Short answer
Open mat is unstructured training time with no instruction and no curriculum, just space to drill and roll. At Iron Wolf in Thamesford it runs on Saturdays from 12:30 to 1:30 PM and is open to members and to visiting practitioners from other academies. Bring a clean gi, water and short nails.
Open mat is the most welcoming hour in jiu-jitsu and the most intimidating one to walk into if you have never done it. Nobody lines you up, nobody tells you what to work on, and for a beginner that freedom can feel like being left in a room with no instructions. It is worth understanding before you go, because once it makes sense it becomes the part of the week most people look forward to.
What is open mat?
Open mat is scheduled training time with no class structure attached to it.
There is no warm-up led from the front, no technique of the day and no curriculum. The mats are open, the clock is running, and what you do with the hour is yours to decide. People use it to drill something from Tuesday that never quite worked, to get rounds in with partners they do not usually see, or to ask a higher belt a question properly instead of in the thirty seconds at the end of a class. It is not a competition and it is not a class. It is practice time.
Who can attend open mat?
At Iron Wolf, open mat is for members and for visiting practitioners from other academies.
That second group matters. Jiu-jitsu has a long tradition of academies opening their doors to each other, and a visiting blue belt from an academy in London or Woodstock is as welcome on the mats as somebody who has trained here for years. If you train elsewhere in Oxford County or anywhere further afield and want to come and roll, get in touch first so we know to expect you. Open mat is not an introductory session for complete beginners with no training at all; if that is you, start in a Fundamentals class instead.
When is open mat at Iron Wolf?
Saturdays, 12:30 to 1:30 PM, at 20127 Cherry Hill Road, Thamesford.
It sits directly after the 11:30 AM adults gi class, which means a lot of people simply stay on the mats. If you are driving in from Ingersoll, Woodstock or London, a Saturday lunchtime is usually the easiest hour of the week to get here for. The full weekly timetable is on the schedule page, and open mat times are the ones most likely to move around a holiday weekend, so check before you make a long drive.
What is the etiquette for visiting another academy?
Message ahead, wear plain kit, introduce yourself, and roll at the intensity of the person in front of you.
- Send a short note first. Who you are, where you train, and what belt you are. Turning up unannounced is usually fine, but asking is better manners and it means somebody is expecting you.
- Wear a plain gi or your own academy’s. Never wear a third school’s patches into somebody else’s room.
- Introduce yourself to the highest belt present. Then train with whoever asks you.
- Match your partner’s intensity. A visitor who goes at full effort against everybody is remembered, and not fondly. You are a guest, not a test.
- Tap early and tap often. Nothing you win in an open mat round is worth an injury that costs you three months.
- Say thank you before you leave. Obvious, and frequently forgotten.
What should you bring to open mat?
A clean gi, a rash guard, water, flip-flops for off the mats, and nails cut short.
Hygiene is not a suggestion in this sport. A gi that has been left damp in a kit bag since Thursday is the fastest way to become unwelcome anywhere, and long nails cut training partners. Cover any open cuts with tape before you step on, and if you have a skin infection of any kind, stay home until it has cleared. Flip-flops are for walking off the mats to the washroom and back, which keeps everything else off the training surface.
Is open mat useful if you are a beginner?
Yes, and it is usually where the sport starts to make sense.
New members often assume open mat is for advanced players only, which is exactly backwards. An hour with no instruction is the first chance you get to find out what you actually remember under pressure, and higher belts generally have more time to answer questions than they do in a class. Use it deliberately. Pick one thing from the week, drill it slowly for ten minutes, then roll with it in mind. It is also where most people make the training partners who keep them coming back, which matters more than any individual technique.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an instructor teaching during open mat?
No. Open mat is unstructured by design and no instruction is given during the hour. It is training time rather than a class. If you want technique taught in order, come to a Fundamentals class instead, or arrange a private session.
Do I have to roll, or can I just drill?
You can spend the whole hour drilling if you prefer. Nobody is obliged to spar at open mat. Turning up to work slowly through a position with one partner is a completely normal way to use the time, and often a more productive one.
Should I wear a gi or no-gi kit?
Either works. Iron Wolf’s open mat follows a gi class, so most people on the mats are in a gi, but a rash guard and shorts are fine. Bring both if you can, and agree with each partner before the round starts.
Can children attend open mat?
Open mat runs at the end of the Saturday adult schedule and is intended for adult members and visiting adults. Children train in the Wolf Cubs and Wolf Pups classes earlier on Saturday morning. If you want to ask about a specific case, contact the academy.
How do I let you know I am visiting?
Call (226) 559-3957 or email ironwolfbjj@gmail.com a day or two ahead. Tell us where you train and what belt you are. That is all we need, and it means somebody will meet you at the door rather than looking up from a warm-up.
Is open mat included in a membership?
Open mat is part of the weekly timetable for members. If you train at another academy and want to visit, contact us before you come and we will confirm the arrangements for that week, including anything that changes around holidays.
Train with us in Thamesford
Iron Wolf Jiu-Jitsu Academy is at 20127 Cherry Hill Road, Thamesford, serving Thamesford, Ingersoll, Woodstock, London and Oxford County. If you have never trained before, open mat is not the place to start, but a free first class is. No card details are needed to book it, there is no follow-up sales call, and a gi is lent to you for your first month.