Women's Only Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Classes

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Girls in Gis - Women's Only Jiu Jitsu Classes at SBG Athens

The Girls in Gis classes are a place for women to practice Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in Athens, GA with other women. This is especially important for women who are newer to martial arts. Starting something new means leaving your comfort zone, which can be a tough thing to do for anyone. When you add in other factors that come with being one of few women in a group of men, it can be even more intimidating! Many women may simply decide not to try it at all, as they feel that the odds are stacked against them from the start! Having a class with other women can help with a lot of that, as it is a place to feel slightly more comfortable with all the new things being introduced!

Some women find that the majority of their partners in co-ed classes are much larger than they are, so the Girls in Gis class gives them a chance to find partners closer to their own size with whom to practice new techniques. Learning new techniques can be difficult and frustrating, and having the extra challenge of trying to get around a huge difference in body size can make it even harder. Having a group of smaller training partners to work with when seeing new things for the first time can be extremely helpful in understanding how positions and moves should look.

Some women may struggle with the necessity of working with male partners, especially at first. Some women have a history of abuse or trauma and working with a male partner can be extremely intimidating. Even women without such factors can be intimidated by working with a strange man for several reasons. Being new and awkward is tough enough but adding in size/strength differences definitely doesn’t help. We have a large number of male members who are great training partners, and who enjoy working with female partners for all the right reasons. However, it takes time for new members to learn with whom they feel comfortable training. Having a class where all the students are women can make it easier to become comfortable with BJJ in Athens. In turn, this hopefully leads women to becoming more comfortable with the idea of working with male partners.

Girls in Gis is a good place for women to ask questions of more experienced members who are also women. Some questions female members have can only be answered by another woman: advice on hair care while training, sports bras, etc, are only a few examples.

There is nothing more empowering than learning to defend yourself physically. Many women find that martial arts gives them confidence and strength, while also teaching them how much they are truly capable of doing. However, jumping into something new can be scary, and many people, especially women, never take that first step. Our Girls in Gis program is designed to give ladies a place to get to know other women on the same journey, while helping more women get comfortable with being uncomfortable!

Call or text us, today, to learn more about how you can begin taking control of your health and self-defense with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in Athens, Georgia. This is SBG, you will be okay.

Girls In Gis Schedule And Coaches

We have two Girls in Gis classes on our schedule, which are available to women enrolled in the martial arts program. Women who are newer to the program can attend our all female BJJ class on Saturday mornings at 10AM. Women who are also attending classes in our advanced program have a second class available on Tuesday evenings at 6PM. These classes are available in addition to regular classes in our Adult Martial Arts programs

Our Girls in Gis classes are taught by experienced female coaches (including the only two female Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belts in Athens) who have received training in the coaching philosophies of SBG. Our Girls in Gis coaches are passionate about training and coaching and are active members of our gym in various capacities!

One tribe, one vibe.

For more information on our classes, contact us today

TESTIMONIALS

What People Are Saying

Still need convincing? Check out what people are saying about us.

When I found SBG and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, I had no idea how much it would affect my life. I came here looking for an activity for my 5 year old son, but quickly decided I wanted to try it for myself as well. It looked like a fun way to get in shape, meet some new people, and do something I had never tried before. I jumped right in, and it turned out to be one of the best decisions I made in my life! One of my favorite things about SBG is the Girls in Gis program. We have amazing male members and coaches, and the culture of respect and “family” really makes this feel like a safe place to train with everyone…but there is something special about sharing the experience with other women. As a student, I appreciate having strong female mentors to look up to and learn from, and to have as amazing role models. I also now have the honor of being one of the Girls in Gis coaches, which means I get to help other women learn how strong they can be! It is so cool to watch the growth happening, and to see women (including myself) learn how to be stronger and more confident. I can’t say enough about how much SBG Athens means to me, and how much the relationships I have with the people here have changed my life for the better. - Katrina McCranie, SBG Athens Coach

Katrina

When I started training at SBG a little over 10 years ago, there were only a handful of women that were in the martial arts program. I really enjoyed Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and the men that were training were respectful teammates but I thought it would be even better if more women stuck with training. Selfishly I wanted anyone that was remotely close to my size, but I also knew that there were fantastic skills that women could gain from training. I thought that if women had a resource and community of other encouraging women that could help mentor and guide them through this male-dominated sport, they would find the support and resolve to stick with training. We started women’s only classes to bolster that community and give them a chance to work with people closer to their size and strength levels - to practice techniques that might not be presented otherwise because of the physical disparities. The goal is to be able to train with everyone, and these classes give women a safe space and a chance to ease-in to rolling, particularly if they have experienced trauma in the past. The bonds and relationships formed on the mats are fostered by constant communication, having social events outside of the gym, and travel to competitions and other women-centered camps. The fact that SBG Athens has fantastic coaches that are also women works wonderfully for everyone. Men get to see how capable women are, women get to see other women being successful, and everyone benefits from the culture of respect and acceptance. – Viki Timian, SBG Athens 1st Female BJJ Black Belt, SBG Athens Coach

