The experience

No. You get fit by training, not before it. Our fundamentals classes are built for people who have never done a martial art, and you set your own intensity in every live round. Nobody is going to run you into the ground on day one.

Anything you can move in — shorts or leggings and a fitted t-shirt. Leave the pockets and zips at home. We’ll lend you a gi for your first session if you want to try one. No shoes on the mat, and please trim your nails.

Not for the trial. After that, you’ll want a gi for the gi classes (Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings) and a rash guard with shorts for no-gi (Wednesday evenings, Saturday mornings). We can point you at the right size and brand.

Our mats hold teenagers and people in their sixties in the same class. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is built on leverage rather than explosiveness, which is exactly why it keeps working as you get older. Tell your coach about any injuries and they’ll adjust what you drill.

Injuries are possible in any contact sport, and we take that seriously — “keep it playful to avoid injuries” is one of our written house rules. You tap before anything hurts, your partner releases immediately, and a coach is on the mat for every round. Beginners are not thrown into hard sparring.

You’ll be met at the desk, shown where to change, and walked onto the mat. Class opens with movement, then a technique broken down and drilled with a partner. If there’s live training afterwards, you can join at a light pace or sit and watch — both are normal for a first day.

Yes. Pinnacle is an ESA Approved Vendor with the Arizona Department of Education, so Empowerment Scholarship Account funds can be applied toward kids tuition. Ask us at the desk and we’ll walk you through it.

Absolutely. Visiting practitioners are welcome at all-levels and no-gi classes — bring a clean gi and tell us where you train. Open mats are how a lot of friendships in this building started.