What should you wear to your first BJJ class?
For your first BJJ class at Gracie Barra Manotick, wear a fitted t-shirt or rash guard and athletic shorts or leggings with no pockets or zippers. You do not need a gi to try jiu jitsu. For a first Muay Thai class, wear a t-shirt and shorts, and train barefoot.
That is the whole answer for a trial. Everything below is the detail, so you can walk in relaxed and focused on the class instead of your clothes. Both our Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and our Muay Thai programs welcome complete beginners, and the first class is free.
Do you need a gi for your first class?
No. You do not need a gi to try Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and buying one before your first class is the most common beginner mistake.
A gi is the traditional jiu jitsu uniform: a heavy cotton jacket, matching trousers and a belt. It is what you grip in gi training, and it is what you will wear once you decide to keep going. For a first class you can train in ordinary athletic clothes and get the full experience. If a loaner gi is available in your size, a coach will offer one on the day.
When you are ready to buy a gi of your own, Coach Panda Dave and the coaching team will point you to the right size and fit. There is no need to sort that out before you have even stepped onto the mats.
Here is the simple version for what to wear by class:
| Class | What to wear |
|---|---|
| BJJ trial (no gi needed) | Fitted t-shirt or rash guard, athletic shorts or leggings, no pockets or zippers |
| No-gi BJJ | Rash guard, compression shorts or board shorts, spats optional |
| Muay Thai | T-shirt or tank top, athletic shorts, trained barefoot |
What to wear for no-gi BJJ
No-gi is jiu jitsu without the gi jacket, where you grip the body and the clinch instead of the cloth. Because there is no fabric to hold, loose clothing gets in the way, so fitted gear works best.
The standard no-gi kit is a rash guard, which is a snug athletic top that protects your skin on the mat, plus grappling shorts. Many people add compression shorts or full-length spats (compression leggings) underneath. Board shorts or athletic shorts without pockets are fine too. For a first class, a plain fitted t-shirt and shorts will do the job while you decide what you like.
A few things to keep off the mat: no baggy tops that ride up when you grapple, no shorts with pockets that catch fingers, and nothing with a zipper, a button or a hard seam.
What do you wear to Muay Thai?
For Muay Thai you want clothes that let you kick, knee and move freely. Wear a t-shirt or tank top and a pair of loose athletic shorts, and expect to train barefoot on the mat.
Traditional Muay Thai shorts are wide-cut for high kicks, but you do not need them to start. Any shorts that give you full freedom of movement work for a first class. Hand wraps and gloves are useful once you begin pad work, and for your first session the academy can lend or point you to a set, so there is nothing you need to buy in advance. You can see the full striking schedule on our Muay Thai program page.
What BJJ gear do beginners actually need?
Almost none, at first. The honest list of BJJ gear for beginners on day one is short: clean, fitted athletic clothes and a water bottle. Everything else can wait until you know you want to keep training.
As you continue, a typical beginner slowly adds a gi for gi training, a rash guard and shorts for no-gi, and a mouthguard for live rounds. None of it is needed to try a class, and none of it is worth rushing. Our coaches would rather you turn up in a t-shirt than skip a first class because you were waiting on an order to arrive.
What should you bring to your first class?
Bring a full water bottle and a small towel. Wear flip-flops or slides for walking to and from the mat, so your bare feet stay off the change-room and washroom floors. A mouthguard is worth having once you start live rounds, but it is not needed for a first class.
Leave the jewellery at home. Rings, chains, bracelets and earrings can get caught during training and scratch a partner, so it is easier to just not wear them on a training day.
Mat hygiene and safety: what not to wear
Grappling and striking put you in close contact, so a few simple hygiene and safety habits protect you and your training partner. These are the same at every serious gym.
- Trim your nails. Short nails on both fingers and toes prevent scratches and are the single most important thing to check before class.
- Come in clean clothes. Fresh kit every session, and wash your gi and rash guard after each class to help prevent skin infections.
- Tie long hair back. It keeps hair out of your face and out of a partner's grip.
- Remove all jewellery. Nothing hard, sharp or metal that can catch or scratch a training partner.
- No zippers, buttons or pockets. These can cut skin or trap fingers on the mat.
- Sit out with open cuts or a skin infection. Cover a small cut, and stay off the mat if you have anything contagious, for everyone's sake.
The Manotick approach
On a normal evening at our Manotick academy, most first-timers walk in wearing exactly what they would wear to any workout: a t-shirt, shorts or leggings, and bare feet or flip-flops to the edge of the mat. Whether you are driving in from the village, Riverside South or Greely, you do not need to shop first. A coach greets you at the door, shows you where to change, and walks you through the warm-up. If you would like the full picture before you come in, our first visit guide covers how a first class flows from start to finish.
What to wear, answered.
Do you need a gi for your first BJJ class?+
No. You can wear a fitted t-shirt or rash guard and athletic shorts to try Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. A gi is only needed once you decide to continue, and a coach will help you pick one when you are ready.
What do you wear to Muay Thai?+
Wear a t-shirt or tank top and loose athletic shorts, and train barefoot on the mat. Hand wraps and gloves are helpful for pad work, and the academy can lend or point you to a set for your first class.
Can you wear a t-shirt to BJJ?+
Yes. A clean, fitted t-shirt is perfectly fine for a first class and for no-gi training. Just avoid anything baggy that rides up, and skip shirts with zippers, buttons or pockets that can scratch a training partner.
What should you bring to your first class?+
Bring a full water bottle, a small towel and flip-flops for walking to and from the mat. A mouthguard is worth having once you start live rounds, but you do not need it for a first class.
