Once a month we clear the mat of drills and syllabus and just roll. A round timer, some music, good training partners and plenty of chat in between. Gi until 8.15pm, then No-Gi to finish.
Third Thursday of the month 7.30pm to 9pm Adult members of any TJK club
A session with no lesson plan. No warm-up routine, no technique of the week, no instructor at the front. Just time on the mat to train live with whoever you like.
In a normal class, most of the hour goes on learning: a technique is shown, you drill it with a partner, and then you try it with some resistance. That's how skills get built, and it's the backbone of everything we do.
An open mat flips the ratio. Instead of a few minutes of sparring at the end of class, you get an hour and a half of it. You pick your partners, you pick what you want to work on, and you find out what actually works for you when someone is doing their best to stop it.
At TJK Tewkesbury we run it as pure rounds. A round timer keeps things moving, there's music on, and between rounds you catch your breath, swap partners and talk about what just happened. It's relaxed, it's friendly, and it's easily one of the best nights of the month.
Nobody is keeping score and nobody is being graded. The only goal is to get lots of good rounds in, learn something from each one, and go home tired and happy.
Six reasons a monthly open mat does more for your Jujutsu than you might expect.
A technique you've only ever drilled on a cooperative partner is still a theory. Open mat is where you find out which of your escapes, sweeps and submissions hold up against someone who doesn't want them to work, and which ones need another look in class.
In class you often train with the same few people. At open mat you roll with members from across the club: bigger, smaller, faster, heavier, more experienced and less. Every different body type and style teaches you something your usual partner can't.
Class decides what you work on. Open mat lets you decide. Spend the whole night on your guard, chase one submission you can't quite land, or play from bad positions on purpose. That freedom is how people start to develop a style of their own.
Ninety minutes of rounds is more live training than most of us fit into a normal week. It builds your grappling fitness, your timing and your composure under pressure faster than anything else, and it's a great way to top up your training if you've missed a class or two.
Get stuck in the same position three rounds running and you'll know exactly what to ask your sensei next week. Open mat shows you the gaps in your game, which makes every class afterwards more useful.
Music on, no pressure, good people and good rounds. Open mat is where a lot of the friendships in the club are made, and it's a reminder of why we all started training in the first place.
Every third Thursday of the month, 7.30pm to 9pm, at Wheatpieces Community Centre, GL20 7SP. Open mat takes the place of the usual Thursday class that week.
We start in the gi, the way most of our regular classes run. Grips, lapels and collars all come into play, so the pace is usually a little more methodical. A great chance to work the throws, controls and chokes from the syllabus against live resistance.
Then the gis come off. Without anything to grip, the rolling gets faster and more scrambly, and you have to rely on underhooks, frames and body position instead. Our regular classes are mostly in the gi, so this is your dedicated No-Gi block each month.
A round timer keeps everyone rotating, with a short rest between rounds to swap partners. Sit a round out whenever you like, grab a drink, or stop and ask someone how they caught you. It's serious training, just not a serious atmosphere.
Open mat is for every adult TJK member, whichever club you train at and whatever your belt. White belts are just as welcome as black belts, and everyone looks after their partner. If you're not a member yet, start with a free class and you'll be rolling at the next one before you know it.
Open mat runs on the same respect and care as every other TJK session. Nobody is trying to win the room. The aim is for both people to come out of every round having learned something, and to be fit enough to train again next week.
If it's your first one, pick a partner you know for your opening round, roll at a steady pace, and tap early. You'll soon find your rhythm.
The things members usually ask before their first open mat.
All adult TJK members, whichever club you train at. Members from other TJK clubs are very welcome, and it's a great way to roll with new people. If you haven't trained with TJK yet, book your free first class and come to a few regular sessions first. Once you're a member, the next open mat is yours.
Yes. Rolling with more experienced people is one of the fastest ways to improve, and they'll adjust their pace to suit you. Choose partners you're comfortable with, sit out any round you want, and tap early. Nobody expects a white belt to win rounds.
No. Come for the Gi half, the No-Gi half, or the whole night. Plenty of people have a preference, and it's entirely up to you.
No. On the third Thursday of each month, open mat takes the place of the usual Thursday 7.30pm class. Sunday and Tuesday classes run as normal that week.
A rashguard or T-shirt, with MMA shorts, grappling shorts or your gi trousers. Nothing with zips, pockets or loose parts that fingers and toes can catch in. Bring your full gi for the first half as normal.
There's no lesson, but there's always someone happy to help. If a partner catches you with something, ask them to show you. Some of the best learning of the month happens in the chats between rounds.
Tuesday's live training is a regular weekly hour of sparring. Open mat is a longer, looser monthly session: ninety minutes of pure rounds, a Gi half and a No-Gi half, music on, and a more social feel.
Come and try a jujutsu class for yourself, for free!