Cross Training Etiquette
Summer is coming and some of you might be headed out of town for adventure and a repreive. Wherever you go, we would like to encourage you to cross train at some of the local BJJ or MMA gyms. It’s easy to know where you stand at the place you regularly train, but what about in the wild?
However, before we send you into the wild world, we want to make sure you are equipped to make a good impression, be welcomed, and have a nice time. You’ll likely also be repping us with a logo on some rashguard.
Check the website
Look for the schedule and double check whether the classes you want to attend are Gi, NoGi, or whatever.
See if there is a picture of the instructor(s). This will save you embarassment, especially in a NoGi class.
Call Ahead
Most gyms have policies about visitors.
There will likely be a fee and any place worth its salt will have you sign a liability waiver. Run if they don’t.
Call ahead to make sure you know what to expect and to give them a chance to expect you. You can also verify info from the website if needed. We recommend tactfully asking if classes normally start at the listed time. It is common for classes to start some form of late (5-45 minutes late).
Then show up early enough to complete all necessary transactions.
Introduce yourself
Introduce yourself to the instructor. Shake hands and tell them you’re visiting from ATT Asheville. Try to make a good impression that is both respectful and confident.
You can ask about illegal techniques
kani basami- flying leg scissors; jumping guard
spinning attacks- spinning back fists, wheel kicks, etc
leg locks-twisting leg locks are illegal in the gi at all levels of competition, but may be allowed in NoGi classes depending on school and instructor
You can also ask if they are more traditional (very structured, don’t ask black belts to roll, they bow in to pictures) or less traditional (limited to no structure). For reference, ATT Asheville is somewhere in the middle.
Be smart, be gentle and be kind
Be a good sport. Admit defeat, humbly accept victory, be gentle when appropriate, and be prepared for some ‘testing’. Try to be light, playful, and overly communicative. Communicate previous injuries to every partner and check in about theirs, apologize for any unintended strikes, and apologize for touching anyone in a way you think may have made them uncomfortable, especially if of the opposite sex. It’s better to walk out with pacified friends then resentful strangers who communially see you as a threat.
Consider tapping early. You don’t know these partners.
And do not instruct. Do not. Unless explicitly asked to by an instructor. As if.
As you come back from your vacations, email us blurbs about where you went, what it was like, and would you recommend that gym. We’ll publish your responses in our newsletters for all to read!
Please note: we don’t want to be catty or petty. Criticism can be phrased kindly.