Back on the Mat After Time Off: Your Return to Jiu-Jitsu

It’s the third week of October in Indio, and the mornings have finally turned cool enough to walk to the car without squinting. For a lot of people summer swallowed their training: vacations, the heat, the school-year scramble. If you haven’t been on a mat since June, you are not the only one thinking about it this week.

The Hardest Step Is the Parking Lot

Our coaches like to say the hardest technique in jiu-jitsu is walking back through the door. Nobody at the gym is keeping a tally of how long you were gone. They are glad to see you, and the people you trained with last spring are usually the first to say so. Most of us have been the person coming back after a long layoff at some point, and that is exactly why the room goes easy on you when you do. Stretch, breathe, and take the first class as a reunion more than a test.

What Your First Week Back Looks Like

You warm up with the class, then drill with a partner at your own pace. Nobody expects you to pick up where you stopped. Tell the coach how long it’s been and mention anything that hurts, and your partner will be asked to keep things light. Rolling is optional at first, and plenty of people sit out the live rounds for a couple of weeks while their breathing catches up.

Pick the Class That Fits Your Fall

Routines changed in September, so choose the time that actually survives your week:

• Tuesday 7 PM, adult No-Gi
• Thursday 7 PM, adult Gi
• Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 5:00 AM, adult Gi, before the day takes over
• Saturday Open Mat, 9 to 11 AM, the most relaxed room we have

If you’re nervous, Saturday is a good first step. Nobody is rushed, you can pick your partners, and you can leave when your legs say so.

Your Belt Didn’t Go Anywhere

Time off doesn’t take away the rank you earned. Our coaches know where you left off, and in our experience the technique tends to come back faster than the conditioning does. The timing and the little details return once you start moving, even when your cardio feels like it belongs to someone else.

Bring the Family Back, Too

If your kids drifted away from class over the summer, the same goes for them. Kids Jiu-Jitsu (ages 6 to 9) meets Tuesday and Thursday from 5 to 6 PM, and Youth Jiu-Jitsu (10 to 14) from 6 to 7 PM. A parent who has been on the fence can train at 7 while the kids finish up.

If you’re brand new, your first class is free. If you’re returning, just show up and tell us. Call or text (951) 337-3781, or stop by 42425 Jackson Street, Suite C112. You can read more on our adult jiu-jitsu page or the kids and youth jiu-jitsu page.

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