Jiu Jitsu 1st is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu club on Park Road in Miramar, run by black belt Dave Preciado and affiliated with Combat Room BJJ. Classes are taught in the gi and no-gi, and the club keeps old school habits: students bow to the mat and to their training partners, and say oss. The mat room is smaller than at larger gyms, but the floor is built on thick foam under plywood and mats, which the club says is kind to the joints.
Adult classes run at lunchtime on weekdays, from 12.30pm to 1.30pm, with gi and no-gi sessions and members-only open mats on Tuesday and Thursday. On Saturdays there is a kids class at 10am and an open mat from 11am to 12.30pm. Kids classes are for ages 6 to 15, run during school terms, and come to ten classes a term. Visitors can try a session, but must book ahead by email. Members get access to all three Brazilian Jiu Jitsu classes, the open mats and the gym weights.
Customers describe a family feel, with a mixed group of ages and backgrounds, many of them working locally in film. They praise the lunchtime sessions, the way everyone looks out for each other, and the coach's teaching at every level. One person says it is a safe place for a beginner to train.