ONE TEAM ONE DREAM.

This manual exists to make sure your first 30 days are extraordinary. Welcome to the team.

Gi vs. No-Gi — what's the difference?

You will hear these two terms a lot. Here is all you need to know:

• Gi — You wear a traditional jiu jitsu uniform called a gi. Gripping the fabric is part of the technique.
• No-Gi — No uniform. You train in shorts and a rash guard.

At ALLGROUND we train both. You do not need to own a gi to start — just show up in athletic clothing for your first class.

This manual covers

• What your first 30 days of training look like, week by week
• The culture and etiquette of the mat
• What you will feel in your body and mind, and how to work through it
• A checklist to keep you on track
• The mindset that separates people who stick with it from people who stop

Read this before your first class. Come back to it in the hard moments. And know that from the moment you step on the mat, you are part of this team.

The ALLGROUND Coaches

Here is an honest look at what your first month will feel like, week by week. Nothing here should surprise you.

Every mat has a culture. Ours is built on respect, safety, and community. These are not arbitrary rules. They are what makes this place work for everyone.

The Mat

• Remove shoes before stepping on the mat. Always.
• Clean your feet at the foot cleaning station provided at the academy before stepping on the mats.
• Sandals must be worn in bathrooms at all times. Sandals are provided at the academy.
• Keep your phone off the mat. Be present.

What to Wear

• Loose clothing is not permitted during training. Loose fabric can catch fingers and cause injuries.
• For No-Gi classes, wear form-fitting athletic shorts without pockets and a rash guard or fitted shirt.
• No loose t-shirts during training.
• Rash guards are available if you need one — just ask a coach before class.

Hygiene

• Wash your gi after every single class. No exceptions.
• Keep your nails trimmed. Short nails protect your partners.
• If you are sick, stay home. Protecting your teammates comes first.

Tapping — What It Means and Why It Matters

Tapping is how you signal to your training partner that you need them to stop. When you are caught in a submission — a joint lock or a choke — you tap your partner's body, the mat, or yourself firmly two or more times. You can also simply say "tap" out loud if you are unable to tap with your hands. Your partner releases immediately, no questions asked. Tapping is not failure. It is one of the most important skills in jiu jitsu. It keeps you safe, keeps you on the mat, and keeps training going. Tap early, tap often, and never be embarrassed about it.

How to Train

• Tap early. Your body is more valuable than your ego.
• When someone taps, release immediately. Every time.
• Match the energy of your training partner. Read the room.
• Thank your training partners after every roll. They are giving you their time.
• Do not give unsolicited instruction, especially as a beginner.

Being a Good Training Partner

• Your training partner's development matters as much as yours.
• Be consistent. When you show up reliably, your partners can count on you.
• Communicate. If something hurts, say so. If you need a lighter roll, ask.
• Bring good energy. A lot of people come to the mat to reset their day.

Coaches and Class

• Address your coaches as "Coach." It is a simple sign of respect.
• When a coach is speaking, stop moving and listen.
• If you have a concern, bring it to a coach directly and privately.

Nobody talks to beginners about the emotional and physical side of early training. Here is the honest version so nothing catches you off guard.

Your Body Will Be Sore

Jiu jitsu uses muscles that most forms of exercise never touch. Your hands, your neck, your hips, your core in ways that are completely different from a regular workout. Expect soreness in the first two weeks. This is your body adapting. It gets better quickly.

"I Feel Like I'm Behind Everyone"

You will feel this. Every beginner does. The people you are rolling with have months or years on you. You are not behind. You are at the beginning. The only person worth measuring yourself against is the version of you from last week.

"Maybe This Is Not for Me"

This thought will come, probably around weeks two or three. It is something every practitioner has felt. Jiu jitsu has a way of triggering this thought precisely because it is hard and because it matters. The people still training years from now are the ones who heard that thought and showed up anyway.

Moments Where Everything Clicks

At some point in your first month, you will have a roll where something just works. Where you move without overthinking. Where the connection between what you drilled and what your body does becomes real. These moments are why people train for decades. They will come.

