What age must I be?
Any age from 7 years upwards. Senior classes are from age 16.
How fit do I need to be?
As long as there is no medical reason to prevent you, you can begin
training even if you are not all that fit. Your fitness will improve over time.
Students are encouraged to progress at their own pace. Fitness is not gained
overnight, but a suitable fitness regime outside of training nights will help.
How long will it take me to get a black belt?
This depends on a lot of factors, but you might expect it to take 3-4 years
with dedicated training. Gaining knowledge and experience is more important.
I don't want to grade, just train.
There is no pressure to take gradings, but gradings are an opportunity to
measure your progress and it can be satisfying to know you "made the grade".
Is Ju Jitsu the best martial art?
The question to ask is "is Ju Jitsu the best martial art FOR ME". That is why we
offer the first session free, so you can experience a class before committing to
take out membership.
What do I need to be successful?
Mostly effort and self-discipline, plus the commitment to come to classes regularly.
Will learning Ju Jitsu protect me in the street?
That depends on many factors, not least your own mindset and attitude.
Techniques alone will not be much use without awareness, intuition and a
will to survive. It is better to prepare yourself in the class than wait until
you encounter an attack on the street.
What's intuition
Intuition is your instinct that something "isn't right", that you are being
tricked or conned into a situation. Often a predator will try a low-risk strategy
by making his victim comply willingly rather than taking by force. Allowing your
natural survival instincts to guide you can give you an edge. A firm or even rude
rebuttal of unwanted attention is preferable to being suckered in by carefully
crafted trickery.
What other benefits are there?
Training increases your self-confidence. This manifests itself in the way
you are perceived by others. Often the unconcious message you give out,
"don't mess with me", is enough to deter would-be bullies and agressors on the
street, at school and in the workplace. By not looking like a victim you are less
likely to be one.
