Do you have classes for beginners?
What will I need for training/safety equipment?
Do you have levels/belt ranks?
How long will it take me to get proficient in my self-defense skills?
Do you have classes for beginners? Yes! All of our programs offer instruction for beginners, as well as for our more advanced students. Please visit our class schedule page for specifics.
What will I need for training/safety equipment? For our Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu program, you will need to purchase a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Gi (also referred to as a Kimono). For our Muay Thai program, you will need a Muay Thai Program T- Shirt, a pair of Muay Thai shorts, and 16 oz. boxing gloves. You may also wish to purchase a groin protector, shin pads/guards, and a mouthpiece, but those are only required for students who spar. We have high-quality gear very competitively-priced for sale at the Academy.
What are your classes like? A typical Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu class starts with a warm-up, drills, and a stretch for about 15 minutes. We then go into technique, where you learn and practice with a partner for 1 hour. At the end of the technique portion, we do a review of the techniques, and answer any questions about the lesson. From there, the class becomes an “open mat” where students continue practicing and drilling techniques, or practice in controlled sparring. The open mat portion of class is optional, but most students stick around to practice or spar.
A typical Muay Thai class starts with a warm-up, including “shadow boxing”, heavy bag work, and jumping rope. The technique portion of the class follows, where students work combinations on the focus mitts and Thai pads. Students close out the class with endurance rounds. Advanced students have the option to do rounds of light sparring on most days.
Do you have levels/belt ranks? Yes. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has a Belt system. The Adult Belt system is White, Blue, Purple, Brown, and Black. There are different requirements to obtain each belt. There are no belts in traditional Muay Thai. For our Muay Thai program, we rank students by levels of experience. You will start with basic techniques such as stance, footwork, basic boxing, and basic Muay Thai kicks, as well as defenses and counters. As you progress through our developed levels, you will learn more close-range techniques such as clinch work, elbows and knees.
How long will it take me to get proficient in my self-defense skills? Ultimately, this completely depends on the individual. Consistency will be the largest factor for a student to become proficient. Just like any other activity, the more time and effort you commit, the faster you will see results. Our instructors are very much committed to making sure that you are learning properly, and you will see results right off the bat!
Do you offer private lessons? Yes! Private one-on-one lessons are available upon request. Please call (804)249-6509, or e-mail info (at) RichmondBJJ.com to schedule a private lesson.