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For Beginners · Eastbourne

Grappling for Beginners in Eastbourne

Never trained? Every class is beginner-friendly — the coaching scales to you.

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The on-ramp

No fitness. No experience. No ego required.

Most people who walk in here have never done anything like this. That's fine — expected, even. You don't need a baseline. You don't need to be fit first. You don't need to get in shape before you come, because coming is how you get in shape.

We use an ecological-dynamics approach to coaching, which means every session is designed to be self-scaling. Beginners and experienced grapplers train from the same class, paired with intention. There's no separate "beginners' group" to age out of. You're in the room from day one — coached at your level, progressing at your rate.

What your first few weeks actually look like

You'll be paired with someone patient and shown the basics by the coach before you're put in any live situation. When a round gets uncomfortable, you tap — your partner resets, no drama. The feedback from live rounds is immediate and honest, which is why people improve faster here than they expect. After a few sessions, you'll notice your body starting to move differently. That's the skill taking hold. It happens quickly, because the environment is designed for it.

Before you come in

What to wear. What to bring.

Shorts and a rashguard or a plain t-shirt — that's it for clothing. No bare torsos, no jeans. For feet: flip-flops or sliders to walk to the mat, then bare feet on it.

First-day walkthrough — coming soon.

Bring a water bottle and a mouthguard — the mouthguard is required for any live rounds. Everything else you'll pick up as you go. The first two weeks are free, so there's nothing to lose by showing up once and seeing how it feels. See the full FAQ if you have more questions before you come.

Ben Zarif coaching a beginner
Fig.06 — First StepsDay One

Modern, science-based coaching. No belts, no mysticism, no cult of personality — and every class is beginner-friendly because the coaching scales to you.

What makes us different →
Questions

Before you come

  • I've never trained before — is that OK?

    Yes — most people who walk in have never grappled. Every class is beginner-friendly because the coaching scales to your level. You'll be paired with someone who looks after you.

  • Do I need to be fit to start?

    No. You don't need to be in shape to start — we meet you at your level and bring you up to your personal potential. You get fit by training, not before it.

  • I'm a total beginner — will I hold the class back?

    No. Because we coach with ecological dynamics, every class scales — beginners and experienced grapplers both get something from the same session. You're paired with intention.

All FAQs →
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What we actually teach →

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