Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know before joining SBG Reno!
What Do I Need For My First Jiu Jitsu Class?
So, you’ve decided you want to try your first jiu jitsu class, but aren’t quite sure what to show up wearing. Welcome to the club! It’s a common concern, but an easy to solve problem. Here’s what you can wear from your current closet, before you’ve had a chance to buy your gi or other ideal gear:
-Wear something comfortable.
-Men can wear a shirt and shorts or exercise pants.
-Women can wear a shirt and either exercise shorts or yoga pants.
-Kids can wear a shirt and shorts, yoga pants, or comfy pants.
-Avoid clothing with zippers and pockets, if possible.
-If you have a tight fitting shirt, like a rash guard, that is preferable to a t shirt.
-Avoid tank tops in preference of a short or long sleeved shirt.
-Bring a hair tie to tie your hair up.
Other than these things, you will go barefoot once you are on the mats, so be sure to clip your finger and toenails to avoid scratching your partners. Bringing easy to slip on shoes is also a good idea for when you need to hop off the mat and run to the bathroom.
I Just Signed Up, What Gear Do I Need?
Jiu Jitsu: So you’ve tried your first class, loved the experience, and are all signed up for more classes. Having the right gear makes all the difference in jiu jitsu, so you’ll want to at least acquire the basics asap, most of which can be found right in our pro shop. Beyond our pro shop, you can purchase gear anywhere online, and we do not have any rules about colors, designs, or logos. If you want to express yourself by wearing a neon green gi over a rash guard with a monkey on it, by all means, do! Here’s what you’ll need:
-Rash guard. Short or long sleeved, these will protect your skin from both rashes and bacteria that can be found on the mats. Additionally, during no-gi classes, you will not be wearing your gi, but only your rash guard, so this is an important piece of gear. Although not traditionally required for men under their gi, we ask that all members wear a rash guard under their gi to create a barrier and keep things cleaner.
-A gi. A gi consists of a top and pants, and is tied together by your belt (we’ve got these for you, too!).
-Spats or shorts. Under your gi bottoms, you will want to wear some type of spats or shorts. Pants often come undone while rolling-don’t be caught without anything underneath! Spandex shorts are a great choice, but any type of shorts are fine. For no-gi classes, you can utilize your same spandex shorts or pants. Tip: Men should wear shorts over their spats (spandex pants) for no-gi.
Striking: For striking, all you need is some comfortable clothing for moving around. Having your own gloves is ideal, but we typically have a few loaner gloves at the gym for you until you have your own. We sell a variety of gloves in our pro-shop, so you can pick up a pair whenever you’re ready!
Once you’ve gathered your basic gear, you are good to go! Just be prepared, as you might find that acquiring new gear is quite addictive-don’t say we didn’t warn you!
What Does My Tuition Cover?
In an effort to keep things as easy to understand as possible, as well as offer a well-rounded solution to self defense, our tuition fees cover all classes on the schedule for your chosen age group. Adults can attend all adult classes, whether they are gi, no-gi, or striking, and kids can do the same, sticking to their own age group, of course.
We will occasionally have special sessions, events, or classes, and these will be clearly marked with their associated costs. If you see a class on the schedule that fits your belt level, age group, etc, then you can attend!
Hygiene: What Do You Need To Know?
Hygiene- this is a super important aspect of jiu jitsu. Many times, the best intentioned new students simply don’t know what is considered “best practices.” We want to help each of our students move seamlessly into classes and those avoid awkward hygiene conversations. Here’s what you need to know:
-ALL of your gear (gi, rash guards, spats/shorts) should be washed after every single class? “But I didn’t sweat too much today!” Doesn’t matter. Jiu Jitsu is a contact sport, and germs like contact sports. Wash all of your gear. Every time. No exceptions.
-Always keep your nails trimmed. Avoid being the guy/gal that cuts people up with their nails. Keep them trimmed.
-Shower. If you are coming from doing especially dirty work in the backyard or at your day job, take a quick shower before heading in to the mats. Your partners will thank you.
-Wash your feet. Summer days often mean flip flops and dirty feet. Do us all a favor and give your dogs a quick wash before stepping on the mats.
-Stay home if you are sick. “I want to sweat it out!” Great. Do so on a treadmill or while lifting weights, not while breathing in someone else’s face.
-Cover any cuts or open wounds. This is as much for you as it for your partners.
Keeping good hygiene helps keep us all healthy. Plus, nobody wants to find out that they’re the “sweaty gi guy,” because also, we will be sure to tell you if you are. Clean your stuff. Clean yourself. Have fun!
How Will I Know About Closures?
We live in Northern Nevada, which sometimes means snow days in winter. Listen, we get it, driving all the way to class only for it to be closed due to the snow or ice is frustrating for both grown ups and kiddos alike. We want to do our best to minimize those frustrations. In the event of last-minute closures, either due to instructor illness or weather related concerns, here’s what we do:
-Posts will be made on our socials-Instagram and Facebook.
