Training Jiu-Jitsu is a special experience you’ll remember for the rest of your life. You will see amazing sites, eat good food, and make some lifelong friends.
However, there are some things you need to know before you buy your plane ticket, and we’re here to help. This is your ultimate guide to BJJ training in Brazil.
Consult Your Brazilian Instructor(s)
The best thing you can do before planning your trip to do BJJ training in Brazil is to consult your instructor. If you have a seasoned black belt instructor who is Brazilian or trained with Brazilians, they will have contacts in Brazil.
They will help you set up everything about your trip, from where you’ll be training to where you’ll be staying. You’ll be 100% taken care of and train in all the places your instructor trained when he was a colored belt.
How To Start Planning Your BJJ Trip
When planning your dream BJJ training in Brazil trip, there are four questions you must answer before going.
Where Do You Want To Go? Choose what city(ies) you would like to visit. You can go anywhere in the country and find a great school, so the choice of which city is all yours.
When Do You Want To Go? Before booking you BJJ training in Brazil trip, remember that the seasons are reversed between North and South America. If you want to go in the Summer months in the US, it will be the winter months in Brazil. It’s generally hot most of the year, but cold weather can catch you depending on where you go.
How Long Do You Want To Stay? To get the whole experience of BJJ training in Brazil, you should aim to stay at least a week. Two weeks would be even better, so you can hit numerous gyms and get some unbelievable training.
Where Do You Want To Train? Know where you want to train before you go, and do research on each school. Having your training schedule set before you go will make your BJJ training in Brazil trip smoother.
Will The Trip Be Expensive?
The initial cost of a plane ticket to Brazil can be expensive, but staying there is relatively cheap. In the last few years, the dollar and euro have been worth around 5-6 Brazilian reais.
If you know how to budget your trip, you can really do a lot and not spend an absurd amount of money.
Travel Costs
A round-trip ticket to Brazil can cost anywhere from $900 to over $2000. The cost will vary depending on where you’re flying from and where you’re going, and if it’s a nonstop flight
You could save money on a ticket if you don’t mind a few stops in other countries. Somewhere in the ballpark of $800-$1200. Maybe less if you choose a ticket that has stops with long layovers.
The plane ticket will be the most expensive part of your trip, but it will be well worth the price.
Visa Requirements
Depending on what country you’re from, you may need a visa to enter Brazil. For Americans, Brazil has suspended visa requirements until 2025.
After that, you will be paying around $80 for the visa. The visa has a 10-year validity, so it’s well worth the price.
Notify Your Bank
Notifying your bank before you travel internationally would be a wise choice. Some banks have international blocks on their cards, so you need to check if you have one and remove it. You don’t want to be stuck in a foreign country without a functioning credit card.
Research and Contact BJJ Gyms In Brazil
It would be a really good idea to research what BJJ academies you want to train in. This is to know their schedule, where they’re located, and how much you need to pay.
The next thing you need to do is contact the gyms you want to visit. Tell them you’re an American coming to Brazil and want to train at their gym. Once you arrive for your first class, they will make arrangements and be prepared for your arrival.
It’s a lot better to do these things before you arrive in Brazil than to go blind. You’ll have all the information you need, and the school will be better prepared to help you when you arrive.
BJJ Camp Finder
If you want to take the hassle out of planning your BJJ training in Brazil, check out our friends. BJJ Camp Finder is the ultimate search tool for the best Jiu-Jitsu training camps.
On the website, you will find every upcoming camp from around the world, which includes camps in Brazil. Check out the website in the link above to see what camps are happening this year.
Safety Travel Tips While Training BJJ In Brazil
We couldn’t give you a complete guide to BJJ training in Brazil without addressing safety concerns about the country. Brazil is a stunningly beautiful country, but it’s also dangerous.
Assaults and robberies are commonplace in many areas, so remember these safety tips.
Don’t Walk Around Cash
It is always a rule to remember when traveling to a different country. Don’t make yourself a target for thieves by carrying large sums of cash on you. There’s a good chance you’ll be pickpocketed if you’re seen carrying a lot of money.
Stay Out Of The Favelas
For those of you not familiar with favelas, here’s a quick explanation. Favelas are the poorest areas within each Brazilian city, which are run by violent gangs and where drugs are sold.
Rival gangs are at constant war with one another, and shootouts happen almost nightly. You have no business in these areas as a foreigner, so please don’t enter them. Stay safe.
Stay Near The BJJ School(s)
You should try to find a place to stay near the BJJ school where you will be training for convenience and to save money.
Most of the streets of Brazil are moderately safe to walk around, so you should have no problems. It will also save you money, as you will not have to pay for transportation whenever you want to attend class.
In most areas, many schools are a quick walk away, and walking is the best way to see a new city. You’ll get the city’s vibe and see cool things you’d never see in the States.
Walk In Groups
Always try walking in groups when you’re on the street. You are less likely to be victimized in a large group than when walking alone.
Also, try not to walk around holding your cell phone in your hand. Most armed thieves are on motorbikes looking for this and hold you up with the quickness.
