PROGRAM N°. 02 · WRESTLING & JIU-JITSU
Grapplingin full.
At Kaizen, grappling is two arts on one mat. Wrestling gets you to the ground and on top. Jiu-Jitsu tells you what to do once you're there. You need both.
- BEGINNER-FRIENDLY
- No experience needed
- MIXED LEVELS
- Every class, every body
Start your free week of Grappling
Quick answer
Grappling at Kaizen MMA, taught across six Northern Virginia locations. Adult classes for every level, from first-timers to competitors, with a free first class. No experience needed to start.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
What this actually is.
At Kaizen, BJJ and Wrestling aren't taught as two separate worlds, they're trained as one. Wrestling teaches you how to get the fight to the ground and stay on top. BJJ teaches you what to do once you're there. You need both. That's why we run them side by side on the same mats, with coaches who've competed in both.
Wrestling builds the foundation: takedowns, scrambles, pressure, the physical confidence to control where a fight goes. Jiu-Jitsu builds the finish: positions, submissions, escapes, the patience to solve problems under stress. Train only one and you're missing half the picture. Train both and you become a complete grappler.
You don't need any background in either. Our beginner curriculum breaks down both arts from zero. You'll spend your first weeks learning fundamentals, how to fall safely, how to control your hips, how to drill with a partner, before any live rolling. From there, you build at your own pace. Many members train both. Some focus on one and dip into the other. Either path works.
A CLASS · STEP BY STEP
What to expect.
Warm-up with grappling-specific movement and conditioning drills
Technique instruction, takedowns one day, ground positions the next
Partner drilling with progressive resistance
Positional rounds and live rolling, always optional for beginners
Cool-down, open mat time, and coach Q&A
THE ARC · YOUR FIRST QUARTER
How the progression goes.
- WK. 01 to 04
Falls, frames & fundamentals
Breakfalls, hip movement, posture, grips. Falling safely comes before anything else. Drilling only, no live rolls.
- WK. 05 to 12
Positions & technique chains
Guard, mount, side control, and how to move between them. Takedowns start landing because you can read what your partner is doing.
- WK. 13+
Live rolling & sparring
Live rolling and takedown sparring open up, and both stay optional. You'll get tapped a lot before you tap anyone.
WHY TRAIN HERE
What grappling gives you.
Wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu on one membership
Self-defense that doesn't depend on being the bigger person
Conditioning you build by grappling, not by a separate workout
Mental sharpness, every roll is a problem to solve in real time
It takes enough focus that the outside world goes quiet for an hour
A tight-knit community built on respect and shared work
QUESTIONS
Grappling FAQ.
Either works. Most members try both early on and end up loving the mix. Some focus on one and dip into the other when they want. Your membership covers all grappling classes either way.
Absolutely, that's exactly who our beginner classes are built for. Coaches scale every drill to your level. Our typical new student walks in with zero experience.
Grappling is one of the safest combat practices because you control the intensity. Submissions are tapped out before anything happens; takedowns are drilled before any live rounds. We emphasize technique over power, every class.
We run both gi and no-gi BJJ classes, and Wrestling is always no-gi. For your first few classes, just wear a rash guard or fitted t-shirt and athletic shorts. We'll help you pick a gi if you want one later.
Massively. Wrestling and BJJ together cover every aspect of fighting once it leaves striking range. They're the foundation of every modern MMA game.