Short answer
If you live in Thamesford, Ingersoll, Woodstock, London or anywhere in Oxford County, Iron Wolf Jiu-Jitsu Academy at 20127 Cherry Hill Road in Thamesford runs adult gi and no-gi classes six days a week, children’s programmes for ages three to twelve, and a women’s only class on Friday evenings. The first class is free.
Finding a jiu-jitsu academy in a rural county is a different problem from finding one in a city. There is no cluster to choose between and no subway line to plan around. What matters instead is whether the drive is short enough that you will still be doing it in March, and whether the timetable has classes at hours you can actually reach.
Where can you train Brazilian jiu-jitsu near Thamesford?
Iron Wolf Jiu-Jitsu Academy is at 20127 Cherry Hill Road, Thamesford, Ontario N0M 2M0, and draws its members from across Oxford County and beyond.
Thamesford sits between London and Woodstock, which puts the academy within a manageable drive for people in Ingersoll, Woodstock, London, Embro, Dorchester and the surrounding townships. Members do not all come from the village. A good number drive in from London after work and from Woodstock and Ingersoll for the evening classes, because the mats are the reason they are coming, not the postcode.
Is it worth driving from London, Woodstock or Ingersoll to train?
Yes, provided the drive is one you would still make on a wet Tuesday in February.
The strongest predictor of whether somebody is still training in a year is not how good the academy is. It is how easy it is to get there. Be honest with yourself about the route, the time of day and the traffic, then look at the timetable and count how many classes you could genuinely attend in a normal week. If the answer is two or three, that is enough to progress properly. If the answer is one, look for a different time slot before you look for a different academy.
What classes run each week at Iron Wolf?
Classes run six days a week, Monday to Saturday, with the academy closed on Sundays.
| Day | Classes |
|---|---|
| Monday | 11:00 AM Gi; 6:00 PM Fundamentals Gi |
| Tuesday | 6:30 AM Gi/No-Gi; 11:00 AM No-Gi; 5:00 PM Wolf Cubs; 5:30 PM Wolf Pups; 7:00 PM Fundamentals No-Gi |
| Wednesday | 6:00 PM Fundamentals Gi |
| Thursday | 6:30 AM Gi/No-Gi; 11:00 AM No-Gi; 5:00 PM Wolf Cubs; 5:30 PM Wolf Pups; 7:00 PM Fundamentals No-Gi |
| Friday | 11:00 AM Gi; 6:00 PM Women’s Only; 7:00 PM Fundamentals Gi |
| Saturday | 9:30 AM Wolf Cubs; 10:00 AM Wolf Pups; 11:30 AM Adults Gi; 12:30 PM Open Mat |
| Sunday | Closed |
The early Tuesday and Thursday sessions at 6:30 AM and the late-morning classes exist for shift workers, farmers and anyone whose evenings are not their own. If you work in London and finish at five, the 7:00 PM Fundamentals classes are the ones to build a week around. The current timetable is always on the schedule page.
Who are the classes for?
There are three broad programmes: adults, children, and a women’s only class.
- Adults. Fundamentals and All Levels, in both gi and no-gi. Fundamentals is where every new adult starts, regardless of age or athletic background, and it is taught as a beginners’ class rather than a watered-down advanced one.
- Children. Wolf Cubs for ages three to six and Wolf Pups for ages seven to twelve, on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings.
- Women. A women’s only class on Fridays from 6:00 to 7:00 PM, for anyone who would rather begin in that room. Women also train in every other class on the timetable.
What should you look for before you commit to an academy?
Look at how the room treats the newest person in it, and take everything else after that.
- A real beginners’ programme. Being dropped into an all-levels class on day one is how people quit in week three.
- Class times you can attend at least twice a week, allowing for the drive and for a normal working life.
- Coaching credentials stated openly. Rank, who awarded it, and how long they have been teaching. Any legitimate academy will tell you without hesitating.
- Clear membership terms. Ask about contracts, notice periods and whether you can freeze if you are injured.
- How you are treated as a visitor. Turn up to watch a class. How a room behaves when you are nobody is the most useful information you will get.
What happens on your first visit?
You train, for free, and then you go home and think about it.
Arrive about fifteen minutes early so somebody can meet you and show you where things are. Wear a t-shirt and shorts or track trousers with no zips or pockets, bring water, and cut your nails. You will be paired with someone who knows what they are doing, and nobody will try to make the first session hard on you. We do not take card details to book a trial class and there is no follow-up sales call afterwards. If you carry on, a gi is lent to you for your first month.
Frequently asked questions
How old does a child have to be to start?
Wolf Cubs takes children from three to six years old and Wolf Pups runs from seven to twelve. Both meet on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and again on Saturday mornings. Children move up to the adult classes once they have outgrown the Wolf Pups programme.
Is there a women’s only class?
Yes. The women’s only class runs on Fridays from 6:00 to 7:00 PM. It is a full class rather than an introductory session, and women who train in it are also welcome in every other class on the weekly timetable.
Do I need to be fit before I start jiu-jitsu?
No. Fitness is a result of training rather than a requirement for it. Fundamentals classes are built so that a complete beginner can take part safely from the first session, and you decide your own pace during drilling and sparring.
Can I train no-gi only?
You can. No-gi classes run on Tuesday and Thursday, including the 6:30 AM session, the 11:00 AM class and the evening Fundamentals classes. Most members eventually train both, because the two feed each other, but nobody is required to.
Can I visit from another academy?
Yes. Visiting practitioners are welcome at open mat on Saturdays from 12:30 to 1:30 PM, and you are welcome to arrange a class visit as well. Send a short note ahead so we know to expect you.
How do I book my first class?
Call (226) 559-3957, email ironwolfbjj@gmail.com, or use the contact form on the site. Tell us roughly when you can train and we will point you at the class that fits, then meet you at the door on the day.
Train with us in Thamesford
The academy is at 20127 Cherry Hill Road, Thamesford, and we are used to people arriving from Ingersoll, Woodstock, London and across Oxford County. Your first class is free, no card details are needed to book it, and a gi is lent to you for the first month if you decide to keep going.