Viki

When I enrolled my 6-year-old daughter in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu I expected her to learn self-defense. I expected her to learn self discipline and confidence. What I didn't expect was the joy and excitement she would get from the classes. And the biggest surprise was how infectious that joy would be. Not long after she began classes I stepped WAY out of my introverted, anxiety-filled comfort zone to join her in taking classes and it was one of the best things I have done for myself. All of the positives I saw in my daughter learning from BJJ were now mine as well. I was more confident, I was learning self-defense, I was less anxious. It gave me a support group of amazing people I didn't know I needed. When I first began classes I was more comfortable working with women. SBG helps support that by providing girls only classes twice a week in addition to the coed foundations classes. My coaches were also helpful by partnering me with people I felt comfortable with in the regular foundations classes. As I have grown more comfortable with myself in BJJ and as I have built relationships with not only the amazing women of the tribe but also the men, I have become more comfortable working with a variety of partners. I still find myself nervous at times, but I am never uncomfortable with the people around me. The tribe supports you and makes sure you feel safe and valued. - Rina

Rina

It's not about being a prize fighter or the toughest chick on the mat! When I first walked into a BJJ/MMA gym several years ago I was looking to build my physical strength as well as my faith in facing the world with confidence since I struggle with CPTSD. Initially I trained in gyms that had classes with men and women. With my history, it took me a while to get comfortable enough to train with the men. I thought for sure I had to train to fight in competitions. After moving to Athens, my previous trainer recommended I check out SBG. I didn't even realize there were gyms that offered women's only classes! I'm blown away with how empowering BJJ & MMA are for women in general. I'm even more in love with it now that I've had the opportunity to train in a women's only class. The basics are the same, but there are times when we have to make adjustments & have questions. It's nice to feel at ease asking questions openly, without judgements, and with reassurance that questions are ok and welcome! SBG has made me feel comfortable being the grandma on the mat. Everyone here is a team, learning together, making mistakes together, getting it right together, growing together.... When my anxiety makes me feel uncomfortable, they help me to feel cared for & normal, they help me process the moment, and I'm able to work through what triggered me. I'm able to move on from the moment much faster now, and I definitely feel more comfortable training with the men now! Come check out what we're all about. I'll be there! I giggle a lot when I train so I'm easy to find!

Michelle

I have been training at SBG Athens for about 4.5 years. I have loved everything about my experience here, especially the strong and diverse female population and dedicated women's program (Girls in Gis). It can be both exciting and nerve-wracking to start something like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, which is not only physically demanding but can be incredibly mentally challenging, too. It's also a sport where women are typically outnumbered, but it really doesn't feel that way at our gym! I feel very lucky to have so many women, of all ages and from various backgrounds, to train with here. Everyone has something unique that they bring to the group, and I feel like we are all able to learn from each other and support each other's goals. We really do help each other get better, and form some pretty awesome friendships and have a lot of fun along the way! Our female coaches do such a great job in helping us foster connections with each other, creating an environment where we can voice our unique questions and concerns, encouraging/challenging us past our perceived limitations, and serving as an inspiration for what we can physically and mentally achieve. Truly, I do feel that our gym as a whole is an incredibly welcoming and supportive community, and the fact that we have dedicated women's classes (and often a large female presence in regular classes!) is a great testament to that.

Nishita, BJJ Blue Belt

My name is Ami and I am a 41 year old mother of three. As a woman, I’ve gone through many phases learning who I am, who I want to be, and finding where I “fit”. From the perspective of motherhood, I never made time for myself when my kids were younger. I didn’t know what I “liked to do”. I watched one of my lady friends blossom into a confident, strong woman before my eyes and thought “that’s great for her.” A few years later I found out just what made this friend bloom. At the suggestion of someone close to me, I went to SBG Athens-to find an outlet for the stressors of raising three teenagers, working, paying bills-all the things we “get” through. What I found was so much more than I could’ve imagined. I was terrified at first, but I loved Brazilian Jiu Jitsu immediately. I wanted to learn everything I could. I found women I could relate to. Growing up I tended to hang with the boys more. The girls were harder to trust. At SBG I found women I could trust. Grappling with men was a bit intimidating to me at first, so the Girls in Gis classes gave me a place I felt totally safe to start learning the art. Being a woman that didn’t get along with women, this was so important for me-to develop those relationships with other women. Let’s face it, being a small female can make some things very challenging in this sport. I’ve become so much more comfortable in my skin, which has helped me to feel more comfortable in all areas of my life. The Girls in Gis are a group of amazing, bad-ass, silly women that genuinely care about each other’s journey on and off the mats. It’s like a sisterhood, where we wear pajamas and choke each other out of love! I want all women to be able to experience this and learn how to protect themselves in any situation. We have a good time, learn the art, and support each other. Now I get to bloom too. Thank you SBG and thank you to all the awesome Girls in Gis for showing up and showing me who I am!

Ami, BJJ Blue Belt