Sometimes, students train at McMahon Training Center for a while, but then move to a new state. Before they leave, they often ask me, “How do I choose the best BJJ Academy for me?” This is a good question to contemplate, and I believe that there are several important components to keep in mind when choosing the best BJJ Academy in the new city. 

When I first started training at Easton BJJ in 2001, this wasn’t an issue. I was living in Boulder, and there was only one BJJ school in the area. At that time, my instructor had his school in Boulder, and there was one other school in Denver called Colorado Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. Today is a very different story; in Fort Collins, there are several different BJJ schools. and students have a choice of where they want to train. I think this is a good thing as everyone is different, and has different goals. Let me share with you the four different components that I have shared with students who are leaving. 

Find a BJJ Academy That Will Meet Your Goals 

When I was first looking to train at a BJJ Academy, I asked myself, “What is it that I want to get out of my training?” I believe that all of us have different goals, which could include:

• Self-defense
• Losing weight
• Competing in BJJ or MMA
• Building confidence

The first question you have to ask yourself is “What is it that I want to gain from my BJJ training?” Go try some free classes at academies near your location, and see if these align with your goals. The last thing you want to do is train at a place that will not meet your goals! This can create a dysfunctional relationship between you and the new coaches. 

Find a BJJ Academy That Has a Good Culture 

I believe that regardless of what your goals are, one of the most important things you want to look for is an academy that has a good culture. What does it mean to have a good culture? It means that you train at an academy where the leadership team expresses good and healthy core values. Values like respect, humility, cleanliness, and authenticity. Brazilian jiu-jitsu is a challenging martial art where we’re trying to choke each other, as well as put each other in arm locks designed to break bones. Because of this, you must choose an academy where students are encouraged to challenge themselves and take care of each other while rolling.

Rolling is the term we use for live training in BJJ. If I look back over the last 23 years of training in BJJ, the number one thing that has slowed down my progress has been dealing with injuries. I chose a very competitive path, and my goal was to compete as much as possible. I’ve always loved intense experiences, and competing in BJJ or MMA is a very intense experience. Let me be clear: training in BJJ is safe in general. However, if you choose the path that I did, there is a higher risk of injury, and students who choose this path need to accept this. If you choose a more recreational path, the chance of injury goes down significantly. But like any sport, there’s still going to be this risk, especially if you are training at the type of academy where everybody has big egos, and they all just want to smash and crush each other. 

Find a BJJ Academy That is Near You 

The reality of life is that we are all busy. This makes it important that the academy you choose is near your house. Research shows that if the location where you train is less than five miles from your house, you have a much higher chance of committing to training. If you are unable to come in 2-3 times per week consistently, you are not going to get better at BJJ or anything else for that matter. In certain situations, the academy you choose may be farther away than this, and it may be worth the drive. However, choosing an academy closer to your home will increase your chances of committing to training. 

Find an Academy with a Good Community 

There is a famous American psychologist named Abraham Maslow who came up with five sets of basic needs, called “Maslow’s hierarchy of needs”. One of these basic needs is a sense of belonging. Research shows that people who have a strong sense of belonging to a team or organization tend to do better in their lives in general and gain benefits from this sense of belonging. Some of these benefits include reduced stress and anxiety, as well as increased happiness and life satisfaction. When you train at a BJJ academy that encourages students to get together for events like summer BBQs, tournaments, and other special events, you gain a sense of belonging to a community. This is especially beneficial as we live during a time where we can stay home and never see anyone face-to-face if we choose. Getting out and connecting with others is a great way to boost your spirits and prevent mental health issues!

These are some of my ideas on how to choose the right BJJ academy for you. The reality is that we all need to find a place that suits our own unique needs. I normally recommend that students try a free class at all of the BJJ schools in their area before they decide on what academy is right for them. Most schools offer a free introductory class, as well as some type of introductory special that you can take advantage of to help facilitate this. I wish you the best of luck in your martial arts journey, and I hope that this article can give you some things to look for when looking for a BJJ academy. 

– Professor Finnie McMahon