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If possible, please try to arrive 15 minutes early so that you can meet the staff and instructor, sign a waiver, and become orientated with our space. Typically, people wear sandals (since shoes on the mat are not permitted) and comfortable exercising clothes. If you have a gi of your own, bring it! If not, we have rental gis available as well as gis for purchase. For a no-gi class, a rashguard and shorts should be worn. And of course, a water bottle is highly recommended. We have a filtered water station you can refill as needed.

A gi is a uniform worn during jiu-jitsu (as well as various other martial arts, including judo, karate, judo, and sambo) training. The word “gi” comes from the Japanese term, “Keikogi.” Keiko means practice; gi means dress or clothes. A gi consists of 3 pieces; the gi jacket, pants, and belt. Different parts of a gi are strategically utilized for grips, chokes, guards, and other techniques during training. Typically, it is heavily stitched and usually made of cotton to withstand the rigors of daily practice. 

Most definitely! In addition to being immensely FUN, training will increase your muscle tone, bodily coordination, cardiovascular capacity, muscular endurance, balance, and will (inevitably) reduce overall body fat. All that being said, please make sure you hydrate and fuel yourself properly before and after training.

YES! Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is an excellent choice for women, especially for how it contributes to one’s self-defensive ability, sense of community and belonging, and of course, mental and physical fitness. Regarding self-defense, it is a fantastic skillset to have (and practice) because, when an “opponent’s” physical size exceeds our own, jiu-jitsu trains us to utilize leverage and specific techniques that work to fill that gap. Outside of self-defense, the jiu-jitsu community is widespread and actively growing; passionate people with a shared passion come together to practice, make mistakes, and learn from one another. Lastly, unlike other popularized martial arts, jiu-jitsu does not include over-aggressive attacks, punches, or kicks that leave people unconscious. Rather, jiu-jitsu is quite the opposite. It is a more fluid, almost graceful-looking martial art that will challenge you both physically (get ready to increase your cardiovascular endurance!) and mentally, as you think logically to apply learned techniques and movements during training. 

The community of women in jiu-jitsu is still a minority compared to men, so we are actively working to change and balance it.

Absolutely! Regardless of your child’s coordination/ body awareness/ strength/ size/ etc., they CAN and WILL excel at jiu-jitsu with enough effort and consistency. Training jiu-jitsu is an interactive, engaging, and FUN activity where your little one (or big one! We have kids ranging from age 4 to age 15) will improve their balance, reflexes, flexibility, and coordination. In addition to the physical benefits, practicing American Jiu-Jitsu and its embodiment of traditional martial arts principles will gently endow upon them discipline, resiliency, patience, work ethic, and, most importantly, will boost their self-esteem. Our kids curriculum, written by the young man who teaches the classes, places extra emphasis on rewards for effort and engagement – and never utilizes negative points or punishments. 

Please feel free to write to us at info@ottawajiujitsu.com if you have any specific questions or concerns.

• Shoes OFF while on the mat, ON while off the mat. 
• Oh egos, too! Leave that with your shoes, on the side. 
• Gis must be washed and cleaned for class. If you attend multiple classes in a day, a fresh gi must be worn for each class! 
• Respect your training partners. Respect your instructors. Respect your body! Training jiu-jitsu is not about proving your strength or ability to dominate – don’t do that here. We will ask you to leave.