What happens in your first class
Most gyms let you watch or try a class before you join. Arrive early enough to sign a waiver, change and meet the instructor, who may pair you with an experienced student.
Class usually opens with a warm-up of ground movements such as shrimping, which slides your hips away from a partner while you lie on your side. The instructor then demonstrates one or two techniques, and the class drills them in pairs. Drill slowly at first, and let the technique work unless the instructor asks you to resist.
The last part is usually sparring, called rolling, in which partners try to control and submit each other. Some gyms keep new students out of sparring for their first weeks or months, some start them in rounds from one position, and some let them roll on day one. Ask the instructor before you join a round.
What to wear and bring, gi or no-gi
Find out whether your first class is gi or no-gi. In a gi class, everyone wears a cotton jacket, pants and a belt. Many gyms lend a gi for a trial. If yours does not, wear a T-shirt and athletic pants. For no-gi, wear a rash guard, which is a fitted athletic shirt, and shorts. In either class, avoid clothes with pockets, zippers or belt loops.
Before you buy a gi, ask whether your gym requires a certain color or its own uniform. Cotton gis shrink in hot water and a hot dryer, so wash yours cold and hang it to dry.
Bring water, sandals for walking off the mat and a bag for sweaty clothes, plus a mouthguard if you have one. Remove jewelry and tie back long hair before class, and keep your fingernails and toenails short.
Hygiene, etiquette and safety on the mat
Skin infections pass easily between grapplers. Shower soon after training, wash everything you trained in after every session, and never step onto the mat in shoes.
Etiquette varies between gyms. In some, students bow when they step onto the mat, line up by belt or call the head instructor Professor, so follow what the regular students do. If you arrive late, wait at the edge of the mat until the instructor waves you on.
To tap, pat your partner firmly several times with an open hand. If you cannot reach them or your arms are trapped, say “tap” loudly. You can tap to any pressure that worries you.
When your partner taps, let go at once. Apply your own submissions with control rather than snapping them on, so your partner has time to tap, and never lift and slam a partner.
Choose what you would do in each situation below.
A brown belt asks you to roll, and you have only sparred a few times.
A brown belt can usually control the round without hurting you. Tell them you are new and mention any injury.
Your arm is straight in an armbar, and you think you can still pull it free.
Once your arm is straight, there is little room between the first pain and an injured elbow, and you cannot yet judge how much is left. Heel hooks give even less warning.
A partner keeps rolling at full strength after you asked them to ease off.
You can stop a round or turn down a roll with anyone. Tell the instructor as well.
You feel a pop or a sharp pain in a joint during a round.
Tap or say “stop” even if no submission is on, and sit out the rest of sparring. A pop with swelling can mean a torn ligament, so have a doctor examine the joint before you spar again.
During your first weeks, you notice a red, ring-shaped patch on your skin.
It may be ringworm, a contagious fungal infection that a bandage alone does not contain. See a doctor, and return when the doctor and your gym clear you. Do the same for a cold sore.
How often to train at the start
Two or three classes a week is a common starting point for adults. It brings you back while the last class is fresh and leaves a rest day between sessions. Start with fundamentals classes if your gym runs them.
Expect sore muscles in the first weeks, often in your forearms from gripping and in your neck. Add a session once you recover fully between classes.
What progress looks like in the first months
At first, almost everyone with more experience will submit you. Smaller signs of progress come long before that changes: you know the name of the position you are in, you stay calm under a pin, rounds last longer before you tap, and now and then an escape you drilled works.
Later, sweeps and passes from class start to work against newer students. Many gyms mark progress at white belt with stripes, usually up to four before blue belt, and some do not use stripes at all. Each gym sets its own standard for stripes and promotions, so ask your instructor what they look for.
Our article on white belt mistakes covers common habits that slow this down, and a training journal helps you track these changes. You can also send a filmed round for a roll review, in which a verified black belt breaks it down and sets homework drills.