Tips for Visiting Another Jiu Jitsu Gym
In my years of training BJJ, I've travelled to well over a hundred different gyms — across the US and all over the world. If you ever watched my show Rolled Up, you've seen quite a few of them.…
Words: Budo Jake
In my years of training BJJ, I've travelled to well over a hundred different gyms — across the US and all over the world. If you ever watched my show Rolled Up, you've seen quite a few of them. The series still lives on YouTube, and people DM me about it all the time, which is a nice reminder that the BJJ world is smaller and more connected than ever.
Some of those gyms felt very familiar to me. Braulio Estima's place in England, for instance, felt much like my home gym at Gracie Barra HQ in Irvine. Other schools have a totally different vibe — Kurt Osiander's, Erik Paulson's, Gokor's, the various 10th Planet rooms. Every gym has its own atmosphere. If you only ever visit gyms that look and feel like your own, you'll avoid the culture shock, but you'll also miss out on some of the best learning of your jiu jitsu life.
They say learning happens outside your comfort zone, and I've definitely picked up valuable lessons when training somewhere very different from what I'm used to. I'm not even just talking about other BJJ schools — I mean judo gyms, catch wrestling rooms, MMA schools, no-gi rooms full of leg lockers. There's so much out there.
That said, I want to help you on your journey. Nobody likes making a faux pas, or, to put it more plainly, no one wants to make an ass of themselves in someone else's gym. So here, in no particular order, is my list of things you should — and shouldn't — do when visiting a new academy.
1) Contact the gym ahead of time.
Let's face it: no matter how often people throw around the phrase "leave your ego at the door," there's still a lot of ego in many grappling rooms. If you show up unannounced, you're more likely to be viewed as a challenger and paired with whoever's the toughest guy on the mat that night. Not always — but it does happen. A quick email, Instagram DM, or message through the gym's website saying who you are and why you want to visit goes a long way. Tell them where you train, who your coach is, and your rank. Most gyms now reply in hours.
2) Ask your own instructor if there are any issues.
Some old-school BJJ coaches still don't love their students training at other jiu jitsu gyms. Personally, I won't tolerate that attitude, but it exists, and you might want to run it past your professor anyway to avoid coming home to an awkward conversation.
3) Ask about their gi policy.
For some academies, anything goes — blue jacket, white pants, no problem. For others, it's white gis only. I remember walking into Saulo Ribeiro's academy with a grey gi years back and hearing him say, "That's the ugliest gi I've ever seen!" When in doubt, a clean white gi is always safe.
4) If it's no-gi, wear spats and a rashguard.
I have no idea what every gym's cleaning habits are like, and neither do you. Spats and a long-sleeve rashguard cover your skin and keep you and your partners safe from ringworm and staph. It's just good manners.
5) Don't wear your own team patch.
This isn't a problem if you're visiting a school under the same umbrella as your home gym. But if you train at Gracie Humaita and you're dropping in at an Alliance school, leave the team patch at home. Some academies even ask visitors to wear a house gi. The plainer the gi, the better.
6) Go to learn, not to challenge.
If you walk in and try to rough up the locals, you won't be welcomed back — and these days the video of it will be on someone's Instagram before you finish loading the car. Keep things light and friendly on the first visit. Once you get to know the room, you can train harder and be more competitive.
7) Don't coach the students.
It can be tempting, especially if you're a higher belt and see a lower belt drilling something you've got a strong opinion on. Resist it. Unless the teacher invites you to share, or you've got a real relationship with him or her, hold off. You're a guest. Just train, listen, and enjoy.
8) Ask about sparring rules.
This is one of the touchier ones, and it changes a lot from room to room — especially in the current leg-lock era of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Some schools allow heel hooks from day one. Others never do. Some only open the full leg-lock game up at brown belt. Some students stop rolling when they get close to a wall; others, particularly in MMA gyms, keep going and use the wall like a cage. A simple, "Hey coach, are there any sparring rules I should know?" in front of your partner sets up a clean, friendly roll.
9) Always wear sandals or shoes when walking around the gym.
Of course we don't wear shoes on the mat (unless they're wrestling shoes), but resist the urge to walk barefoot to the locker room, the bathroom, or out to the parking lot. That's how the bad stuff spreads. Don't be that guy.
10) Respect the instructor's teaching.
You may have been taught a different way of doing a move than what the instructor is showing today. Fine. Keep it to yourself for now. There are many valid ways of doing things — and the best part of visiting is being exposed to a new one. Stay humble and pick up what you can.
11) Offer to pay a mat fee.
A lot of gyms have a drop-in fee. Some offer one free class or a free week. If you're under the same umbrella as your home gym, there may be no fee at all, but I think it's good form to always offer. I still like to hand the cash over in an envelope; that's how it's done in traditional martial arts dojos, and it makes a nice impression. If they're set up for it, a quick tap on a payment app works just as well.
12) Leave a review.
Drop a real, thoughtful Google review for the academy after your visit. Maybe a quick post on Instagram tagging the gym and the coach. It costs you five minutes and means a lot to an instructor who's pouring his life into the room. It also makes it much more likely you'll be welcomed back next time you're in town.
13) Ask to take a group photo.
These make great memories of your trip, and they also send a clear message of appreciation to the instructor and the team. Tag the academy when you post it. Tag me too — I genuinely love seeing where everyone is training around the world.
I hope these tips help you out. Training in other gyms around the world is one of my favourite parts of this lifestyle. It's a great way to make friends in a place you'd otherwise just be a tourist in — and even when you don't share a language with your partners, the jiu jitsu always translates.
Originally published in Jiu Jitsu Style by Budo Jake. Refreshed for 2026.