-A text will be sent out to all members.
Please be sure to keep your contact info updated in our system so we can keep you updated for these types of occurrences. Don’t worry, we hate spam too! We will only utilize your info to help minimize unnecessary treks to the gym. If you are ever in doubt about the weather, but haven’t heard from us yet, you can also send us a message or give us a quick call. We’ll be happy to let you know what’s going on!
I’m Going To Be Late/Need To Leave Early
Life happens. Maybe you’re coming on your lunch break. Maybe you get off work and have to grab your kids and can’t get them to class right on time. Maybe there’s some new road construction. Listen, we get it. Life happens. We want you here, and we want you safe. Here’s what to do if you/your child will be late or need to leave early:
-If/when possible, let your coach know that you’ll need to leave early or will be regularly a few minutes late.
-Be sure to grab a warm up. Being late and hopping straight in can mean doing too much, too fast. Don’t let being late mean injury.
-Don’t feel bad. We’d rather you be able to train on your lunch break and miss the last few minutes than not train at all.
-Enter/exit quietly. Avoid distracting the class. Make eye contact with your coach, if possible, and join/leave without drawing attention away from the class.
Our purpose is to teach your Jiu Jitsu. We want you to be safe and have fun while in our classes. If you need to be late or leave early, we understand. Communicate with our staff so we can best serve you.
Why Should My Kids Train at Tribe-SBG Reno?
Picking a quality martial art for you kids can be overwhelming. What styles are most effective for self defense? Will my child be learning violence or will they be learning how to protect themselves? Will they be learning practical martial arts or something that cannot be practically applied if it’s ever needed.
At Tribe-SBG Reno, we take a developmentally appropriate approach to martial arts. Our Growing Gorillas program offers a well-rounded, highly practical approach to self defense.
In our Brazilian Jiu Jitsu classes, students will be placed in age-appropriate classes with objectives based upon our varying age groups. BJJ is a grappling sport that will equip your child both on their feet and on the ground. In our striking classes, children will be learning Muay Thai, Kickboxing, traditional Tae Kwon Do kicks, and standing self defense moves to help keep them on their feet and safe.
All of our classes have the added benefits of increasing body awareness, gross motor skills, coordination, social skills, leadership skills, and more. Stop in today to see why Tribe-SBG Reno offers the best martial arts option for your children!
Why Choose Jiu Jitsu Over Other Martial Arts Programs?
If you are entirely brand new to the idea of martial arts, you might be feeling like you are a bit in over your head. You may only know to search for karate or kung fu or Aikido or some other style or name you’ve heard mentioned on TV before, like Cobra Kai. Whether you are looking for yourself or your child, it makes sense that you would be searching for the highest quality and most practical martial arts sport to invest your time, energy, and money. We’re here to help you navigate it all and figure out why Tribe-SBG Reno is the best choice if you are looking for practical and high quality martial arts.
Our coaches have a variety of backgrounds. From TaeKwonDo to boxing and wrestling or Krav Mega, we have people who have done them all. Some are quite useful in the realm of self defense, and others, not so much. Seeing as we have a great deal of law enforcement officers training and coaching at Tribe, safety, practicality, and functional ability are of the utmost importance to us. Lives depend on it. Many martial arts offer impractical movements that when tested, fall short. Why waste time on a program that only teaches aggression and won’t hold up when it’s needed most?
Tribe-SBG Reno focusses our energy on Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Kickboxing, and Muay Thai. Our striking classes do incorporate some traditional TaeKwonDo kicking into them, as we do find them useful when paired with Muay Thai, and of course you’ll find both wrestling and Judo within Jiu Jitsu. We do not teach routines or karate or weapons forms, as we’d rather focus that energy into training that can be used for self defense. Our children are not taught violence or routines that offer little in terms of self defense, but rather taught how to protect themselves and stand up for themselves.
For children, the primary focus on Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) is ideal as it teaches children to protect and defend themselves without resorting straight to punching and kicking an aggressor. Children can use BJJ (known as “the gentle art”) to counter a bully, take them to the ground gently, and subdue them, all without causing harm. While we do offer striking classes to children, and believe that it makes them well-rounded in terms of self defense, Jiu Jitsu offers the ideal solution for children to deal with playground bullies. How many times have you heard your child say, “but I didn’t want to hurt them?” when processing through a bully on the playground? We hear this a lot! BJJ is the perfect martial art to tackle this problem.
If you’ve been stuck scouring the internet for Jiu Jitsu, Aikido, TaeKwonDo, Karate, Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Kung Fu, or Krav Maga classes and haven’t quite deciphered where to enroll yourself or your child, look no further than Tribe-SBG Reno. We’ve chosen and implemented the most practical arts into our curriculum, and would love to share the mats with you as you learn! Call today to schedule your tour and free trial class!
