Picking the right Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) gym is far more than finding a place to train or a club, it is joining a community that supports your development, safety, and skills. BJJ has gained popularity lately. Many gyms have opened. Some are great, while others are not so much.

Lack of Cleanliness

If the mats are dirty, the bathrooms tease you or smells like something dead in the gym, these are signs of lack of upkeep. Dirty environments can lead to unwanted skin infections like ringworm or staph. A quality BJJ gym should regularly clean mats and other equipment, educate students about personal hygiene, and provide a lethally sanitized training room. If a gym can’t keep up with the basics, you can be assured that they will have trouble with your care in other areas.

No Qualified or Certified Instructors

You should be able to ask an instructor about their background, training history, and competition accomplishments. Also, whether they can teach the techniques and adapt them to your understanding and skill level. Instructors who deflect questions about their abilities or experience, become defensive, or through uncertain endorsements don’t serve as the best guides in your BJJ journey.

No Structured Curriculum

A small amount of flexibility is stunning in a gym, but no structure is indicative of poor planning. A good gym will give you a limited structure that clearly outlines the level of training you will receive week after week, thereby progressing your skill—escapes, guard passing, or submissions. When every class is random, and you are rolling in a class with only advanced belts or without instruction, this is a problem.

Aggressive Sparring Culture

If you see students going full throttle without thought to safety or higher-ranked students simply dominating lower-ranked students without control, that’s a warning sign. If a gym promotes rolling to feed the egos of its members, that environment will result in injuries and toxicity. In a good gym, the instructors emphasize control, respect for each other, and safe sparring sessions across all rankings and experience levels.

No Beginner-Friendly Classes

If a gym expects you to dive into all-level classes without any introduction, it may overwhelm you and prove ineffective. Good gyms will offer intro classes or separate fundamentals classes with new students who are learning basic BJJ movements, positions, and gym rules. Without this pathway and the appropriate support, beginners may feel completely lost and overwhelmed, potentially even injured by misunderstandings in performing techniques.

Disrespectful or Toxic Culture

If you see arrogant instructors bullying students, or teammates who make fun of each other, or there’s a clique that ignores newcomers that’s a huge red flag. A gym that allows social bullying, sexism, or racism will never be a safe or ideal place to train. Pay attention to the way instructors and students talk to one another—respect, encouragement, and hospitality are all green flags. When grappling with a toxic culture, it will limit your growth and will erode your motivation to train regularly.

Pressure to Sign Long-Term Contracts

A good BJJ studio will typically offer a trial class or week to get a feel for the environment before you join. If they try to sign you into a 6-month or 12-month contract without a cancellation option, that should raise concerns. If they are more worried about your money than your development, you should find a new place. A good gym believes you will stay because of the quality of your instruction, not because of the lock-in contract.

Lack of Women’s Representation and Support

If a gym ignores the needs of women, a gym is not a good place to experience a fully inclusive training space. It is a problem if there are no female instructors or students or if women are devalued in their technical capabilities. BJJ is for everyone, and a good gym provides opportunities for female participation, female-only classes when required, and encourages equality. Female students should feel safe, respected, and supported in their training.

Poor Communication and Organization

Disorganized gyms that fail to effectively communicate will likely fall into other disorganization within training, and a student owner who misses learning often means an unsatisfied student. Professionalized BJJ gyms will utilize apps, emails, or at least bulletin boards to maintain contact with students, and the appropriate flow of communication should mean you maximize the investment of your time, money, and energy.

The End

A quality BJJ gym should feel like a second home: a comfortable, respectful, and supportive environment that challenges you. Take your time, consider sample classes if you decide to train at multiple gyms, and trust your gut. If the vibes feel right, the training is solid, you’ll know you found your BJJ family.

Learn more: 5 Proven Techniques for BJJ Gym Studio Excellence