BJJ: how to choose your club

BJJ gone wrong list:

• Classes that don't start on time.
• Instructors that don't teach.
• Instructors that get in street fights on the weekends and brag in class.
• An instructor that punished a student by rubbing his ears so he gets cauli.
• Instructors roided up and psycho.
• Student instructors teaching that are stoned.
•  Instructors that purposely hurt students by over extending armbars.
• Classes that are canceled without notice.
• A school culture that promotes cauli as a badge of honor.
•  A school culture of tough guys.
• Neck cranks
• Heel hooks that cripple people permanently.
• Instructors that ridicule students and yell.
• Instructors that sleep with their students.
• Instructors that say they are raising the fees because there are too many students and they want the less dedicated ones to quit.
• Club that only let you wear gis that you have to buy from them.

BJJ correct list:

• It's always clean - I've trained at a lot of schools that I can't say the same.
• Online Support - I get to review techniques before class and get training tips.
• Things run smoothly - Actions that are detrimental to safety/timing of classes are stopped.
• Correctly Dressed - on Gi days, everyone wearing Gi's. On No Gi, everyone in NoGI.
• No sandbagging - no holding back students so they can do better at comps.
• No thugs - The overall philosophy of the club doesn't support them. They leave.
• Friendly to new people - new people aren't fresh meat to be smashed.
• Conditioning - There is a focus on getting folks in rolling shape before rolling.
• Open doors to other schools - We routinely train and interact with other clubs.
• Self Defense & Sport - I've trained at places that are strictly sport and prefer the mix.
• Respectful - everyone is respectful of each other and treat as training partners.
• BJJ, not MMA - There is no confusion that it is a BJJ school and not an MMA gym.
• Instructor training certification program - The instructors are certified and not just winging it and there is a path for students that want to become instructors.
• Curriculum - No "hmm what should we do today" moments. Or "why am I learning reverse De La Riva guard escapes as a day 5 white belt?"
• Positional Grappling for Newbs - learn a few side control escapes, then focus on them during live grappling instead of clueless newbie rolls

This post is inspired from discussions on F12.