Questions, answered.
Everything people ask before walking in for the first time — kit, fitness, safety, cost, and what actually happens on the mat.
Total beginners
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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.
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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.
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What do I wear?
Shorts with no pockets, zips or buttons — they catch fingers and toes — and a rashguard, or a plain t-shirt for day one. Spats or vale tudo shorts go under your shorts, not instead of them. That's it.
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What do I bring?
Water, sliders or flip-flops for off the mat, and a mouthguard. A mouthguard is required for live rounds. We won't throw you into hard sparring on day one, but grab a cheap one and protect your teeth.
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Should I start with gi or no-gi?
Whichever class fits your week. The free trial and the membership both cover gi and no-gi, and what you learn in one carries into the other. No-gi needs nothing more than shorts and a t-shirt on day one, so it is the easier one to try first.
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Do I need a gi?
Not for our no-gi classes — they're shorts and a rashguard. For gi BJJ sessions you'll need a gi. If you don't have one yet, we'll lend you one for your trial.
Is it for me?
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How old do you have to be?
16 and over. We'll consider 13–15-year-olds case by case — maturity, size and how they take coaching. Kids classes start in January 2027.
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Am I too old to start?
No. Adults of every age train — rounds are calibrated to you, not to the fittest person in the room.
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Is it safe?
It's a contact sport, so there's risk — but it's coached and controlled. You tap early and often, partners are matched with intention, and nobody's trying to hurt you. The people who get hurt are the ones too proud to tap.
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Do I need to be aggressive or tough?
No. Grappling rewards calm and technique over aggression. Tense, aggressive beginners gas out; relaxed ones learn faster.
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Can women train?
Yes. Grappling is a problem-solving sport, not a strength contest — it's for everybody.
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I'm a total beginner — will I hold the class back?
No. The way we coach means every class scales — beginners and experienced grapplers both get something from the same session. You're paired with intention.
Already train?
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What's the open mat?
Free, every Sunday morning, 9:00–11:00 — open rounds, experienced grapplers welcome. Roll at your own pace, no coaching agenda, no pressure. It's the relaxed way to feel the room out. There's also a lunchtime open mat on Wednesday, 12:00–13:00, which is in the membership or a £15 drop-in.
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I already train somewhere — can I drop in?
Yes. Drop into a structured session or the Wednesday lunchtime open mat for £15, or come to the free Sunday open mat — no membership, no commitment. Drop us a message first so we know to expect you.
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I'm new to the area or between gyms — is this for me?
Definitely. If you already train, you can skip the beginner runway — come to open mat or drop into a class, roll, and see if the room's a fit. No hard sell, no pressure.
What it actually is
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What's the difference between gi and no-gi?
Gi grappling uses the jacket and trousers as grips; no-gi is shorts and a rashguard — faster, more scramble-heavy, nothing to hold but the person. They're two separate sports with separate skill sets, and we train both.
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Is this BJJ / jiu-jitsu?
Yes — both versions of it. Our no-gi classes are the modern development of it: the same submission art, plus wrestling, judo, catch and sambo where they intersect. Gi BJJ proper runs too, its own program, with coach Adrian Bradbury running the classes.
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Do I need wrestling experience?
No. We teach the wrestling that matters for grappling from scratch — the takedowns and the top control — scaled to your level.
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How do you win in submission grappling?
By controlling and finishing — chokes and joint locks, tapped safely. We teach you to finish, and just as importantly to defend and escape.
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Is this like traditional martial arts?
No bowing, no mysticism, no tradition for tradition's sake — just what works. It's a martial art coached as a sport.
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Is there anything to study between classes?
Yes. Every no-gi session has a written study guide for members, alongside the curriculum, a glossary and guides for beginners. It also keeps a record of your own training. It's called Learn, and it comes with every membership.
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Who coaches the classes?
Ben Zarif leads the no-gi classes and Adrian Bradbury runs the gi classes.
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Do you do striking?
Not yet. We're building grappling properly first; striking comes later, coached the same way.
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Do you have belts or gradings?
Yes — standard BJJ belts, earned against a written syllabus: performance criteria for every belt, not time served. One rank covers both gi and no-gi. No ceremonies, and the room is never organised by rank.
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Can I train both gi and no-gi?
Yes. They're separate sports with separate skill sets, one membership covers both, and your rank is one credential across the two.
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How do belt promotions work?
A coach assesses you against the syllabus as you train — there's no grading day to book and no test to sit. Gradings are awarded by head coach Ben Zarif, a BJJ brown belt. If you're not at the standard yet, you're told which criteria you're missing and what to work on. The syllabus is available to members.
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I have a belt from another gym — does it count?
Yes. Your rank is yours — we don't take ranks away, here or from anywhere else. You train at the belt you hold and progress from it against our written criteria.
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Is it good for self-defence?
Grappling is one of the most reliable things you can train for real situations — controlling distance, staying on your feet, getting back up. We coach it as a sport, but the skills transfer.
Trial, schedule & cost
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How does the free trial work?
Two weeks, free, for people in East Sussex — gi and no-gi both covered. No card needed to book, no commitment — turn up and train.
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When are classes?
No-gi runs Monday and Thursday evenings plus Saturday afternoon. Gi BJJ runs Tuesday 9:00–10:30 and Friday 19:00–20:30. Open mat on Wednesday 12:00–13:00, and a free open mat on Sunday morning.
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How long is a class?
Coached classes are 90 minutes. The Wednesday lunchtime open mat is an hour, and the Sunday open mat runs for two.
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Do you have daytime classes?
Yes. Gi BJJ on Tuesday at 9:00, an open mat on Wednesday at 12:00, no-gi on Saturday at 13:00 and a free open mat on Sunday at 9:00.
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How much is membership?
Founding membership is £45/month, locked for life, capped at 30 members, and covers gi and no-gi training. Cancel any time — no contract beyond the current month.
Practical
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Can I watch first?
You can — but most people get more from doing. Watch the first-day video so you know exactly what to expect, then come and train your free trial.
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Where are you, and how do I get there?
We train at Rebel Rebel gym, Unit 27–29 Mountney Bridge Business Park, Eastbourne Road, Westham, BN24 5NJ. It is about 15 minutes' drive from Eastbourne station, and a ten-minute walk from Pevensey & Westham station.
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Where do I park?
Free off-street parking right outside — more than twenty spaces around the unit. In a year of open mats, nobody has struggled to find one.
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What if I miss a class?
You can catch up. We train in blocks, so each class builds on the one before, and members can read the study guide for the session they missed before the next one.
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How often should I train?
Once a week builds something; two or three times moves you faster. Start with what fits your life — consistency beats intensity.
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What about hygiene and injuries?
Clean kit every session, nails trimmed (fingers and toes), and don't train with a skin infection or when you're ill. We keep the mats clean and each other safe.
Still got questions?
Come and train for free.
Two weeks, no card, no commitment. Show up and see how it feels.