FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What do I bring for my first class?
If you are coming to jiu jitsu, typically you would wear athletic shorts of some type or leggings, and a tight fitting t-shirt or compression shirt such as under armour. We have rashguards for sale at the school if you decide you would like to continue training. You should not be wearing anything with zippers, and should remove all jewelry before coming on the mat.
For kickboxing, if you have boxing gloves and shin pads please bring them. We do have spare gloves and shin pads for people taking their trial class but then you’ll be expected to get your own gear if you don’t already have any.
Other things you might want to bring are a clean change of clothes for after (you will get sweaty) and a water bottle.
What classes should I start with?
If you have not trained before, you will want to take a free trial class and come to either fundamentals or all levels for jiu jitsu. For kickboxing, any of the weeknight classes would be a great start. Saturday is kickboxing sparring day, so you will need some experience and approval from Coach Ardis if you’d like to attend. Make sure to show up a little bit early if it’s your first class so we can get you situated and have you fill out a waiver.
If I sign up will I be locked in to a contract?
No, we don’t do contracts for our memberships. We pride ourselves on bringing the best training in the area and not forcing our students into staying by using arbitrary contracts that lock you in for 6 months or a year. People’s lives change, and we understand that. We have one monthly membership price, which includes all classes, and you can train as many times as you want each month. Memberships are month to month, we just ask that you give notice 1 week in advance for a membership cancellation. If your card was set to run within 1 week it will still be charged, but that will be your last charge.
At what age can I bring my kid in?
We typically start children around 7 years old. We find this to be the age that children are able to pay attention and participate in a full class. There are rare exceptions, and it really depends on the child. The most important thing is that the child wants to be there so that they can get the most out of class, and so that their partner also is able to get the most out of class.
When do I get to spar/roll?
For jiu jitsu, in fundamentals class we typically will only drill for the hour. Sometimes we will do what is called “live drilling,” where you use what you learned in class and try to replicate the moves while your partner is giving you some level of resistance. Advanced classes are longer and include rolling at the end. You should have attended quite a few fundamentals classes, but then can ask Coach Jon for approval to attend advanced class.
For kickboxing, sparring is on Saturdays and you should ask Coach Ardis for approval before you attend. Again, you should have attended quite a few classes to have learned some technique before you go with a partner who is going to fight you back.
How do I know if I’m ready to compete?
First and foremost, if you want to compete in jiu jitsu you need to have enough experience that you feel comfortable rolling (jiu jitsu sparring). You should also be coming to class at least 2 to 3 times a week consistently if you are a lower belt. If you are thinking you would like to compete, please talk to Coach Jon to make sure he approves.
If you would like to compete in kickboxing, again you will want to be comfortable sparring and training multiple times per week. In order to compete in kickboxing, talk to Coach Ardis for approval and direction on how to get a fight.
Do you do family memberships?
Yes, when more than one family member wants a membership we will be happy to discount additional family members. You can discuss this in more detail with Coach Jon when you create your membership. Additionally, if you are a mother, sister, aunt, etc that has been wanting to try jiu jitsu but isn’t comfortable going to a regular fundamentals class, we have a free women’s only class available Saturday mornings at 9 a.m.
Can I train at other Finishers locations?
We have a couple of sister schools that are reasonably within driving distance, 10th Planet Bethlehem and 10th Planet Reading. Open mats are open to other Finishers members, but if you’d like to attend a regular class you can either pay a drop in fee, or talk to Coach Jon about the cross training fee if you think you want to come more than once or twice a month.