Not every jiu jitsu gym is the right fit, and the place you choose will shape your whole experience — how much you enjoy it, how safe you stay, and whether you're still training years from now. Here's how I'd tell anyone, including my own family, to pick the right academy.
Go Watch a Class First
The very first thing I'd tell you to do is go by and observe a class. You don't have to participate — just sit back and pay attention. Watch how the instructor acts. Watch how the students act. Get a feel for the room.
Is it serious and competitive, or laid back and calm? Does it feel family-oriented? Is it heavily regimented with a lot of rules students have to follow? What's the vibe when people interact? The real question you're answering is simple: does this feel like a place I'd actually be comfortable joining? You can learn more from twenty quiet minutes on the sideline than from any website.
The Instructor Matters Most
When you meet the person who's going to teach you, pay close attention to how they come across. Do they feel like someone you can trust? Do they seem like a good human being with genuine character? And most importantly — do you believe they genuinely want to see their students improve, both on and off the mats?
To me, that's maybe the single biggest thing. A good instructor wants to do right by their community, not just collect memberships. That's the kind of person you want to learn from. While you're at it, check the gym's reviews and see what people say about the place — but nothing replaces the read you get from talking to the instructor face to face.
Trust the Feeling You Get
When you talk to the person who'll be teaching you, ask yourself if they seem like someone who genuinely cares about their students becoming better people. That answer tells you more than any trophy on the wall.
Red Flags to Watch For
A few things should make you pause:
Everybody looks the same
If you walk in and the whole room is the same age, same build, same attitude — all that same machismo feel — that's often a sign of a highly competition-focused gym. And here's why age range matters: if there's no wide span of ages, the place is missing something crucial, and that's longevity. Competition-heavy gyms tend to be full of guys in their twenties and some in their thirties, then a huge drop-off after a certain age, because people can't keep training at that intensity forever. A healthy academy has people of all ages who've been training for years.
An instructor who demands a title
If the instructor requires you to call them professor, master, sensei, or anything like that, that's a red flag for me. It's a hierarchical thing some people use to get students to buy into them as something more than they are — a way to psychologically keep people beneath them. I've never liked it.
A bad reputation
If the instructor has a bad reputation in the community, pay attention to that. These things tend to be known for a reason.
Ask to See the Curriculum
Here's something a brand-new person would never think to ask: does the gym have an actual curriculum? Can they show it to you? Can they give you access to it?
I don't mean a couple of things scribbled here and there. I mean a real, written program — something laid out like a textbook that you can tap into and follow. That's very different from a lot of places, where the instructor just teaches whatever happens to be on their mind that day. A real curriculum is a huge piece of choosing well, because it means your progress is built on a plan instead of left to chance.
While you're observing, listen for the culture cues too. Do you hear terms like flow training or catch-and-release? Do people talk about mat etiquette and how to train safely with their partners? Those are good signs — they tell you the room cares about how people train together, not just who wins.
Weigh the Logistics Honestly
The practical stuff matters — all of it. Location plays an enormous role; it's a lot easier to stay consistent when the gym is a reasonable distance from you. Price has to fit your budget, because if you can't afford it, it doesn't matter how good it is. And the schedule has to line up with times you can actually make it.
A lot of things have to make logistical sense for you to really train somewhere, so give those honest weight alongside everything else.
As for lineage and credentials — they matter. You want people who are legitimate in what they do. But honesty matters just as much. A person can have a real black belt and still oversell themselves, trying to look like something bigger than they are. Look for someone legitimate and honest about who they are.
How to Actually Decide
Here's my honest advice: show up and watch a class or two, and see how it feels. Absolutely take advantage of any free trial you can get so you can experience the class for yourself. And then trust yourself — you'll know if something feels off, so pay close attention to that.
When you find a place where it all lines up — a reputable gym, good training, a real curriculum, an instructor who's a good person, and a location, price, and schedule that work — that's when you make your decision and start training.
Watch a class, take the trial, trust your gut. When it all lines up, you'll know.
If you're in the Thibodaux area, come see how we measure up. Watch a class, meet the team, and try it yourself — your first week is free. Claim your free trial and come check us out.
When you’re ready to get on the mat, our BJJ for beginners program in Thibodaux is built for exactly this — and your first week is free.