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Aaron Brooks of Pica Pau Jiu Jitsu locks a triangle choke at a local no-gi tournament.

Jiu Jitsu Competition Class

Push Your Limits

At Pica Pau, we hold a special class once a week to prepare our students for competition. Students are not required or pressured to compete, but many find value in challenging themselves and leaving their comfort zones. Read more about the class purpose & format below.

A competitor from Pica Pau Jiu Jitsu takes the back at a tournament in Chicago, IL.

Class Format

Competition class is a high-intensity class with minimal instruction, meant to replicate a competition setting. Students typically run through fast-paced drills of their best moves to build muscle memory & cardio. Class often incorporates live rounds of both positional & open sparring at a more intense pace. As a result, this class is not recommended for students with less than 4-6 months of grappling experience.

Class is typically no-gi, but will sometimes be held in the gi if a major gi tournament is upcoming. Changes in gi- or no-gi style class are announced on our Facebook and Instagram pages.

Aaron Brooks coaches a Pica Pau competitor through a jiu jitsu match in a local Chicago tournament.

Preparing You for All Aspects

A competition match is much different than everyday sparring at the gym. Performance nerves - in front of spectators, family, & teammates - are tough to deal with. Being coached during a live round is a skill in itself. Your opponents won't be trying to help you learn - just like you, they'll be trying to win!

That's why we have a competition-paced class every week. Our mats are laid out in competition squares. When a major tournament is upcoming, we'll hold in-house matches to give students a chance to be coached, spar with the ruleset in mind, and learn how to coach or referee.

All Are Welcome

Competition class often contains many visitors from other academies. That's what makes it fun! We maintain a friendly-competitive atmosphere, always in the spirit of making ourselves and each other better. If you are interested in coming to a competition class, check out our schedule. Remember, this class is not recommended for beginners with < 4-6 months of experience.

 

Scroll down to see some photos of the Pica Pau team during the 2021-2022 competition season.

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