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[NixHex]

Just posting this to get an idea of the structure in everyone's BJJ classes, and how they do things. My class starts with stretching, and working up a bit of a presweat with some BJJ based routines (shrimp, rolls, etc), then the teacher goes through showing us the technique(s) of the day in slow motion. We break down into partners of equal size (belt not considered) and practice the technique in slow motion, and proceeding to do it faster & more intense. Then we free roll for about an hour, hour & a half. To cool down we go through some basic positioning, and exchanging position at 50%. Just interested in seeing how other schools do things, and I know everybody likes talking about what they've been doing at class lol.

[Noob]

My old school went more or less as follows:

10 minute warm-up: Jogging, pushups, situps, shrimps, shoulder rolls, squats, mountain climbers. A range of normal warm-ups exercises.


20-25 minute technique work: Start off with a basic technique to warm up for about 3-4 minutes. Then stick with a theme and introduce 2-3 moves for the beginners with another 1 or 2 variations on these moves for the advanced students. Time always given to practice each move at least 20 times.


25-30 minutes of free rolling: Just like it sounds. More or less 5 minutes rounds, usually at least 4 rounds depending.


Line up and bow out.

My new school (which I'm not adjusting to very well):

10 minute warm-up: Same stuff, some interesting exercises borrowed from Ginastica Natural and a few invented by Jiu-Jitsu practiioners specifically to warm up JJ-related muscles.



50-70 minutes of technique work: Pretty much a free-for-all. The instructor will show techniques that are more or less related, usually based on a theme. Shows a lot of very advanced guard techniques that honestly are over my head and don't do me much good. Gives time to practice each technique anywhere from 3-10 times, and shows about a dozen techniques in each class. Way too much information for me.


10-25 minutes free roll: Self-explanatory. 5 minute timed rounds.

This new school has been a hell of an adjustment, and quite frankly I don't think I like it as much. Which really sucks, because it's the only academy within 5 hours of where I'm living.

[NixHex]

Yeah, the second school doesn't seem like it pays as much attention to detail as it should. I don't see how everyone could grasp the techniques only going through them about 10 times. Do they break up the belts & sizes when doing free roll?

[Noob]

Originally Posted by g'nightXX

Yeah, the second school doesn't seem like it pays as much attention to detail as it should. I don't see how everyone could grasp the techniques only going through them about 10 times. Do they break up the belts & sizes when doing free roll?

I agree. It has been very frustrating so far.



And no, they don't break anyone up. The school only has maybe 20 people that show up semi-regularly, and about 8 that show up consistently. They've all been studying longer, and are all larger than I am. That sounds like it might be good, for me to get better, but it has been a huge pain in the ass. Foreign country, transition, learning the language, being a foreigner, and then on top of that I'm about as low on the totem pole as it gets at this gym.


There are some very good guys there. It's primarily a competition academy, and it's just a new style and it's kicking my ass honestly. Half the time when I show up for the early class it's just me and the instructor, who is a world-class BJJ competitor. He completely wipes the mat with me, and despite the idea that "you need to roll with people who are better than you to get better" I'm pretty confident I'm not getting any better. I think that idea only works to a certain degree.


I can play 1 on 1 with Michael Jordan all day long. If he so chooses, I will lose from now until eternity because of the skill gap. Not gonna learn too much doing that either. It's kind of how I feel about this place.



Lol, not that I'm intensely frustrated though.

[NixHex]

Well kudos on the balls it takes to sign up for a class that seems suited for people doing it much longer than yourself & in a foreign country no less. Especially with the way everybody hates Americans these days lol. I've bounced between 2 different schools, but their routines were similar, and your going through a complete overhaul in your routine. The higher belts at my school roll with the beginners for the sole reason of bettering that beginner, not kicking his ass all over the mat lol. Have all black belts been so harsch at your other schools?

