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BJJ Class Types Explained

Updated May 2026

Walk into a BJJ academy and you'll see four or five different class names on the schedule. Here's what each one means and which to attend.

Fundamentals class

Sometimes called "basics," "beginners," or "fundamentals." This is where every new student should spend their first 6 months. Fundamentals classes teach the core curriculum — basic positions (mount, side control, back, closed guard, half guard), fundamental escapes (upa, elbow escape, granby), and the highest-percentage submissions (rear-naked choke, armbar, triangle, kimura, americana, guillotine).

Class structure: warm-up, technique demo, drilling, then either positional sparring or light rolling. Pace is slower and more explanatory than advanced class. Coaches usually take questions and break down individual technique problems.

Even brown and black belts attend fundamentals classes. The curriculum doesn't get less important as you advance — it gets more important.

Advanced class (sometimes "All Levels")

Higher pace, more complex techniques, less hand-holding. Advanced classes cover everything from modern lapel guards to leg lock entries to specific competition-tested sequences. Live rolling is usually longer and intensity higher.

Most academies allow blue belts and up into advanced class as a default. Some let white belts attend after 6 months. Show up only when you have the base to learn from the techniques being shown — otherwise you're a body for upper belts to drill on.

No-gi class

Same art, no gi. Wear a rash guard and shorts or spats. Class structure mirrors gi classes but the technical focus shifts — no lapel chokes, less reliance on grips, more emphasis on body control, head positions, and the modern leg-lock game.

Many academies run no-gi 1–3 times a week alongside the gi schedule. If you're cross-training for MMA, lean heavily into no-gi. If you're training pure BJJ competition, mix both — IBJJF gi and no-gi are different sports with different rule sets.

Open mat

No instruction. Just an open period where students show up and roll, drill, or work on whatever they want. Open mats are usually weekend mornings.

Open mat is where the highest-leverage learning happens once you're past 6 months. You can ask upper belts to roll, drill specific scenarios with a friend, or get one-on-one feedback from coaches who attend casually. The first month it can feel intimidating; after that it's where the gym's culture is most visible.

Competition team / "elite" class

Invite-only at most academies. Higher-intensity training reserved for students actively competing. Often features visiting instructors, longer rounds, and more positional sparring against tougher partners.

If you want in, the path is usually: train consistently, compete locally, ask your coach. Showing up uninvited is bad form.

Specialty classes

Self-defense class. Less common at sport-focused academies, common at Gracie schools. Covers standing self-defense scenarios — wrist grabs, headlocks, etc.
Drilling class. A pure technique class with no live rolling. Useful for building specific positions without the energy cost of sparring.
Conditioning class. Sport-specific cardio and strength. Most gyms run this separately from BJJ proper.
Kids' class. Tiered by age — usually 4–6, 7–10, 11–14. Lighter contact, more games.
Women's class. All-women BJJ session. Common at many academies; a great way to start if a mixed class feels intimidating.

Suggested weekly schedule for beginners

2 fundamentals classes per week (the core).
1 open mat per week once you're past 3 months.
1 no-gi class per week if your gym offers it.
Skip advanced class until you've earned blue belt or your coach invites you.