Gi, No-Gi, Fundamentals, Kids, Open mat
BJJ Classes Chiang Mai
Six ways to train out of one academy on Chang Phueak Road, from a free first Fundamentals class to Saturday open mat.
Free trial for beginners / 400 THB drop-in / Gi rental available / 4.9 stars from 84 Google reviews
What Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes run in Chiang Mai at this academy? Gato Studio BJJ runs Gi, No-Gi, Fundamentals, kids, open mat and private lessons at 181/40 Chang Phueak Rd in Si Phum, six days a week. Group classes sit at 11:00 to 12:30 each weekday and in the evening from 17:00, taught by black belt head coach Nattakorn Mahittharithikrai, and newcomers join the same room as everyone else rather than a separate beginners night.
Pick the programme that matches what you want out of training. If you are unsure, Fundamentals works for anyone who has never trained and the first one is free, and you can move between Gi and No-Gi freely once you have found your feet.
| Programme | What you wear | Best suited to | When it runs |
|---|---|---|---|
| BJJ Gi | Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu uniform, rental available | Anyone building a complete game | Tue and Thu 11:00, Mon, Wed and Fri 18:00, Sat 11:00 |
| No-Gi | Rash guard and shorts | Travellers, wrestlers, warm weather training | Mon, Wed and Fri 11:00, Tue and Thu 18:00 |
| Fundamentals | T-shirt and shorts, or a rented gi | First timers and returners | Mon and Fri 17:00 in the Gi, Wed 17:00 No-Gi |
| Kids | Gi or club kit | Children, see the times below | Thu 16:15 to 17:45, Sat 09:00 to 10:30 |
| Open mat | Either, your choice | Anyone who wants to roll without a lesson | Sat 12:00 to 13:30 |
| Private lesson | Either, your choice | Focused one to one work | Weekdays 09:00 to 10:30 and 13:00 to 16:00, booked ahead |
Gi classes
The gi is the traditional uniform, and training in it changes the sport. Sleeves, collars and trouser cuffs become handles, which slows exchanges down and rewards precision over speed. Most students find their positional understanding improves fastest here because there is nowhere to hide behind athleticism.
Gi classes run at 11:00 on Tuesday and Thursday, at 18:00 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and at 11:00 on Saturday. Sessions follow a familiar shape: warm up, a technique taught in layers, drilling with a partner, then positional rounds and rolling for those who want it. You are never required to roll on a given day.
Do not own a gi. The academy rents them, which is also why visiting students can train the day they arrive.
No-Gi classes
No-Gi is trained in a rash guard and shorts. Without cloth to grip, control comes from underhooks, head position and the way you connect your hips to a partner, so the pace is quicker and the transitions are more open. It is the format closest to grappling as it appears in mixed martial arts, and in the Chiang Mai heat it is the one many people prefer.
No-Gi runs at 11:00 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and at 18:00 on Tuesday and Thursday. Wrestlers and judo players tend to settle in quickly, and complete beginners are welcome too, though the material taught in the Fundamentals class transfers to both formats.
Bring a rash guard if you have one. A plain t-shirt is acceptable while you decide whether to invest.
Fundamentals
Fundamentals runs at 17:00 on Monday and Friday in the Gi and at 17:00 on Wednesday in No-Gi, and it assumes nothing. Your first hour covers how to fall safely, how to frame against pressure, how to escape the two positions you will spend your early months underneath, and when to tap. Terminology is explained as it comes up rather than assumed.
Progress in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is slow and uneven, and honest coaching says so. What many students notice inside a month is not technique but comfort: the panic in bad positions fades, and that is the point at which the rest becomes learnable.
The free trial class is a Fundamentals session, reserved for people who have not trained before, so ask for one of those three slots when you message. The full walkthrough of a first session is on the beginners page.
Kids Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Kids classes take children aged five and up, and run on Thursday from 16:15 to 17:45 and Saturday from 09:00 to 10:30. If you are looking at kids martial arts in Chiang Mai, here is what a session actually looks like. Children arrive, line up, and warm up with movement games that double as the sport's basic mechanics. The coach then teaches one position, usually a control or an escape, and the class drills it with a partner of similar size. Rounds at the end are supervised and stopped early if intensity climbs.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu suits children who are not drawn to striking sports, because progress comes from problem solving under pressure rather than from hitting anyone. Coaches watch pairings by size and temperament rather than leaving children to sort it out, and mat rules on hygiene, nails and behaviour are enforced consistently.
You are welcome to sit and watch the first session. Most parents do, and most stop after a fortnight because their child stops looking over at them.
| Session | Time | Ages | What the class covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday | 16:15 to 17:45 | 5 and up | Coordination, mat safety, control positions and escapes |
| Saturday | 09:00 to 10:30 | 5 and up | Movement games, guard, supervised positional rounds |
Thursday 16:15 and Saturday 09:00 / Supervised classes / Black belt instruction / 4.9 stars from 84 Google reviews
Open mat
Saturday from 12:00 to 13:30 is open mat, Gi or No-Gi, your choice. There is no taught lesson. People drill what they have been working on, ask questions, and roll for as long as they want to.
It is 400 THB for non-members, the same as any drop-in class, and it is the most relaxed session of the week. Beginners are welcome, though you will get more from it once you have a few classes behind you.
Private lessons
One to one sessions run from 09:00 to 10:30 and from 13:00 to 16:00 on weekdays, plus Saturday from 14:00 to 16:00. They are booked in advance rather than dropped into.
Privates suit anyone working on a specific problem, people who would rather start away from a full room, and visitors compressing a lot of coaching into a short trip.
Questions people ask before their first class
Will the class be too hard for me
The technique portion moves at the pace of the room, and the coach repeats and adjusts rather than moving on. Conditioning is not a gate here, and there is no expectation that you finish every round.
Am I too old to start
People start in their thirties, forties and later, and they train alongside everyone else. Older students tend to be more selective about who they roll with, which is a sensible habit rather than a limitation.
What do I need to bring
Shorts without zips, a t-shirt or rash guard, a water bottle and flip flops. Gis are available to rent, so nothing needs buying before you know you want to continue.
Do I need experience for these classes
No. Fundamentals is built for people with none, and the all levels classes take beginners too. Tell the team your background when you message and they will point you at the right session.
Pick a class and message us
Tell the team which programme you want and which day you are free. That is the booking done.
Free trial for beginners / 400 THB drop-in / Visiting for a few days