[Noob]

Originally Posted by g'nightXX

Well kudos on the balls it takes to sign up for a class that seems suited for people doing it much longer than yourself & in a foreign country no less. Especially with the way everybody hates Americans these days lol. I've bounced between 2 different schools, but their routines were similar, and your going through a complete overhaul in your routine. The higher belts at my school roll with the beginners for the sole reason of bettering that beginner, not kicking his ass all over the mat lol. Have all black belts been so harsch at your other schools?

No, in fact I found it quite the opposite at my last school. There are always a few guys looking to assert themselves, but it was easy enough to steer clear of them.


There were a number of very good black belts and brown belts that were very good about rolling and teaching, as opposed to proving an unecessary point.


We'll see. All good things in time I suppose.

[Palma]

I have different instructors for different nights of the week. They basically all have the same format, but their drilling and warm up exercises are a bit different.

On Tuesdays, we have our blackbelt who competes alot (I think he has taken the sivler at Mundials twice in row now).

We warm up for about 30 minutes. (This guy is also a crossfit personal trainer) so he really kicks our asses with the warm ups.

We work on more advanced techniques in his class, like transitioning from sub to sub to sub rather then focusing on one techinique at a time. We do this for another 30 minutes or so.

Then we spar for about another 30 minutes.

The class stays open for another 30 minutes if you want to work on techniques or spar. Alot of people usually do mock competitions.

On Thurdays, this is when the owner teaches class. He is very old school Brazillian and teaches very sound basics.

We warm up for about 15 to 20 minutes and and then have a cross of warm up and drills for another 15 to 20 minutes. Like getting out of someone's top mount accross the gym, and then doing a specific sweep accross the gym.

Then we work on two to four techniques for about 30 mintues.

Then we spar for 30 minutes.

Again the class stays open to work on whatever you want for another 30 mintues.

On saturdays, my neighbor teaches the nogi class at our San Jose gym. My neighbor is a blackbelt, but very very informal and way too lax.

I don't know what happens in the first 30 minutes, because I carpool with the teacher and we are always 30 minutes late.

I usually try and stretch and warm up, because we go straight into techniques when we get there.

This teacher usually has the most cutting edge and up to date techniques. He takes all kinds of private lessons from different specialists (like leg locks from Jake Sheilds, Rubberguard from Eddie Bravo, etc) We work on tehcniques for about 45 minutes.

We spar for about 30 mintues.

And I swear at the end of everyclass the teacher says they should make this class 30 minutes longer.

-I heard something funny the other day. I don't remember exactly when it was, but Frank Shamrock (his MMA gym is no too far away) I guess used to talk about how BJJ was crap and that it was over rated and all this stuff and pissed off all the BJJ gyms around here. Well, I guess when he started to train for his fight against Ceaser Gracie he started showing up at our San Jose gym, and some called the owner and he went down there and threw him out, lol.

[methodjg]

10 minutes warmup - jumping jacks, stretching, sprawls

20 minutes - standup technique

30 minutes - ground technique

30-45 minutes - drilling/sparring

We usually always drill the ground moves we learned that day. Some days we'll have sparring with stand up. Basically two guys get in the middle and whoever throws the other to the ground and maintains control wins.

We only do free rolling when it comes close to competition time. It also depends on how many kids attend class that day.

[Frasedog]

Last night's class went like this:

-warmup (lots of different movements to warm and loosen diff. muscle groups), stretching, tumbling.

-3, 3 minute rounds of punch mit work.

-teqniques for the day.

-open mat and sparring

Including the open mat time, class was 7-9:00.

The punch mit routine is based on a Bas Rutten CD. My instructor calls out commands for punches, 1,3,5 etc. When he says "2" you jab-cross, clinch and 2 knees. When he says "defense", you sprawl. It's a good work out. If you have the CD you could do it yourself or with a partner, punching at each other and covering up, or with mits.

[NixHex]

I like seeing the different gym formats, keep em coming... I will also incorporate some of these in my personal sessions