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Train My Hands for War taped-hand markTrain My Hands

First class

First class guide for beginners

You do not need to be in shape, know the positions, or prove anything. Come clean, come coachable, and come ready to work. We will show you how to stand, fall, move, tap, and train safely.

Start here

What Jiu-Jitsu actually is

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a grappling-based martial art and combat sport built around clinching, takedowns, positional control, escapes, and submissions. It is practiced in a gi or no-gi. Sport BJJ and real-world self-protection overlap, but they are not identical: awareness, de-escalation, disengagement, and escape come first in self-defense.

Run of show

Exactly how the 90 minutes go

  • 6:15–6:30Arrival, registration and waiver check, loaner gi, questions.
  • 6:30–6:36Welcome, prayer, safety theme.
  • 6:36–6:48Scalable movement preparation, ukemi, technical stand-up.
  • 6:48–7:08Standing skill and controlled drilling.
  • 7:08–7:33Ground position: escape, reversal, controlled attack.
  • 7:33–7:50Beginner positional lane and experienced controlled-roll lane.
  • 7:50–8:00Line-up, prayer requests, prayer out.

No pre-fatigue rituals. Optional conditioning comes after technique and is always scalable.

Wear and bring

  • A clean, fully dried gi (jacket, pants, belt). No belt yet? No problem — we will show you how to tie one.
  • A fitted rashguard or athletic shirt and compression shorts under the gi.
  • Sandals or slides for all off-mat areas, especially restrooms.
  • Water bottle and a towel. Nobody shares towels or bottles.
  • Mouthguard strongly recommended for live rounds. Clean ear guards optional.
  • Trimmed fingernails and toenails. No rings, watches, necklaces, bracelets, or catchable piercings.

Loaner gi

Request in advance

Loaner gis are available by advance request, subject to size and availability. Request one on your reservation, reserve early, and bring a rashguard either way.

Request a Loaner Gi

Buying your own

Fit varies by manufacturer and includes A0, A1L, A2H, and other builds. Use the current chart for the brand you choose:

Recommendations are not paid endorsements unless disclosed.

Tie your belt

Five steps, flat knot

  1. 1Find the middle of the belt and place it across your stomach, just below the navel.
  2. 2Wrap both ends behind you, cross them at your back, and bring them forward.
  3. 3Tuck both layers up under all wraps from the bottom, then pull snug.
  4. 4Cross the right end over the left, then feed it up through the loop you just formed.
  5. 5Pull both ends firmly outward. Even ends, flat knot, centered on your waist.

Written steps are here on purpose — no video required. Ask any member on Friday and they will walk you through it.

Fathers and sons

Sons ages 13–17

A man and a teenage boy in white gis kneeling side by side, adjusting their belts
Brand photography for Train My Hands for War. Not a photograph of a specific session, organizer, or attendee.

Sons ages 13–17 are welcome when the host academy approves youth participation for the session. A parent or legal guardian must register them, complete all required documents, remain on-site, and train or observe according to the approved plan. Pairing is based on age, size, maturity, and experience—not belt alone.

There are no drop-offs, no unsupervised one-on-one adult and minor interaction, no private transportation, no closed-room instruction, and no private direct messaging with minors. Photo and video permission is separate, optional, and never a condition of participation.

Hygiene and illness

Protect the room

  • Arrive clean, in a freshly washed and fully dried gi.
  • Shower promptly after training. Machine-wash and dry gi, rashguard, belt, towels, and supports after every use.
  • Cover ordinary clean cuts securely before training.
  • Do not train with an unexplained rash, ringworm, herpes-like lesions, impetigo, a draining wound, fever, vomiting or diarrhea, or a suspected contagious illness.

Tapping and consent

Tap early. Release immediately.

A tap may be by hand, foot, or voice. “Tap,” “stop,” a pain sound, loss of responsiveness, or a coach stoppage ends the action immediately. Every round requires consent: anyone may decline or stop a round with anyone, at any time, without explanation. Consent outranks rank.

FAQ

Questions we get every month

Is this an open mat?
Not exactly. It is a guided 90-minute group session with prayer, instruction, drilling, and controlled live work.
Do I need experience?
No. Beginners get their own lane with positional work and coach-directed drilling.
Does it cost anything?
No. It is free to attend. This is a Connect Group, not a membership.
Will I get a belt or stripe?
No. We award no rank and honor every member's home academy.
Where is it?
Hosted at 3 Embers Grappling Academy, 320 Industrial Blvd., Ste. 206, McKinney, TX 75069.
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