What to Wear for BJJ & MMA Training
The golden rule for your first sessions: don't buy anything yet. Here's what to wear on day one, and what's worth buying once you know you're hooked.
Day one: what you already own
- Top: a fitted t-shirt or rash guard. Avoid baggy tops — fingers and toes catch in them.
- Bottoms: shorts or leggings with no zips, pockets or belt loops (they scratch partners and snag on the mats). Football or board shorts are perfect.
- Feet: bare on the mats; flip-flops for everywhere else.
- Remove: all jewellery, piercings and watches. Tie long hair back.
Once you're training regularly
For no-gi and wrestling
- Rash guard (£20–35) — wicks sweat, prevents mat burn, stays put.
- Grappling shorts or spats — built to not rip when someone grabs them... because someone will.
- Mouthguard (£10+) — worth it once you start live rounds.
For gi classes
A gi (the jacket, trousers and belt) costs £50–90 for a solid beginner one. Don't buy before your first sessions — we'll point you to the right brands and sizing, and tell you when you actually need one. White is the safe first colour.
What NOT to waste money on yet
Knee braces, grip trainers, £200 competition gis, supplements with a skull on the tub. The only equipment that makes you better at grappling in year one is mat time.
Hygiene is gear too
Wash everything after every session, shower as soon as you can after training, and never come in with athlete's foot or open cuts without covering them. Clean training partners are popular training partners.
Train with us — first two sessions free
MMA Factory is open now at Lordswood Boys' School sports hall, Hagley Road, Birmingham B17 8BJ. BJJ and wrestling classes for kids, teens and adults — complete beginners welcome.