Beginner Guides

Read this before
your first class.

Name: KDL Combatives
Address: 786 McCool, Valparaiso, IN, 46385, US
Telephone: +1-219-306-1764

Short, honest answers to the questions adults in Northwest Indiana ask before they walk into a jiu-jitsu gym. Written by the gym, not a marketing team.

The Tuesday and Thursday evening class lined up under the KDL Combatives banner in Valparaiso, Indiana

The evening class at 786 McCool Rd, Valparaiso

Beginner Guide
What to expect at your first jiu-jitsu class
The hardest part of jiu-jitsu is the door. Here is what happens once you are through it.
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Beginner Guide
BJJ or Judo first? Why we teach both in one class
Standing, someone has to take the fight down. On the ground, someone has to finish it. Learn both.
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Beginner Guide
Is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu good for self-defense? An honest answer
Yes, with two conditions. Here is what BJJ does brilliantly, where it falls short, and how we train around that.
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Beginner Guide
Starting jiu-jitsu in your 30s, 40s and 50s
The room is full of people who thought they had missed their window. They had not.
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Beginner Guide
How to choose a BJJ gym in Northwest Indiana
There are more gyms in the region than there used to be. Here is how to tell them apart without a black belt's eye.
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Beginner Guide
Open mat etiquette: how to show up to Saturday rounds
Open mat has no instructor telling you what to do next. These are the rules everyone assumes you know.
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Beginner Guide
Do I need a gi to start jiu-jitsu?
Short answer: no, not to walk in the door. Longer answer below, because you will want one eventually.
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Beginner Guide
How often should a beginner train jiu-jitsu?
The answer that keeps people training for years is smaller than the one they expect.
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Beginner Guide
Which martial art should an adult start with?
There is no best martial art. There is the one you will still be doing in two years. Here is how to pick it.
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Free First Class

Your first class is free.

No experience needed, no pressure. Book online or just show up to any class on the schedule.

Claim your free class Call 219-306-1764

Read this beforeyour first class.

What to expect at your first jiu-jitsu class

BJJ or Judo first? Why we teach both in one class

Is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu good for self-defense? An honest answer

Starting jiu-jitsu in your 30s, 40s and 50s

How to choose a BJJ gym in Northwest Indiana

Open mat etiquette: how to show up to Saturday rounds

Do I need a gi to start jiu-jitsu?

How often should a beginner train jiu-jitsu?

Which martial art should an adult start with?

More from the hive.

Your first class is free.

Read this before
your first class.