Your coaches will teach you everything on the mat. But understanding these concepts before your first class will help you absorb instruction faster and feel less overwhelmed.

Position Before Submission

Before you try to finish anything, you need to be in a good position. Beginners often rush to submit and ignore position, and get reversed as a result. Focus on achieving and maintaining good positions. The submissions will come from there.

Posture, Base, and Frames

Three words you will hear constantly. Posture means keeping your spine straight and head up. Base means staying balanced so you cannot be swept easily. Frames means your arms and body are positioned to protect you and create leverage. These three concepts are the foundation of everything.

Breathe

Most beginners hold their breath under pressure. When you feel panicked, exhale. Long, controlled exhales help you stay calm, preserve your energy, and think clearly when someone is putting pressure on you.

Survive First

As a beginner, your primary objective in every roll is to not be submitted. This is not passive. Surviving well requires active defense and consistent technique. Get good at surviving and your offense will follow.

Tap Early

There is no benefit to getting injured. Tap before a technique is fully locked in, reset, and go again. You cannot train if you are hurt. Training is the whole point.

Small actions compound. The goal is not perfection. It is consistent forward movement.

Before Your First Class

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  Read this manual
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  Wash and prepare your gi or training clothes
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  Trim your nails
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  Confirm your class time and the gym address
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  Eat a light meal 1.5 to 2 hours before training
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  Bring a full water bottle
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  Arrive 10 to 15 minutes early so you can introduce yourself

Week 1

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  Attend at least 2 classes
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  Learn the names of 3 training partners
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  Learn the name of every coach
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  Understand how class is structured: warm-up, technique, drilling, rolling
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  Ask at least one question

Week 2

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  Attend at least 2 classes
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  Have at least one real conversation with a training partner
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  Identify one position you want to understand better
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  Tell a coach what you are finding challenging

Week 3

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  Attend at least 2 classes even if you are tired or hit a wall
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  Focus on one specific improvement per session
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  Start to recognize your natural strengths
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  Take note of things that are challenging you the most

Week 4

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  Attend at least 2 classes
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  Set a goal for your next 30 days
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  Reflect on what has changed in your body and your mind
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  Talk to your coach about your progress
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  Commit to your training schedule for month two

Daily Habits

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  Drink enough water. Training dehydrates you more than you expect.
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  Get 7 to 8 hours of sleep. Recovery happens when you rest.
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  Stretch for 10 minutes after class while your body is warm.
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  Write down one thing you learned each session.
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  Do not skip class because you are tired. Show up and adjust your intensity.

Technique can be taught. Conditioning comes with time. Mindset is the variable that determines everything else.

Being a Beginner Is an Advantage

As a white belt, you have something experienced practitioners spend years trying to get back: the freedom to know nothing. No bad habits, no ego invested in a specific style. You are a blank slate. Stay curious, ask questions, and resist the urge to perform. The best people in the room train like beginners regardless of their rank.

Progress Is Not Linear

You will have sessions where you feel great and sessions where nothing works. Both are part of training. The sessions where nothing works are often where the most learning happens. Do not judge your progress by any single session. Look at where you are after a month.

The Mat Shows You Who You Are

Jiu jitsu will surface things about yourself that regular life keeps hidden. How you respond to pressure. Whether you panic or breathe. Whether you are patient or impulsive. These are not flaws to be ashamed of. They are information. The mat gives you a chance to practice being the person you want to be under real difficulty.

Leave Your Ego at the Door

Ego makes you resist tapping when you should tap. It makes you skip class after a bad session. It makes you avoid rolling with people who are better than you. The practitioners who improve fastest are chasing learning, not wins.

Show Up When You Do Not Want To

The most important training session is the one you almost skipped. The version of you that shows up tired and distracted and trains anyway is building something that the comfortable version of you cannot build. Consistency is everything in jiu jitsu. Everything else follows from it.