If you’re thinking about joining a (new) BJJ academy, then there are some things you should take into account before you take the leap… That can show whether or not the academy is the right pick for you.
Here are the top 7 things to keep in mind before making the choice. Think about them carefully.

7 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT BEFORE JOINING A BJJ ACADEMY

The first thing you ought to think about is the BJJ academy’s culture – is it going to be right for you? For instance, you may find it better to have relaxed instructors and to be surrounded by people who mostly train BJJ in a hobbyist fashion… But the academy could be competition-oriented, and it’s likely that you wouldn’t like it because of that.
That’s why it’s incredibly important to check whether the academy has a trial period. During the trial, you can check what the culture looks like; how the people interact between each other, how the instructors present themselves and the techniques, how they communicate with the students… And similar.

You should also be thinking about what the academy’s primary focus is. Is it self defense or competition? You need to ask yourself which one of the two is more important to you – and then see if the BJJ academy fits your choice.
Also, what kind of contracts does the BJJ academy offer? What is included in these contracts, in terms of money per specific time period? This is an important point simply because you need to know if you’re getting what you’re paying for.

Then again, do they have gi and/or no-gi classes? If you’re just starting out, it might be best to train at an academy that offers both gi and no-gi classes… But if you’ve been training for a while and you know your preferences, you know what you need to do.
And what about the lineage of your instructor? Their lineage isn’t “everything” by any means and it shouldn’t be the most important determining factor in your choice of an academy, but it certainly is a good indicator of whether or not your instructor and the academy itself are “legit”.

And finally, take into account the academy schedule. If all other things are great, they still won’t be to any avail if you can’t fit in the training sessions with your obligations.

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