How my BJJ journey began. I commented on an IG post in hopes to win the transformation scholarship they were offering. The scholarship included tons of things but the biggest "WHY NOT seller" for me was 6 months of unlimited free Jiu-Jitsu Training. that's right FREE. WHO DOES THIS. THIS GYM. THIS GUY. Ty Gay, the owner. In the reel, he stated that BJJ changed his life and he wanted to pay it forward. Everyone has a story on why they start something like this and for me it was "to protect myself". The world is crazy and only getting crazier, so this was kind of a no-brainer for me. Comment: BJJ - try it (who knows, maybe I'll win)
THEN maybe a month later, I got an email from the owner, and he said that I WON!!
OKAY it just got REAL.
I said to myself IF I won, I wanted to take full advantage of everything the gym had to offer, so I made a promise right then and there that I would dedicate my time and go to as many classes as I could go to. SO, when I won, I did exactly that.
What I've concluded in my almost ONE YEAR journey:
Every single coach in this gym is top tier. Each one has their own unique style and background. So, you get to learn the techniques from different perspectives. I personally love how they take their time with all their students not just one or two. The classes are a mixed bunch, different belt levels, male/female, ages, different body types etc. By attending all of classes I was able to see the coaching standards from everyone, and this gym does a great job at explaining the drills and making self-defense or the "sport of BJJ" fun and effective.
The other things I've noticed is you can have white belts and black belts in the same class, and regardless of rank, everyone is treated w/ the same amount of respect. The members are just as great, I feel like this gym keeps out the "rift raff". The new members are being evaluated too. (Which is good practice for any "group fitness" gym). I love how the upper belts in class pay it forward too. They help the "lower" belted students understand the drill and allow you to work. They're not there to just show you how great they are, they teach too. The whole class seems to all help each other, "level up".
Kids classes: I've also observed the kids' classes. The other beauty of this sport is it's great for the whole family. If I had daughter, she'd be in it, in a heartbeat. Boys too. I've watched some these kids in just a years' time "level up" their confidence. The respect, these kids have. A+. Their discipline. The brain work, it takes to learn. The patience. The problem solving; the thinking ahead. All great LIFE skills.
One of the main the reasons I never wanted to "try" BJJ was mainly because I was scared to get hurt. Sure, you could get hurt, it's a contact sport but there are safety measures that are enforced. TAP - YOU CAN TAP. YOU CAN TAP EARLY. You can pick and choose who you roll with, you can refuse rolls, if you're female and you only want to roll with women, you have that right. The coaches do a great job at mentioning this to new members and remind the classes every now and again, that each member has this right (and it's not weird, or frowned upon).
Class times are great, consistent. No change in schedules - same times. Basics and fundamentals classes are laid out month to month. The All-levels classes are monthly focused goals. There's a women's only self-defense class that's starting up. An open mat. Lots of pluses with Redline. I'm proud of myself for trying it out, my only regret is that I didn't do it sooner. I was going to start maybe 5 years ago but I didn't want to wear that "HOT" OUTFIT - PS.. the GI is probably my favorite, so don't let that stop you, but if it does, they have NOGI! Try out REDLINE if you're in the area, you won't regret it. I'm thankful for my REDLINE family. (Yes, I called them family, it's more than a gym, try them out!!!
I waited a year to write this because I didn't want to sound biased since I did win the transformation scholarship. Scholarship or no scholarship this is what I've experienced training with Redline. AND again, my only regret is I didn't sign up sooner!
Redline is fantastic for a beginner or someone with experience! Don't miss out! read more