Adults 18 and up who have never trained start in a fundamentals grappling class at either Apex academy, or straight into boxing or Muay Thai, and the first class is free. Plan on two to three classes a week, expect to be sore and a little lost for the first month, and tell the coach about any injury before you start.
Start here if you are new
Most adults who walk into a martial arts gym for the first time have the same worries: not fit enough, too old, going to look foolish, going to get hurt. This page is the honest version of what the first three months look like at Apex Jiu Jitsu & MMA, so you can decide with clear eyes. It is written for adults, which at Apex means ages 18 and up at both academies. If you are booking for someone younger, see the kids or teens pages.
There is one coaching standard across both academies and two schedules to choose from. Nobody expects you to know anything on day one. The only thing you need to bring is a willingness to be a beginner for a while.
Fundamentals classes at both academies
The easiest way into jiu-jitsu is a class built only for new students, and both academies run one.
At Ashburn, it is Beginners No-Gi Grappling: 45 minutes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings, with every student in the room just starting out. At Sterling, it is BJJ Fundamentals, a one-hour class offered in a gi version and a No-Gi version. Both focus on the foundation of gi & No-Gi jiu-jitsu: the core positions, how to get out of bad ones, and how to stay in good ones. When you book, the form asks whether you have trained before and points a brand-new student at the fundamentals class automatically.
Grappling is not the only door. Boxing and Muay Thai take beginners straight into the adult class, and kickboxing is taught together with Muay Thai at Apex. MMA works best after a few months of building the parts; the MMA page explains how new students enter it at each academy.
For a picture of the first class itself, your first jiu-jitsu class, minute by minute walks through it from arrival to the last round.
What to wear
Comfortable athletic clothing: shorts or leggings and a t-shirt or rash guard. Nothing with zippers, buttons, or pockets, because they catch and can injure you or a partner on the mat. Bring a water bottle and a towel, and trim your nails before you come. If your first class is a gi class at Sterling, the academy lends you a gi for the trial. Wrestling and grappling are barefoot, and shoes come off at the edge of the mat.
You do not need to buy anything before the first class. Each academy has a pro shop on site for when you are ready.
The first 90 days, honestly
The first month is mostly confusion, and that is normal. You will learn how to tap, which means two taps on your partner or the mat, and everything stops. You will learn how to fall. You will forget the technique from Monday by Wednesday, and you will be tired in a way the treadmill never made you tired. Experienced partners go light with newcomers, and live rounds are your choice, not a requirement.
The second month is when the pieces begin to connect. Positions start to have names in your head, the warm-up stops feeling like a test, and you begin to recognize what the coach is showing before the explanation ends.
The third month is a natural point to take stock. By then you know people by name, you have a favorite class time, and you can see your own progress in small ways. The academies' own guidance is that most students notice changes within the first four to six weeks and that the difference is hard to miss by three to six months. That is a pattern, not a promise, and it depends almost entirely on showing up. For a longer account, read what the first 90 days of BJJ feel like.
How often to train
The academies recommend two or three classes a week for new students. At that pace the lessons stick from one class to the next, and your body gets the recovery days it needs while it adapts. Some committed members end up on the mat four to six days a week, but nobody starts there. Regular attendance matters far more than how hard any single session feels, so pick class times you can keep, week after week, even when work gets busy. If you are starting from a low fitness base, starting martial arts out of shape at 40 or 50 is written for you.
Soreness and injury, honestly
You will be sore after your first few classes, in muscles you did not know you had. That fades as your body adapts. Injury is a different matter, and it would be dishonest to pretend contact sports carry no risk. They do.
What Apex does about it: every class starts with a structured warm-up. You learn how to fall safely, how to move efficiently, and how to protect yourself and your training partners, with technique before intensity every time. Sparring is always optional, especially for beginners. Aggressive training partners are not tolerated. Tell your coach about any injury, condition, or old surgery before class, because every technique can be modified and every drill can be scaled.
Hygiene matters too. Train with clean gear and trimmed nails, and stay home when you are sick. The honest list of common BJJ injuries covers what goes wrong and how to prevent it, and boxing for beginners, your first month does the same for the striking side.
After the free class
Book online, arrive about ten minutes early, and the academy takes it from there. A text confirms your booking, and no payment information is required. After class, a coach walks you through the membership options, with no high-pressure sales and no surprise fees.
At Apex Jiu Jitsu & MMA Ashburn
- Adult Beginners No-Gi Grappling · Mon, Wed, Fri 6:00 PM
At Apex Jiu Jitsu & MMA Sterling
- Adult BJJ - Fundamentals Gi · Mon, Wed, Fri 5:30 PM
- Adult BJJ - Fundamentals No-Gi · Thu 5:30 PM
Questions about Martial Arts for Adult Beginners
Do the fundamentals classes use the gi or No-Gi?
It depends on the academy. Ashburn's Beginners No-Gi Grappling is taught in a rash guard and shorts, like every jiu-jitsu class there. Sterling runs BJJ Fundamentals in a gi version and a No-Gi version, and the academy lends a gi for a trial in a gi class. The positions and escapes you learn are the same either way, so pick the time that fits your week.
When do I move from fundamentals into the regular classes?
There is no fixed date and no test to pass. Your coach watches how you handle the core positions, escapes, and control, and tells you when you are ready to add the regular classes. The same principle runs through belts: promotions come from technique, consistency, and mat time, not from showing up for a test, and the coach is the one who lets you know.
Can I start with boxing or Muay Thai instead of grappling?
Yes. Boxing and Muay Thai welcome beginners into the adult class from day one, and kickboxing is taught inside Muay Thai at Apex. You start with stance, footwork, and pad work, and sparring is always optional. If you want grappling later, the fundamentals class is waiting, and all-inclusive memberships exist at both academies for adults who want to train both sides.
What gear will I need after the free class?
Not much at first. For No-Gi grappling, a rash guard and shorts without pockets or zippers covers it, and gi classes need a gi of your own once the trial is over. Wrestling starts barefoot, with shoes and headgear only if you continue. Each academy has a pro shop on site, and your coach can tell you what to get for boxing or Muay Thai.
What happens after my free class?
A coach walks you through the membership options, based on how many classes you want each week and which programs interest you. There are discipline-specific and all-inclusive memberships, and the conversation stays low pressure: Apex aims to earn your membership every month. Nothing is charged for the trial, and no payment information is taken to book it.
Train at either Apex academy
Choose Ashburn or Sterling, and find the schedule that fits your week.