Jiu-jitsu is a close-contact sport, so hygiene is not optional — it is the foundation of mat etiquette. Show up with a clean body and a freshly washed uniform every session, trim your fingernails and toenails short, and never train with an open cut or a skin infection, which spreads quickly in grappling. Wash your gi and rashguard after every single class. This single area causes most avoidable illness and most of the friction between training partners.
Tapping is the language of safe training. Tap early when you are caught, and the instant your partner taps, release immediately and completely. Never crank a submission fast or hold one after the tap to prove a point. Protecting your partners is how the whole room stays healthy enough to keep training — and it is how you earn trust.
Never step onto the mat in street shoes, and always put footwear on the moment you step off it — including to the bathroom. This keeps the mat clean for everyone’s bare skin. Bow, slap hands, or follow whatever the local custom is when stepping on and off the mat, and keep your area tidy.
Listen to the coach and stop rolling when they call time. Shake hands or fist-bump before and after every round. Match your intensity to your partner — going easy on smaller or newer people is a sign of skill, not weakness. Help beginners instead of smashing them, control your ego, and leave coaching to the coach unless you are asked. Do these things and you will be welcome in any room in the world.
BJJ Gyms is an independent directory, not a gym. We feature 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu as our recommended no-gi system. Always take a free trial and vet any academy yourself before committing.
Hygiene and respecting the tap. Train clean — clean body, clean uniform, short nails, no skin infections — and the moment a partner taps, release immediately. These two habits keep everyone healthy and safe.
It depends on the academy. Some have you bow or slap hands stepping on and off the mat; others do not. Watch what the regulars do and follow the room’s custom. Always shake hands or fist-bump partners before and after rolling.
Yes, generally. Spazzing out at full intensity is unsafe and frowned upon. Matching your partner’s intensity, going lighter with smaller or newer people, and prioritizing control over winning are marks of a good teammate.