What is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?
What is the history of Summit Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Club?
Am I expected to compete in tournaments?
How much are classes? Is there an initiation fee or contract?
Can I just show up or do I need to schedule a time?
Do I have to pay to try a class?
Do you accept people with no experience?
I don’t have a gi. Can I still train?
Is there an age requirement?
Is parking provided?
Is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu safe?
What are the belt systems in Jiu-Jitsu?
What can I expect in my first class? What is a BJJ class like?
What training should I do before starting BJJ? I am unfit, should I get fitter before starting BJJ? Should I lose weight before I start BJJ?
How often do you clean your mats?
How often should I clean my gi?
How formal is the club?
What is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a grappling martial art that was born out of Kodokan Judo. It emphasizes fighting on the ground, specifically how to reach a controlling position, then finishing with a choke or joint lock (there are no strikes). Sparring is a major part of training. A practitioners’ ranking is based on a number of factors including performance, attendance, and attitude. Below is a video of a high level Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competition match.
What is the history of Summit Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Club?
Citizen Jiu-Jitsu was founded in 2007 by member Phil Anderson on the main floor of his house on Capitol Hill (photo). The name was eventually changed to Summit Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Club in October 2008. The school has steadily grown and recently outgrew this location.
At the beginning of February 2011 the school moved to 954 E Union St, just a few blocks from Seattle University. The location was short-lived due to the rapid development of condominiums in Capitol Hill.
Fast forward to August 2011, the club relocated to the historic Washington Hall building located at 153 14th Ave. The building has undergone a number of renovation over the past few years and is a great space to train Jiu-Jitsu.
Am I expected to compete in tournaments?
There are many reasons to train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: learning something new, exercise, meeting new people, self defense, self discpline, and competition to name a few. Some BJJ practitioners enjoy the competitive aspect of the sport, while others may not. You will never be forced to compete at Summit.
Competition is a great way to learn a lot about your BJJ game’s strength and weakness. Regardless of who wins the match, both opponents will almost certainly learn something from their match. If you are interested in competing, we can definitely help you prepare.
How much are classes? Is there an initiation fee or contract?
Fees are $50 per month. This is much cheaper than other schools because we are a non-profit club. None of the instructors are paid, and all the fees go toward rent and upkeep of the training facility.
We do not have any initiation fee, nor do we have contracts.
Can I just show up or do I need to schedule a time?
Feel free to just show up during any one of our scheduled times. Look for the Summit BJJ sign and enter through the double white doors on the east side of the building.
Do I have to pay to try a class?
No, come try it out first. First classes are always free.
Do you accept people with no experience?
You do not need any prior experience to train at Summit Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Most the students in the club started at Summit with no prior experience.
I don’t have a gi. Can I still train?
You will want to purchase a gi eventually, but it is not required for your first class. Gym shorts and an old t-shirt will suffice for your first class.
Is there an age requirement?
For liability reasons, members must be at least 18 years old.
Is parking provided?
Parking is not provided by the club, but is free and available on the street
Is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu safe?
It is a safe sport, but like any athletic endeavor, injuries can occur. Through proper stretching and instruction, injuries can be minimized.
What are the belt systems in Jiu-Jitsu?
Each belt represents a level of proficiency. Each belt generally takes between 2 and 5 years of consistent practice to obtain.
The order of belts is as follows: White, Blue, Purple, Brown and Black. Progress between belts is indicated by belt ‘stripes’ given by the instructor.
It is better not to worry about belt rankings, just train hard and have fun.
What can I expect in my first class? What is a BJJ class like?
The average class last about an hour and a half. The general structure of a class is:
Warm-up and conditioning exercises – 15 minutes
Drills – 15 minutes
Technique instruction – 30 minutes
Live training – until everyone gets tired
What training should I do before starting BJJ? I am unfit, should I get fitter before starting BJJ? Should I lose weight before I start BJJ?
Many people start BJJ without any prior athletic experience or current exercise plan. While having a good level of cardiovascular fitness and conditioning will undoubtedly help you train BJJ, it is not a prerequisite to training.
Participating in BJJ will increase your cardiovascular fitness, strength, speed and can help you lose weight. In addition to the physical benefits, it is also mentally stimulating and is frequently referred to as “kinetic chess.”
If you are unfit, it will take a few weeks to get over the initial physical hurdle. However, if you stick with it, you will see a noticeable improvement in a relatively short period of time. We never want to push someone to an unsafe limit. If you ever get winded, just ask for some time to recover.
How often do you clean your mats?
Cleanliness of the facility is of the utmost importance: we sweep, bleach, and scrub our mats after every practice. After each practice, 3-5 people volunteer to clean the mats, and it takes about ten minutes. It is expected of members to share the cleaning responsibilities. Diligent cleaning prevents problems with ringworm, staph, and other dirty bugs.
How often should I clean my gi?
Out of consideration for others, everyone in the club must wash their gi after every practice. This practice not only eliminates unpleasant odors, but also helps keep dermal infections at bay.
How formal is the club?
We are rather informal by martial arts standard. There is no bowing or memorizing the names of all the techniques in 5 different languages. Our primary interest is to get better at Jiu-Jitsu, and have a fun time – so far we’ve been successful in both endeavors.
