Shop around.
go for a free class and see if you like the gym.
BJJ can be expensive.
Choose a gym that you can afford.
Beware of long term contract.
if a gym tries to force you into only a long term, I would be concern about their retention of members and therefore their quality.
ask the intructor about their training program and curriculum.
If they do not have any, I would be concerned.
have a look to see if there are people of similar size you can with.
If they only have big guys, I would be concerned.
I usually advise people to choose the closest gym as well.
Travelling long distance is all good fun but it gets old after a while.
Great advice here.
When I was looking for a gym I found many of them to be secretive about pricing. They asked you to come in for a trial then they will discuss price. That doesn't mean the school is crap (maybe the guy on the phone was an idiot), but I've noticed reputable schools just tell you the price knowing they can rely on their solid reputation.
Another thing to look out for is whether the gym charges extra for everything, like belt advancement training and testing, competition classes, etc.. Again, doesn't mean it's a bad gym but there could be hidden costs. And it could mean it's a bad gym lol.
It may not be possible, but I think it's beneficial to join a school that does stand up training as well. I train Muay Thai, but I love being able to roll occasionally so I am not totally lost on the ground. You may find it beneficial to train standup once and a while so you are not lost there as well (and for a great workout).
I would also add to look to see, if you can, how successful the students are at competing. Fuck the instructor's record, I don't care tbh. They all seem impressive, but I care how good he/she is as coach, not a competitor. If the students compete and get killed, or no on competes, I would see that as a red flag.
Like lechian said, a big thing is the contract. I would be concerned if they lock you in long term. I wouldn't worry about month or 3 month commitments, but beyond that is a red flag too. To me that means they have the typical gym model that they pay their bills by having members pay but stop attending. Plus, it will likely take a few months to figure out if you like the gym and the art. It's frustrating at first, so you won't know after a week or two. But if you sign up short term it's much less of a loss. This is especially important if this is the first time you're training martial arts (they aren't for everyone, even people who think they would like training).
I also think a positive sign is when a gym allows non-members to train and brings in outsiders for seminars. That's just a personal preference, but it's a good sign to me that they want to bring in new sparring/rolling partners and get other perspectives. It tells me the instructors don't think they're god's gift to Muay Thai/BJJ or whatever.
Sorry that's long, I went through the process and thought this could help.
