Your first session: what to expect

What should you bring?

You don't need to buy expensive kit for your first session. This is all you need for each sport:

Judo

• Comfortable sportswear for your first session; you don't need a judogi straight away
• Flip-flops for the edge of the tatami
• Water bottle

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

• You don't need a gi for your first session: just comfortable, close-fitting sportswear, such as shorts and a T-shirt
• Later on, a judo or BJJ gi for GI sessions, and a rashguard or T-shirt with sports shorts or leggings for NO GI sessions
• Flip-flops and a water bottle

Aikido

• Comfortable sportswear
• Flip-flops
• Water bottle

MMA

• A rashguard or T-shirt and shorts
• Boxing gloves (if you don't have any yet, let us know in advance)
• Flip-flops and a water bottle
• Towel

Kids' Karate

• Comfortable sportswear for your first session
• Flip-flops
• Water bottle

Personal training

• Comfortable clothes; no trainers needed, as training takes place on the tatami
• You can discuss what to wear with the coach separately

Keep your fingernails and toenails short: long nails scratch during partner work.

How does a session run?

Judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu

1. Warm-up. Running, mobility work, rolls. This is where you get used to the tatami.
2. Breakfalls (ukemi). This is the first thing every beginner learns. You learn how to land without getting hurt. Until you've got this, there's no throwing.
3. Technique practice. The coach demonstrates a technique, then you practise it in pairs, slowly and without resistance. Your partner is there to help you, not to beat you.
4. Live practice. The more experienced members spar. As a beginner, you watch this for your first few sessions or join in at a very gentle pace. Nobody will throw you in at the deep end.

Aikido

Aikido isn't a competitive sport: there's no sparring, and technique and cooperation matter more than strength. In training you learn breakfalls (ukemi) and practise in pairs joint techniques (kansetsu-waza), throws that use the attacker's momentum, and body movement and distancing (tai-sabaki, ma-ai). The dojo pays particular attention to safe practice, and beginners are welcome to ask questions.

MMA

MMA training combines elements of kickboxing and NO GI Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Standing up, you practise punching and kicking technique, defence, footwork and distancing, on the bag and in pairs; then takedowns and groundwork, which as a beginner you do in pairs, slowly and without resistance. You practise each area separately first and only then put them together, so you can keep up even as a beginner. Sessions are led by Jerger Márton.

Kids' Karate

Vass Melinda's classes are for children aged 7-8 and up and are taught mainly in English; if understanding a task calls for it, the explanation is given in Hungarian too. A class is structured like this:

• warm-up games built on coordination and agility,
• basic techniques: punches, kicks, throws and movement patterns,
• playful strengthening exercises,
• partner and group tasks to develop cooperation,
• obstacle courses,
• relaxation, breathing exercises and a cool-down.

Beginners can join at any time. The first session is a free trial, so your child can get to know the coach, how the sessions work and the group in a relaxed way.