Finding Good Training Spots while Traveling
One of my good friends was recently setting out to do some traveling for the military and they asked me if I had any recommendations or advice on how to pick a good to train at while on the road. I thought that I would put my thoughts on it down in writing to give them a good answer, and have it as a future reference point.
Set a Goal
For me, I think the first place to start is to set a goal for training while you're visiting a new area. Are you looking to get a fresh look at your game against new training partners? Maybe there is one of the greats close by that you've always wanted to train with. Maybe you want to continue to develop as much as you can under a different instructor's perspective. Or, maybe you just want to make some great JiuJitsu friends and have people to introduce you to the local area. Whatever you decide is most important to you, I believe that this a great thing before hitting the road.
When I went to California I had three goals for training:
1. The first was that I wanted to visit as many schools as possible. The San Diego and L.A. area are mind boggingly dense with places to train. At one particular spot in L.A. I drove past four JiuJitsu/MMA schools in one mile. It really blew my mind. There were some smaller goals that went along with this one, but I set out to hit as many schools as I possibly could.
2. Make new friends. It was kinda intimidating to move across the country to a new place not knowing anyone in the area. I was hoping that I could find some people that I enjoyed spending time with that could also introduce me to more of what the area had to offer.
I found this at CSG 360. I wrote about it some in the past, but I can't express how much I loved the team there and getting to train and hang out with them. It actually made my first goal of visiting as many schools possible difficult, because I wanted to be on the mats with them everyday instead. Whether it was going surfing with Po, talking smack with Braulio, or grabbing dinner with the team there after training, those guys almost immediately became my California family and really made the entire trip as memorable as it was.
3. Hit the big name schools. I had always wanted to visit Art of JiuJitsu and get to train with the Mendes brothers. I loved watching them compete, as well as their instructional videos. I made sure to pay a visit to them, along with other schools like University of JiuJitsu and Victory MMA.
Research
Once you set your goals, Google, as no surprise, becomes your best friend. As soon as I find out where I'm traveling, I'm searching JiuJitsu in that town. Once I find the schools in the area, I head to Facebook and check out their page. Not always, but I have found that most of the time you can get a pretty good feel for a school doing a quick scroll through their photo albums. I also like to check out their class schedule and see the times and class offerings. Ya'll know I'm a JiuJitsu junkie, so I always hope to find a place that offers evening classes Monday through Friday.
Selection
After you pick the spot/s that look like they will match with your goals, I always like to shoot them a Facebook message or give them a call. I introduce myself, let them know my rank, home school and that I'm traveling, and for how long I'll be there. I have found that this allows for a much smoother reception, as opposed to just popping in before class starts.
If you happen to know someone that trains there or has ever visited the school. I try to reach out to them first and make introductions. This lets the instructor know that you are a quality person and typically gives you a warmer reception upon arrival. I actually found CSG 360 this way. My very good friend Tony had happened to have trained in San Diego before. He introduced me to Professor Gallegos, who then introduced me to Professor Charlie, all before I jumped on a plane.
Visiting
The fun part is here! You sign a waiver, take care of any applicable drop in fees and its class time. I have always tried to conduct myself in a way that I will always be welcomed back if I am in the area. Different schools will have a more formal or relaxed atmosphere, so I always default to the traditional, doing things like bowing before stepping on the mats or addressing the black belt as professor until told to do otherwise. When it comes time for rolling, I try to find that balance between giving my new training partners a good roll, while keeping the intensity dialed back. I would much rather be remembered as a great training partner than a mat savage, and there are no medals to be won during class.
It will be extremely rare, but if you drop into a place and don't like the vibe for whatever reason, you have no obligation of going back. That's one of the benefits of traveling is that it's temporary and you can just try out the next place on your list. With only a couple exceptions out of my list, visiting new schools has always been extremely rewarding. I get to make new friends, experience new rolling styles and get an additional perspective on JiuJitsu.