Take Ubers
If you are an American coming to Brazil, you don’t want to use public transit. A hundred people will fill a bus over capacity, invading your personal space. It’s cheap but hot and uncomfortable, and it takes forever to reach your destination.
That’s why you should always use Uber if traveling out of walking distance. Uber trips are cheaper in Brazil than in the US and most of Europe. You can get across Rio de Janeiro for around $20.
Check Your Bank Accounts
Be sure to check your bank accounts constantly in Brazil to see if there aren’t any strange payments.
This is to ensure that your account is protected and that no unauthorized purchases are made on it. You don’t want to be stuck in a different country with no money.
Use WiFi
Be sure to use WiFi whenever it is available. If you don’t, your phone data will eat up very quickly, and depending on your phone plan, you could be looking at quite a large phone bill when you get home.
Do You Need To Learn Portuguese?
You don’t have to worry about fluency in Portuguese, but learning simple words and sentences will help you.
Here are a few words and short sentences for you to learn before your trip.
- Bom Dia: Good morning
- Boa Tarde: Good afternoon
- Boa Noite: Goodnight
- Prazer: Pleasure or nice to meet you
- Tudo Bem: Both a question and an answer. Are you okay? I’m okay
- Onde: Where
- Cuanto: How much
- Com licença: Excuse me
- Disculpe: Sorry
- Obrigado(a): Thank you
- Tchau: Bye
- Desculpa nao falo portugues: Sorry, I don’t speak Portuguese!
If you learn simple words and sentences like these, you should be okay traveling in Brazil.
Google Translate Is Your Friend
The amazing thing about living in this time is that you can communicate with anyone worldwide. A few translation apps are available for download on your phone.
Google Translate is one of the most used with thousands of languages available including Portuguese. There is a microphone option for you to communicate with the locals that don’t speak English.
Definitely download a translation app like Google Translate to communicate better with the locals.
Come To Brazil In Shape
They train hard in Brazil, so you don’t want to visit out of shape. Do yourself a favor, and don’t let yourself get out of shape before coming here.
You want to be on the mat as much as possible and get the most out of your BJJ training in Brazil trip.
Gym Etiquette In Brazilian BJJ Schools
Most BJJ schools in Brazil operate similarly to those elsewhere in the world. Everyone is cool, laid-back, and respectful.
If you’re nice and show respect to everyone, you will be in for a good time. However, don’t be that person who tries ripping submissions on regulars when you’re visiting another gym.
Just remember to be cool while you’re BJJ training in Brazil and you wont have any problems.
How Much Are Gym Fees?
The drop-in fees cost next to nothing in Brazil. Monthly gym fees are less than $50, so you could train all day, every day, for that price.
However, if you come down with your professor to his home gym, you probably won’t pay anything to train.
What Else Should You Do In Brazil Besides Training
Besides getting world-class BJJ training in Brazil, the country has endless things for you to do. The country is rich in culture, and you will barely scratch its surface on your first trip.
The Christ Redeemer
What trip to Brazil wouldn’t be complete without seeing the giant Jesus statue in the heart of Rio de Janeiro? It is an all day event getting there, but the view is breathtaking. You can see the entire city from atop one of the city’s most prominent mountains.
The Beaches
The city and state have numerous beaches, and many BJJ schools are a short walk from them. One of the most known areas with a great beach is Copacabana. After training, you can head to the beach, get some sun, and drink coconut water straight from a coconut.
Shopping
If you need a break from the heat, Rio has some of the world’s largest and best shopping malls. Shopping Rio Sul and Barra Shopping are two of the biggest, where you can relax in the air condition, shop, and eat something.
Street Art
Every Brazilian city is filled with beautiful street art. Every neighborhood is full of giant, colorful murals telling the stories of the people who live there. If you’re into art, you will see a lot of great pieces traveling around each city.
Açaí
If you’re a self-respecting BJJ student, you have to eat açaí during your stay. It’s really as good as they say, and nothing is better after a hard training session than a cold cup of acai.
Churrasco(Brazilian Barbecue)
Brazilian-style barbecue will hit the spot after a long day of training. Everything from grilled steaks, chicken, sausage, and pao de alho(garlic bread) is amazing.
Brazilian Steakhouse
If you’re a meat eater, no trip to Brazil is complete without hitting up a Brazilian steakhouse. Plates of different types of steak are carried around for you to eat until you explode. Always a good experience.
Fresh Produce
Fresh fruits and vegetables are widely available everywhere in Brazil. Some native Brazilian fruits, like guava, guarana, passion fruit, and champagne oranges, are very delicious.
Have Fun
The last and most important thing we’ll include in the ultimate guide to BJJ training in Brazil is this: Have fun.
As someone who has lived and trained in Rio de Janeiro for the last six years, I know it’s an extraordinary place.
You are about to experience one of the best moments of your life training in the birthplace of BJJ. You’re going to meet great people who’ll be your friends for life, eat good food, and see excellent sites.
Brazil is a very special place with a vibe like no other, so remember to have fun and stay safe.
Bobby is martial artist for almost 20 years with a BJJ black belt under Professor Sergio Miranda. He is also a karate black and former combat sports athlete, who loves all things grappling.