The short version
You will never wonder which class to go to
Every adult class on our board carries a level. That one decision — labelling the room instead of letting people guess — is the difference between a beginner who quits in three weeks and one who is still here in three years.
Underneath it is the 10th Planet system: no gi, no collar grips, built on body mechanics that transfer to competition, MMA and self-defence without translation. Lockdown, rubber guard, the truck, the twister and a leg lock game taught on purpose rather than by accident.
At a glance Adult jiu jitsu
- System
- 10th Planet no-gi
- Levels
- LV1 Foundations, LV2 Integrated, LV3 Advanced
- Kit
- Rashguard and shorts, included
- Rank
- No belt worn
- Terms
- Month-to-month
- Open mat
- Fridays, all schools, $30 drop-in
The three levels
Foundations, integrated, advanced
Same system, three intensities. You are welcome to move up whenever a coach says you are ready — and welcome to stay put as long as you like.
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Weeks 1–6
LV1Foundations
Your first six weeks
Sixty minutes of approachable drilling and light, supervised sparring. Fundamental positions, transitions and submissions, plus the safety skills nobody puts on a poster: breakfalls, structured movement, tapping early and without embarrassment. Partners are picked for you.
- Classes a week
- 4
- Experience
- Zero assumed
- Light rounds
- 10–15 min
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Week 7 onward
LV2Integrated grappling
Where most of the week happens
Full technique instruction and live rounds. The 10th Planet positions are taught in sequence so they connect — lockdown into the electric chair, mission control into the truck — rather than arriving as a pile of unrelated moves. Beginners are absorbed here every week.
- Classes a week
- 14
- Open to
- All levels
- Times
- 6:30 AM to 6 PM
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When a coach says go
LV3Advanced performance
Faster, longer, harder
Competition-minded problems at a higher pace. Leg entanglements, back exposure, finishing chains and the sort of rounds that tell you honestly where your game is. You do not have to compete to train here. You do have to want to be pushed.
- Classes a week
- 15
- Experience
- Some base expected
- Runs
- Every day but Saturday
Beyond the levels
Specialty classes on the standing schedule
Not add-ons or seminars — these run every week, included in your membership.
- Judo for No-Gi · Fri & Sat 9 AM
- Takedowns, grip-free entries and throws adapted for a room where nobody is wearing a jacket.
- Leg Locks 101 · Fri 10 AM
- The entries, the finishes and — more usefully — the escapes, taught in isolation rather than picked up in a scramble.
- Rubberguard · Fri 11 AM
- The position 10th Planet is known for, given its own hour. Mission control, New York, chill dog, the whole chain.
- Gi Jiu Jitsu · Sat 10 AM
- One gi class a week for the grip fighting, the collar chokes, and anyone planning to compete in a kimono. Loaners available.
- Study Hall · Fri 4 PM
- Members-only open room for drilling your own thing, reviewing footage, or working a problem with a training partner.
- Open Mat · Fri 6 PM
- Ninety minutes of open rolling, and every academy in Portland is welcome on it — $30 to drop in, free if you train here. Bring a friend, bring a rival.
Common questions
Before your first class
Do I need any experience?
No. LV1 Foundations exists specifically for people with zero background, and LV2 absorbs beginners every week. Tell the coach it is your first day and the class adapts around you.
Do I need to be in shape first?
No, and waiting until you are is how people never start. Training is what gets you in shape. You set your own pace in every round and you can sit one out whenever you want.
Am I too old?
We have members starting in their thirties, forties and fifties, and members training past sixty. Jiu jitsu is built on leverage and timing rather than explosiveness, which is exactly why it keeps working as you get older.
Is it safe?
There is no striking in jiu jitsu classes and the whole practice runs on control and consent — you tap, your partner lets go, you reset. Beginners start with positional work before full sparring. Injuries usually come from ego, so we manage the room to keep that out of it. There is also a physical therapist working out of the building, so anything that does need looking at can be looked at by someone who understands grappling.
What do I need to buy?
Nothing, at any point. A t-shirt and shorts is fine for your first few weeks, and when you sign up a rashguard and a pair of grappling shorts are included — you do not buy your first kit here, you are given it.
Are there showers?
Two of them, plus changing space. That is what makes the 6:30 AM and midday classes workable if you are going on to a workday afterwards — bring a towel. There are two mat rooms as well, so the evening LV2 and LV3 run at the same time in separate rooms rather than sharing one floor.
Do I have to compete?
Never. Plenty of our members have never entered a tournament and never will. If you do want to compete, there are people here who will help you get ready.
Can I drop in for a single class?
Yes — a drop-in is $30 for one class, whether you train at another academy, you are passing through Portland, or you just want to get on the mat without joining yet. Friday open mat counts. Call 503-974-0521 ahead so we know to expect you.
What does membership cost?
Memberships are month-to-month with no contract, and you can pause anytime. Signing up includes a rashguard and grappling shorts, so there is no kit bill on top of the first month. Call 503-974-0521 or ask on your tour and we will walk you through the options.
Tour pass Admit one
Come and see it for yourself.
Twenty minutes with an instructor: both mat rooms, the three levels, and an honest answer about where you would start.
- Bring
- Nothing. You are not training on a tour.
- On the mat next
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