Review: Redline Jiu-Jitsu Academy

I have been involved with martial arts (karate, specifically) for decades, since I was about 9 or 10, I think, and I have loved it. One thing I’ve learned, though, is that there’s more to self defense than punches and kicks. This became breathtakingly clear to me at my most recent belt test where, once the ring judge yelled “FIGHT!”, all I could see was the dojo ceiling, spinning, and the next thing I knew I was being choked and desperately trying to find something to tap on. 🙂 To quote my Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu coach (more on him later), “It’s not great.”

With that point perfectly made, I started looking for a way to fix my ground game, as we say, so I asked the guy who did the choking, and he suggested two schools to me, one of which was Redline, saying “Ty Gay is the real deal.” After some procrastination, last November I signed up for the two-week trial, and haven’t stopped since. What I’d like to do here is offer my take on the academy to someone else who might be looking.

tl;dr: It’s awesome and you should join.

The Class

The class structure is pretty informal. Unlike other, more traditional martial arts, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has (largely) done away with much of the ceremony one often finds in dojos. Redline has a very relaxed atmosphere. When you’re on the mat, you’re there to learn, but Ty wants to make sure you enjoy Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as much as he does, so it’s good “hard” fun. 🙂

For each class, then, we come in, already in our gi or changing into it in the locker room, then we take our places against the wall. Each basics class (see below) usually consists of a standing portion (what do when you’re standing and certain circumstances arise) and a ground portion (what to do… on the ground. This is the part I really need :).

How do you eat an elephant?

One bite at a time!

— Someone, somewhere

Each technique is demonstrated slowly and repeatedly to make sure each student sees and understands. More complicated techniques are presented in “slices”, showing one part at a time, slowly building to the complete technique. Once everyone feels comfortable enough to start practicing what they’ve just seen, we break up into pairs and drill with our partner, each taking a turn to perform the technique on the other while Ty walks the room providing feedback, correction, etc. Lather, rinse, and repeat.

I’ve found it to be an effective — and fun — way to learn. There’s no pressure or judgment, just a bunch of people helping each other out.

The Curriculum

Gracie/Brazilian Jiu-jitsu (with which Redline is loosely associated — Ty was/is a student of several prominent Gracies) is often broken down into two large, rough sections: Basics/Fundamentals and Advanced. BJJ has, depending on who you ask, over 600 techniques, with more being developed all the time. The Gracie philosophy, to which Redline adheres, tries to avoid overwhelming beginners with that much information and starts with a basics class that teaches around 45 techniques that research indicates should be “enough” to get you going.

Each new student at Redline gets a progress tracking card. There are two major sections that students should pay attention to at the beginning. On the left, there’s a chart of the 30 Basics classes that the Basics curriculum is broken down into. Each class, as noted above, will have a specific standing and ground technique for the day. In order to advance to blue belt, the student must attend each of those classes at least three times, with each visit being marked on the card.

On the right side of the card is an attendance tracker. There are four columns of twenty boxes. After each class attended, the next box in the column (top to bottom, left to right) is marked. Once a column is completed, a white stripe is put on the end of the student’s belt. Once you have two stripes, you can start attending the advanced class as well start rolling. Once you get four stripes, you can start to think seriously about testing, though how close you are to being ready will depend entirely on you. For example, I fully expect that when I get my fourth stripe in the next couple of weeks (Lord willing), I’ll still have at least a few months to go before I can seriously entertain the idea of testing.

The Coach

If you’re like me and grew up in the 80s watching the Karate Kid movies, or you’ve gotten introduced by Netflix’s Cobra Kai, you’ve seen a Hollywood version of what a bad school can be like. Fortunately, Redline and Ty Gay are nothing, so if you’re worried about finding a John Kreese (or Gunnery Sergeant Hartman!), don’t be. 😛 I don’t want to be overly analytical, but Ty loves jiu-jitsu and he genuinely wants his students to love it as well. What’s even better is that his friendly, helpful attitude is repeated in all of his students. I’ve not met a single “mat bully” in my several months there. Everyone’s friendly, helpful, and supportive, in large part, I think, because that’s what Ty models.

His teaching style is, as noted, fairly informal, and he is super patient. There are lots of concepts in jiu-jitsu, and many pop up in lots of different classes, but no matter how times I’ve heard him discuss, say, “rule of thumb” (come to class to find out what that means), he never seems bored by having to repeat it. Same information, same enthusiasm, same smile. I’ve never seen him exasperated when explaining things, whether it’s in his kids’ class, or trying to break an old karate guy like me of bad (for jiu-jitsu) habits.

The Cost

Again, if you’re like me, the question of money is usually one of the first to come up, and it’s a valid question. I won’t, though, list prices for you as they may very well change and contacting the academy is always your best bet. I will say, though, they cost is on par with what other schools charge, but there’s some flexibility even in that: Redline offers 1 day, 2 day, and 3 day packages (last I looked), which means that you can attend any and all classes for which you are qualified 1, 2, or 3 days a week. For example, I’m on the 2 day plan, so on Tuesdays and Thursdays I try to attend the Basics class at 11:30, then again at 6:30, followed by the Advanced class at 7:30. That’s a whole lot of bang for buck!

The Cuestions

Yes, I know “questions” start with a “q” but I like alliteration. 🙂

• Is it fun?
  • Very.
• Is it hard?
  • It can be, but see above. 🙂
• Do I need special clothing?
  • Yes, eventually. All basics classes require a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu gi. Redline offers some branded gis for purchase at the academy, but you can also by some from Century Martial Arts, Amazon, or the retailer of your choice.
• Is there a trial?
  • Yes. Redline offers a free 14-day trial with no cost or commitment. Your biggest risk is getting hooked on it. 😛 Sign up here.
• Will I get hurt?
  • Hopefully not, but it is a contact sport; you’re learning how to fight (specifically, how to defend yourself, Mr. Lawrence!). So, while accidents do happen, Ty is very careful to explain how to drill safely so that we don’t hurt ourselves or each other. He has said several times in class that he wants us to be able to do jiu-jitsu as long as we want, so he tries to keep things as safe as possible.
• Do I have to compete?
  • No. Some schools are pretty focused on competition, but Redline is not. You can enter tournaments if you want, but they are not required. Ty feels we roll enough in class for all involved to get a good sense of how effective their jiu-jitsu is.
• Do I have to be in good shape?
  • I’m not a medical doctor, so big grain of salt, but, no, I don’t think so. You will, though, get in better shape by attending, as jiu-jitsu is pretty high cardio. There are people of all fitness levels — and ages! — who are training and enjoying it. I will say, though, that if you have concerns, it can’t hurt to talk to your doctor first. 😉
• Are you getting paid to say this?
  • I wish, but no. I remember looking at the list of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu schools in the area wondering how to decide, so I thought I’d put something out there to help someone. If you would like to pay me, though, I take Paypal, Cash, and Venmo. 😛

The Conclusion

If you’re even mildly interested in learning jiu-jitsu, I’d be surprised if you can find a better place to train in the Oklahoma City area. While I generally wouldn’t talk trash about schools anyway, in this case, I’m unable to, as I quit looking when I found this one. Top to bottom, this is a great place to train, as well as to make new friends, who will choke you with our own arm. 😛 Come join us!