What should I wear and bring?
Clothes you can move in, a bottle of water and a towel. Shorts and a t-shirt or rash guard. Bring a mouthguard if you already own one.
Wear whatever you can move, sweat and roll around in.
- Shorts or athletic pants with no zips, buttons or big pockets
- A t-shirt or a rash guard
- Bare feet for grappling. Trainers if you are on grass or concrete and striking
- Water and a towel
- A mouthguard if you already own one. If you do not, you are not ready to need one yet: here is when you will
Leave the jewelry, the watch and the earrings at home. Cut your fingernails and toenails short. That last one sounds fussy right up until somebody gets scratched.
Pockets are the mistake I see most, and the reason is fingers. A finger that catches in a pocket during a scramble is how people end up in a splint over nothing at all. Same with zips and drawstring toggles.
The top is genuinely optional at the start. A t-shirt is fine and nobody is checking. Once you are grappling regularly a rash guard is the better tool, because it stays put and it saves your skin. See rash guard or a t-shirt.
Bring more water than you think, especially outdoors or in a garage in August. See how much water to bring. Training outside, throw in sunscreen and a hat for afterwards.
Everything you wore goes straight in the wash, not back in the bag. That is a hygiene rule, not a tidiness one, and ignoring it is what keeps people off the mat. See keeping your gear from stinking.
Want to know what the hour itself looks like before you pack anything? Read what happens in a first session. I bring everything else. See what gear I bring.
Last updated