What Classes Should I Attend?

This question often comes up from new students getting into Jiu-Jitsu. From the information gathered (or not gathered) about this martial art, and everything witnessed from watching it on TV, videos and the internet, this question becomes even more valid. So let’s take a brief look at how I look at Jiu-Jitsu training “from 30,000 feet” and see if this can be answered objectively.

At AXT Jiu-Jitsu, we use a series of simple terms to relay to our students what a particular session is focused on:

• 101 or Fundamentals

• 201 or Systems

• 301 or Focused

101 or Fundamentals can be looked at as Grade School level material. These are building blocks and mechanics needed to build a foundation for Jiu-Jitsu during a lifetime. Resistance training and drilling is specific to reinforce the material being taught. There is normally no open rolling (aka sparring) during these classes. Anyone at any level can train in 101 sessions. However, we typically see white and blue belts attend.

201 or Systems are the nuts and bolts of Jiu-Jitsu training. The curriculum can be considered high school level and perhaps early years of college. This material is very in-depth and is normally taught in a modular format over several weeks or sometimes months. Students will see fundamental based technique injected into these various systems and will develop an understanding of how to optimally utilize them. Drilling during these sessions can be robust as students work against resistance of varying degrees. Any level of student from white to black belt can attend these sessions. However, the material taught can often be overwhelming for newer students and white belts up to second stripe.

301 or Focused are subsets and are specific to the student involved. This can be directly compared to college study, especially during the later years including working to earn an advanced degree or specialty. Categories include competition coaching, “For the Street” training, instructor training, and affiliate club owner education.

When a student is ready they must approach the head instructor (aka me) and proclaim their intentions. Only then will the door be opened. Moreover, they will also need to dedicate themselves to that particular journey. Most times these are students with advanced ranking, but not always. It won’t be easy, but nothing worth doing ever is. Not every student will want to embark into the 301 arena as these are highly personal endeavors. That being said, this is what separates average students from the exceptional.

I hope this helps enlighten those who needed guidance on this topic. Most Jiu-Jitsu students I’ve had over the years typically get engaged within the 101 and 201 tracks, which is completely admirable. There’s so much to gain from doing that. Only a handful of my students have dipped their toes into the 301 realm, but none have truly committed to it yet. Of course that is completely fine. Okay, on with your day. 👍

Respectfully,

Coach Chris