So up until a few weeks ago I was training JJJ. I have a little wrestling experience (20 years ago). I'm currently training Muay Thai 2-3x/week (2 hour sessions). I want to supplement this with BJJ. Goals/constraints: - My main interest is in fitness & learning/doing for its own sake (I enjoy this sort of thing.) - I don't care to compete. (I won't completely rule it out, but its not a consideration at this time for me.) - I'm thinking no-gi might be better since that seems like it would translate better into self defense scenarios. (I'm hoping people can give me some thoughts on this part.) Not a humongous deal for me, but all else being equal, better applicability to self defense would be good. - Would prefer classes that are at least 90 minutes. Or if there are two back-to-back 1 hour classes I could attend (e.g., no-gi + gi, or a 60 min drilling class followed by 30 min free roll), that would work too. In my JJJ training we had a dedicated ground day and I always felt that 60 minutes wasn't enough. My plan is to focus on Muay Thai for at least a few more weeks (maybe even a few months) at three two-hour classes per week. Then to drop down to 2x Muay Thai and add 2x BJJ, and keep my 1x weight training/week. Any suggestions? I can find lots of BJJ with gi around me, but coming up sparse on the no-gi BJJ.
go and try some classes out, the reality of training is often different then your preconceived ideas gi is often better for newbies, everything is more black and white in a gi. For SD knowledge of Gi grips is really usefull, but really it partiality depends on your local weather. I don't know any good bjj'er who doesnt train both. ps pretty much all bjj gyms offer nogi as well, whereas sime nogi only gyms are that way because they have no actual qualifications.
My friend coaches at a gym that is gi but has a very good no gi game http://www.connorsma.com He's probably agree with dead_pool that the gi game is superior for learning control of opponents. for reference: my friend is 2x british under 21 gold medallist in wrestling and a silver in europe, is 3-0 in MMA and won a crap load of gi and no-gicompsin the UK and US. he's got quite a bit of self defence experience and was awarded a purple belt at connors. they reeeeeally improved his skills from when he was in the uK and he was pretty great then
Ah, unfortunately Norwood is a little too far out for me to get to on weekdays after work. If Gi-based techniques translate well (or well enough) to controlling people who aren't wearing Gis, then I will just pick one of the schools closer to me. (I'll try out a couple.) I did see a couple where I'd be able to also train no-gi. If anyone has further suggestions I'm happy to hear them. I'm likely to pick a place near/in Cambridge/Somerville/Watertown/Newton/Waltham/Belmont.
Gi BJJ doesnt only use specific gi grips to control people, if you can go to a school that does both, do so!. This place was the first google hit, it does both, and has a 3rd degree blackbelt as head coach! http://www.kimurabjj.com/ I'm not sure if this place is near, but he's a legend - http://bostonbjjwoburn.com/about/the-academy/
Yeah kimurabjj is somewhat close and is one I flagged already to take a closer look at. I was also looking at http://www.ginsbergacademy.com and https://massbjj.com bostonbjjwoburn is a little further out for me (its about equidistant from both work & home, but making an equilateral triangle with them--most of the other places are also equidistant but more between them instead of ~30-40 min drive from each), but not too bad. Their class times may also work out well--I'll have to do some planning with my schedule & with also wanting to go to Muay Thai. (This place does have a MT fundamentals class, could mix that in too.) Was also looking at Redline Fight Sports since it is really close to my work--they have Muay Thai & BJJ. But they told me they don't spar in their MT classes... looking around their site it looks like I'd have to work up to MMA sparring class (invite only) to spar. (Or do boxing, which they also have sparring with.) I'll have to look more at their schedule--my recollection is their classes are all just 1 hour--I'd prefer a little more time.
Grappling is grappling man. It all translates very well. It's not like striking where your more forced to use one stance and either chamber a kick or don't. Grappling is fluid. What works well in one art will work just as well in another. Pure bjj isn't really a thing. NOW it's just an amalgamation of techniques learned from bjj, Sambo, judo, and wrestling. SO hours you put into no-gi will translate just as well into the gi and vice versa. Only training one or the other can really limit growth and can be a pain if you change your mind at a later stage to learn both.
Jesus every place is run by at least a 2nd or 3rd degree blackbelt, im not jealous or anything. Just go train Gi will give you solid fundamentals which will transfer over to pretty much anything (and its much esier to judge a gi schools credentials than a no gi school) Iif you are doing Thai clinch its not hard to see how to make gi takedowns work in that environment and on the floor an arm bars an arm bar, a chokes a choke and jumpers coats work just as well as a gi, im assuming where you are its cold a fair part of the year round
I was looking at this--looks like the Woburn location is owned & operated by a 2nd degree black belt who trained under Roberto Maia. But Roberto Maia also has a school nearby, and he is a 5th degree black belt. His school is also much closer to my work & home (its in Newton, about 15 min from my home & 20 min from work, vs the Woburn location which is more like 35-40 min from both home & work.) (Why did this not pop up when I searched for bjj places near me!?!) Were you referring to Roberto Maia as a legend? Or the head instructor at the Woburn location? The schedule isn't a perfect fit for me, but I may be able to make it work--will go figure that out. If the schedule there won't work for me, the one at massbjj.com would likely work (it starts a bit later)--looks like there are two 2nd degree black belt instructors there who got their belts under Roberto Maia as well. I like that both of those (http://jiu-jitsuwww.bbjiujitsu.com/ Roberto Maia & massbjj.com) have 90 minute classes too. I'll likely end up at one of those two. EDIT: Played around with some scheduling, I think I could make either of those work, and actually the Newton one (with the 5th degree bb) would be about the same as its easier traffic & parking (even though it starts 30 minutes earlier, I'd only need to leave work about 10 minutes earlier than I would for massbjj).
Any of those places will be great, just try a few classes and then decide! They're all full time places, with legit blackbelts, and workable schedules. What more could you want!
This may be a stupid question but do BJJ techniques also work on your feet? example, to get out of a headlock or an arm lock while grappling someone standing up, could you use the same BJJ "principles" to escape?
Principle yes, the exact same technique no but the sd bit of bjj has standing escapes, and decent gyms will have stand up practise too either wrestling, judo, standing bjj or mma depending in gym focus.
