Beginner Guide
Simple answers for beginners, parents, and anyone thinking about trying their first class.
Question 1
Yes. Most students begin with zero experience.
Jiu Jitsu is learned step-by-step through drilling, coaching, and live practice — helping students build real confidence over time.
Question 2
No to all three. You set your own pace from day one — nobody is timing you or comparing you to the room, and Jiu Jitsu is built around leverage and technique, not raw strength or the flexibility you started with.
Beginners train alongside other beginners in Fundamentals, and the coach is on the mat the whole class. The training is what gets you in shape and builds real strength and flexibility over time — none of it is something you need to already have to walk in the door.
Question 3
Unlimited classes for $145/month — no signup fee, no contract, month to month.
$99/month if you're a current college student, first responder, or in the military (active or veteran). Family discount if more than one person in your household trains — 25% off each additional member, up to 50% off. Your first week is free before you pay anything.
Question 4
We start kids at 4.
Class is the same every time — line up, rules, warm up, one concept, drill it, live practice — and new kids aren't put on the spot or made to demonstrate in front of the group. Plenty spend their first class mostly watching. You're welcome to sit at the edge of the mat and watch every minute of it.
Question 5
Yes. Every class is coach-supervised, and control is the first thing we teach.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has no striking, and its ground-based, control-focused nature is why it's widely considered lower-risk than contact sports like football or soccer. Live rounds start standing, submissions are applied slowly, and kids train in age-appropriate groups — Little Dippers (4–7) and Rising Stars (8–12) — where being a good training partner is something we actively teach: bigger or more experienced kids learn to go carefully with someone smaller or newer. Three rules are enforced consistently, with calm, structured correction rather than harsh discipline.
Question 6
Jiu Jitsu is a grappling sport — the same family as wrestling, but taken further. You learn to take opponents down, control them on the ground, and finish with submissions like chokes and joint locks.
Size and strength matter less than technique, which is what makes it effective for everyone.
Question 7
Yes. Jiu Jitsu is built around using technique, leverage, and timing to control larger, stronger opponents.
That's why it's valuable for self-defense, sport, and confidence.
Question 8
Athletic clothes. That's the whole answer.
A t-shirt and shorts or leggings you can move in is all a first-time visitor needs. Northstar is a no-gi academy, so there's no uniform to order and no gear to buy before you show up — nothing to research, nothing to spend money on in advance.
Your first week of Jiu Jitsu in Eau Claire is free and doesn't require any payment information to claim, so you can train a full week in the clothes already in your closet before you decide whether this is for you.
Question 9
The clothing — and everything it changes about how you grip.
Gi Jiu Jitsu uses a traditional cotton uniform, giving extra grips at the collar and sleeves. No-Gi is trained in a rashguard and shorts — no clothing grips, which makes for a faster, scramble-heavy style closer to a real self-defense situation or MMA. Northstar is a no-gi academy exclusively, for kids and adults alike — one less purchase standing between you and your first class.
Question 10
Because progress feels better when you earn it together.
No experience needed. No contract. No signup fee.
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