Guide · July 2026
Walking into a martial arts gym for the first time takes a bit of nerve. Everyone remembers their own first session, which is exactly why new starters get looked after so well. This is what your first class at a grappling gym actually looks like, minute by minute, so there are no surprises when you arrive.
Wear shorts and a t-shirt. Nothing with zips, buttons or pockets, since these can scratch training partners and catch fingers. Bring a water bottle and a pair of flip flops or sliders for walking around off the mats. That's the whole kit list. You don't need a rashguard, a gumshield or anything else for your first session, although most regulars pick up a rashguard once they're training every week.
Aim to arrive ten minutes early. At Forged Grappling that gives us time to get your waiver signed, show you where everything is and introduce you to the coaches before the room fills up.
Classes start with movement games and dynamic drills rather than push-ups and star jumps. Grappling warm-ups are designed to teach you how to move on the ground while raising your heart rate, so even the warm-up is building useful skills. Nobody expects a new starter to keep up with everything. Move at your own pace and ask questions whenever you want.
The middle of the class is where the coach teaches the technique of the day. You'll see it demonstrated a few times with explanation of why it works, then pair up and practise it with a partner. As a beginner you'll usually be paired with someone experienced who knows how to guide a first-timer through the movements. Expect to feel clumsy. Everyone does at the start, and it fades quicker than you think.
The last part of class is live practice from set positions. This is the part people worry about most and the part they end up enjoying most. It's not a fight. The intensity is matched to your level, you can tap at any time for any reason, and the coaches keep an eye on every pairing. Most beginners are surprised by two things: how tiring three minutes can be, and how quickly they want to do it again.
Stick around. The period after class is when people chat, ask the coaches questions and get to know the room. If the gym runs an open mat after the taught class, you're welcome to stay and watch or join in. At Forged the structured open mat runs straight after the 6pm class Monday to Thursday, and Friday's open mat is free for the whole community.
"I'm not fit enough." Fitness comes from training, not before it. Pace yourself and rest when you need to.
"I'll be the only beginner." Unlikely. Gyms in their founding period especially are full of people who started weeks ago and remember exactly how you feel.
"I'll get hurt." There's no striking in grappling, you learn to tap early, and beginners are never thrown in against full intensity. Soreness the next day is the most common complaint by far.
Your first session at Forged Grappling costs nothing. We run no-gi classes Monday to Friday at 6pm at Woodlands Industrial Estate in Westbury, a short drive from Trowbridge, Warminster and Frome.
Claim your free trial: register here and we'll send you a QR code and everything you need to know before your first session.