Which BJJ Academy to Choose?

This question comes up constantly from people who are new to the city, new to BJJ, or both. And there are a few things that actually matter and a few things that people think matter but don’t.

Things that matter:

The head coach is present and teaching. Not just affiliated with a famous name. Not running the gym from a photo on the wall. Actually on the mat, actually coaching, actually watching you roll.

The culture matches your goals. If you want to compete at the highest levels, you probably want to be in a competitive environment with competitive training partners. If you’re a professional who wants sustainable training that doesn’t wreck your body, that environment will likely injure and frustrate you.

You feel safe enough to be a beginner. Not babied. Safe. There’s a difference between being looked after as a new student and being coddled. You should be pushed. You should also not fear getting broken by someone who doesn’t know how to control their strength.

Things that don’t matter as much as people think:

The affiliation. Who the gym is affiliated with matters less than the daily coaching you receive. A well-affiliated gym with a poor culture is still a poor gym.

The size. Big gyms have the advantage of more training partners. Small gyms have the advantage of more coaching attention. Neither is inherently better — it depends on what you need.

The price. Within reason. A very cheap gym is worth investigating. A very expensive gym doesn’t guarantee quality. Spend one session somewhere before committing to months of fees.

The best academy for you is the one you’ll actually show up to consistently. Everything else follows from that.

— Vince

Vince Choo

BJJ 3rd-Degree Black Belt · 5th Dan Karate · Coaching since 1993 · VCBJJ Bangsar, KL