FAQs

I’ve never done a martial art before. Are there beginner’s courses?
We welcome novices all year round, and you are welcome to come along to any session.

I have done Jitsu before; can I start where I left off?
If you have graded in the Jitsu Foundation’s style of Jitsu, then of course you can wear your old belt and come along. If you have graded in another style of Jiu-jitsu, our practice is for you to start out as a white belt and train at whatever level in the club seems to match your own. You can then attend the next Foundation grading, and the grading panel will grade you where appropriate.

What do I wear?
As the sessions are practical, it is best to wear something loose and comfortable, like track suit bottoms and a loose shirt. You will need to remove all jewellery as well. If you want to buy a gi (training clothes), the club takes orders and purchases gis directly. If you have a gi from another style such as a judogi, you are welcome to wear it, but anything less sturdy than a good judo gi is likely to be torn.

How much does it cost?
Because our instructors take no money, we charge just enough to buy equipment for the club. A regular session costs just £5 for adults and £15 per calendar month for juniors (under 18 years old). After your first two sessions, you will need to join The Jiu-Jitsu Foundation for insurance purposes, which costs £30 per year for adults and £18 per year for juniors.

Does it hurt?
Jitsu is a contact martial art, and its practice involves the acceptance of certain risks. Simulating both armed and unarmed attack situations can be physically demanding for both attackers and defenders. It is the aim of the Club and the Jiu-Jitsu Foundation to ensure, insofar as is reasonably practicable, that training is carried out in a safe environment and in a safe manner. Suitable control on the part of the person demonstrating a technique and general supervision is always a part of Jitsu.

What are the benefits of training?
By training regularly, you will improve your general fitness, flexibility, mobility, coordination, muscle tone and, of course, your capacity to deal with aggression. If you want to get fit and learn how to look after yourself in a friendly atmosphere, then Jitsu is ideal.

It is also true that regular training leads to a kind of increase in, for want of a better expression, self-confidence, but that does not do it justice. Training makes you more aware of what you are capable of, and of course, what you are not capable of. This sort of self-knowledge sometimes leads to a type of personal evolution, a change in outlook, and typically a change for the better.

Do kids train at the club?
At present the club teaches children aged 8 and over. There are a number of clubs in our style which do offer training to younger children. Contact us for more details or visit http://www.jitsufoundation.org for more

Who is the instructor?
Our sensei is Seye Bolade, Nidan, who has been training since 2004 and started the club in Dec 2012. Like all instructors in the Foundation, he is fully mandated and has taken the requisite number of instructor and first aid courses necessary for running a club. As with all the instructors in our style, Sensei Seye takes no money for teaching.  All mat fees go straight back to the club to cover dojo hire.

Do I need insurance?
If you wish to continue training with the club after your first two sessions you will have to buy a license, effectively joining our governing body, The Jiu-Jitsu Foundation, for insurance purposes.  Speak to the Instructor, who will give you a copy of the form.  Insurance costs £30 per year for adults and £18 per year for juniors.  Once licensed, you are welcome to train at any of the Foundation’s 100 plus clubs, including the 25 or so in London.