order to have a good first BJJ class.
Soap
Show up to class clean. You’re going to be in close contact with your new friends, the last thing you want to do is smell bad. In addition to the embarrassment of smelling bad in front of people you just met, make sure you wash your feet before your first BJJ class. It’s an unpleasant reality that when rolling BJJ your face ends up on the same mat as your feet, so rolling with dirty feet can get someone sick.
Just like your friends, you want to protect yourself. We recommend anti fungal soaps that will prevent anything you come into contact with on the mat (and it can happen even in the cleanest gyms) from spreading to you.
Mouth Wash
Similar to soap, mouthwash is essential to making friends with all the people you meet in your first BJJ class. Having stank breath will make people not want to roll with you, and that’s how you learn what works and what doesn’t. So keep a bit of mouthwash with your gym bag or in your car to make sure you don’t advertise your garlic heavy lunch to all your Jiu-Jitsu friends.
Toenail Clippers
The first two items you need for your first BJJ class are pretty obvious (though we all need to be reminded, especially if we come after work) but this one isn’t: you need to cut your fingernails and toenails. When you roll BJJ, you end up grabbing your opponent’s limbs or head in a scramble and fingernails longer than the ends of your fingers can cut people. So before you go to your first BJJ class, make sure you cut your fingernails and toenails as close as you can.
That’s it, no reason to bring anything else to a first BJJ class than yourself, clean and ready to learn.
If you’re nervous about not understanding what’s going on, take a look through the Gracie BJJ Blue Belt Requirements for a good round up of the basics of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Liked your first class? Check out our Beginner BJJ Buyer’s Guide – All The BJJ Gear a White Belt Needs