Steven McMahon earned his Kyuki-Do Black Belt in 2011 from Grand Master Kim at Kim's Black Belt Academy and his BJJ Purple Belt in January 2017 under Professor Charles Nunley. He currently trains out of Wakizashi BJJ in Oak Harbor under Professor Eli Trevino. He is an active competitor at Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Army Combative tournaments.
Set a Goal
For me, I think the first place to start is to set a goal for training while you're visiting a new area. Are you looking to get a fresh look at your game against new training partners? Maybe there is one of the greats close by that you've always wanted to train with. Maybe you want to continue to develop as much as you can under a different instructor's perspective. Or, maybe you just want to make some great JiuJitsu friends and have people to introduce you to the local area. Whatever you decide is most important to you, I believe that this a great thing before hitting the road.
When I went to California I had three goals for training:
1. The first was that I wanted to visit as many schools as possible. The San Diego and L.A. area are mind boggingly dense with places to train. At one particular spot in L.A. I drove past four JiuJitsu/MMA schools in one mile. It really blew my mind. There were some smaller goals that went along with this one, but I set out to hit as many schools as I possibly could.
2. Make new friends. It was kinda intimidating to move across the country to a new place not knowing anyone in the area. I was hoping that I could find some people that I enjoyed spending time with that could also introduce me to more of what the area had to offer.
I found this at CSG 360. I wrote about it some in the past, but I can't express how much I loved the team there and getting to train and hang out with them. It actually made my first goal of visiting as many schools possible difficult, because I wanted to be on the mats with them everyday instead. Whether it was going surfing with Po, talking smack with Braulio, or grabbing dinner with the team there after training, those guys almost immediately became my California family and really made the entire trip as memorable as it was.
3. Hit the big name schools. I had always wanted to visit Art of JiuJitsu and get to train with the Mendes brothers. I loved watching them compete, as well as their instructional videos. I made sure to pay a visit to them, along with other schools like University of JiuJitsu and Victory MMA.
Research
Once you set your goals, Google, as no surprise, becomes your best friend. As soon as I find out where I'm traveling, I'm searching JiuJitsu in that town. Once I find the schools in the area, I head to Facebook and check out their page. Not always, but I have found that most of the time you can get a pretty good feel for a school doing a quick scroll through their photo albums. I also like to check out their class schedule and see the times and class offerings. Ya'll know I'm a JiuJitsu junkie, so I always hope to find a place that offers evening classes Monday through Friday.
Selection
After you pick the spot/s that look like they will match with your goals, I always like to shoot them a Facebook message or give them a call. I introduce myself, let them know my rank, home school and that I'm traveling, and for how long I'll be there. I have found that this allows for a much smoother reception, as opposed to just popping in before class starts.
If you happen to know someone that trains there or has ever visited the school. I try to reach out to them first and make introductions. This lets the instructor know that you are a quality person and typically gives you a warmer reception upon arrival. I actually found CSG 360 this way. My very good friend Tony had happened to have trained in San Diego before. He introduced me to Professor Gallegos, who then introduced me to Professor Charlie, all before I jumped on a plane.
Visiting
The fun part is here! You sign a waiver, take care of any applicable drop in fees and its class time. I have always tried to conduct myself in a way that I will always be welcomed back if I am in the area. Different schools will have a more formal or relaxed atmosphere, so I always default to the traditional, doing things like bowing before stepping on the mats or addressing the black belt as professor until told to do otherwise. When it comes time for rolling, I try to find that balance between giving my new training partners a good roll, while keeping the intensity dialed back. I would much rather be remembered as a great training partner than a mat savage, and there are no medals to be won during class.
It will be extremely rare, but if you drop into a place and don't like the vibe for whatever reason, you have no obligation of going back. That's one of the benefits of traveling is that it's temporary and you can just try out the next place on your list. With only a couple exceptions out of my list, visiting new schools has always been extremely rewarding. I get to make new friends, experience new rolling styles and get an additional perspective on JiuJitsu.
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