What Coaching at GJJ Looks Like
What to expect as a coach at Golden Jiu Jitsu, from time commitment to program options.
The Programs
GJJ runs four programs. As a new coach, you'll start with one or two of the first three:
Fundamentals. The adult program. Games-based, concept-first, mixed-level classes. This is where most of our coaching hours are and where we always need people. Fundamentals classes are typically coached solo. In practice, we look for purple belts or strong blue belts to lead these classes, because you're teaching concepts and designing games on the fly for a room of mixed experience levels. That said, there's no formal belt requirement. If you're interested, talk to the head coach.
Little Lions (ages 4-7). Structured play for young kids. The jiu jitsu content is real, but the hard part is everything else: behavioral management, age-appropriate communication, partner selection, keeping energy high without losing control. These classes normally run with a lead coach and an assistant. You can assist Little Lions with as little as six months to a year of training, because the coaching skills matter more than grappling depth at this age group.
Golden Tigers (ages 7-13). More structured than Little Lions, with real grappling games and (for some students) submissions. Same coaching challenges as Little Lions plus the added complexity of wider age and size ranges. Like Little Lions, these classes normally have an assistant.
Intermediate. Deep-dives into single topics over multi-week blocks for experienced students. You need to be cleared for fundamentals coaching first, and it takes a while to get here. The good news: the core coaching skills you develop in fundamentals and kids transfer directly. Intermediate coaching is actually easier to run in some ways, because you're coaching experienced grapplers through positional work rather than teaching new concepts from scratch.
Comp coaching and MMA coaching exist but aren't part of the main coaching track right now. Both build on fundamentals coaching skills. If you're interested in either, talk to the head coach after you're cleared for fundamentals.
Picking Your Track
Everyone starts with either fundamentals or kids. You can express interest in any combination:
- Just fundamentals
- Just Little Lions
- Just Golden Tigers
- Little Lions and Golden Tigers
- Fundamentals and one or both kids programs
There's no wrong answer. Pick what you're drawn to. If you're not sure, shadow a few classes in each program and see what clicks. The training track for each is separate (20 sessions each), but there's cross-credit if you complete one and add another.
Time Commitment
Plan for twice a week for 10 weeks per training track. That's 20 sessions at two per week. You can do once a week if your schedule demands it, but that stretches the timeline to 20 weeks and makes it harder to build momentum between sessions.
Training happens during existing class times. You're not doing extra sessions outside of normal classes. You show up, shadow or assist or co-lead alongside the lead coach, and debrief afterward.
Once you're cleared to coach solo, you'll typically start with one class per week. As you get comfortable and as the schedule allows, that can grow. The exact schedule depends on what we need and when you're available.
Compensation
Coaching is a paid position. For what you earn while you train, see How Coach Training Works.
What a Typical Coaching Week Looks Like
There's no single template because it depends on which programs you coach and how many classes you're running. But here's what a week might look like for a coach who's been cleared for fundamentals:
- Before the week starts: Check the curriculum schedule. Know the week's primary topic, the retrieval options, and the evergreen game.
- Before each class: Review the topic. Pick your default games (you can always change them once you see who's in the room, but you should have a plan you can run without thinking). Have a plan for the four segments (warmup, evergreen, retrieval, main topic). This takes 10 to 15 minutes once you know the system.
- During class: Run the warmup, facilitate games, give focused feedback, manage the room. 60 minutes.
- After class: Stay for two to three rounds of open rolling (10 to 15 minutes). Quick self-reflection on the drive home: what went well, what would I change?
The prep time shrinks fast. After a few months, you'll know the game library well enough that planning a class takes five minutes.
What Makes This Different
If you've trained at other gyms, you've probably seen coaching that looks like: demonstrate a technique, have everyone drill it, then roll. That's not what we do.
Coaching at GJJ means designing and running games, not demonstrating techniques. It means reading the room and adjusting constraints on the fly, not delivering a lecture. It means giving one focused piece of feedback per break, not five things nobody will remember. The pedagogy section of this hub covers the theory. The coaches guide covers the practice. But the short version is: your job is to create environments where students learn through play, not to be the expert on stage.
This is harder than traditional coaching in some ways (you have to think on your feet more) and easier in others (you talk less and the students are more engaged). It takes practice. That's what the training track is for.