Brazilian jiu jitsu in Norfolk, VA
Gi and no-gi classes for adults and kids in Ghent. Beginners never spar other beginners here, and your first class is free.
What your first class looks like
Most people are nervous before class one, which is fair. Nothing in it should surprise you.
Step 1
Book it online
Pick a class and a time. It takes about a minute, and nobody calls you with a sales pitch before you show up.
Step 2
Someone partners with you
You train with a coach or an experienced member for the whole class, often Ian, who takes a lot of first classes. You won’t get paired with another first-timer.
Step 3
You leave sweaty
Bring water. If you liked the room, we’ll talk membership. If you want to try a couple of other gyms first, Clayton will tell you to go do it.
Brand new? Start here
Everybody looks lost in week one
- Day one Your free class, on the ground in a fixed position like closed guard, with an experienced partner.
- First month How to fall, how to tap, how to hold a position. Lots of reps with people who’ve done it a thousand times.
- When you’re ready Your first real rounds, with someone who keeps the pace sane. Never another beginner.
- Later, if you want Takedowns, tournaments, the kids travel team. Plenty of members skip all of it.
House rules
The safety rules are chalked on the wall
Six of them, on the chalkboard next to the warm-up (20 push-ups, 20 flutter kicks, 20 level changes). Everyone on the mat follows them, and the coaches enforce them.
- Stay in control
- No slamming
- No jumping closed guard
- No scissor takedowns
- No neck or spine cranks
- White belts can’t apply twisting leg locks
Classes for adults, teens and kids
Why CPJJ
A hard room that still looks out for you
Every class starts with a fundamental and builds to the advanced version of it by the end. A first-timer and a competitor are learning the same move, just at different speeds.
01
Safer from day one
Beginners only roll with experienced people, and nobody wrestles standing up until they can fall safely.
02
More jiu jitsu per hour
The warm-up is short, then it’s straight to technique. You spend the hour drilling, not running laps.
03
A real path to competing
The team competes locally, regionally and nationally, and Clayton travels with them. Join in or ignore it.
04
Nobody else’s flag
CPJJ isn’t affiliated with anyone. Clayton’s name is on the door, so every class is on him.
Before work or after it
Morning classes run three days a week. Clayton says the morning crowd never shows up at night, and the night crowd never shows up in the morning.
Morning
Afternoon and evening
Head coach
Meet Clayton
Clayton has trained for about 20 years. He left the car business to do jiu jitsu full time, opened this gym in March 2019, and he’s also head coach of the ODU jiu jitsu club. He teaches one idea at a time, in order, until it clicks, and he talks a lot while he does it.
“Sometimes my classes turn into a stand-up routine.”
The team travels. You can stay home.
Kids and adults compete at NAGA, Grappling Industries, Newbreed and the UFC BJJ Opens in Vegas. Come along, cheer, or skip it entirely.
UFC BJJ Opens · Las Vegas, 3rd of 23 · UFC BJJ Opens, NAGA, Newbreed Jiu Jitsu Federation, Grappling Industries, Toro Cup
Before your first class
Something we didn’t cover? Call (757) 704-5983 and a coach will answer it.
A T-shirt or rash guard with athletic shorts or leggings. Skip anything with zippers or pockets, take off jewelry, and trim your nails. Bring water. You don’t need a gi to start.
No. Most people who walk in have never trained. Every class starts with a fundamental, so there’s always something you can do, even on day one. See how an adult class runs.
You won’t roll with another beginner, ever. Clayton starts new people in fixed positions on the ground, with an experienced partner, and stand-up waits until you can fall safely.
Six and up. Clayton only takes kids who want to be there, so bring yours to a free kids class and let them decide.
Go ahead. Clayton tells people to. Take a class here, take one somewhere else, and train wherever the room feels right.
