Learn to Grapple

Exercise, make new friends, and learn Brazilian Jiu-jitsu with the University of Toronto Grappling Club. We provide lessons twice per week in the Hart House activities room. Everybody is welcome, regardless of experience level.

About The Club

The University of Toronto Grappling Club provides affordable Brazilian jiu-jitsu lessons to U of T students, and provides jiu-jitsu enthusiasts a place on campus to meet and train. We accept all members regardless of experience level, provided you treat your training partners with respect. All classes start with a technique lesson, followed by free sparring (called “rolling” in BJJ). Feel free to come for as much, or as little of class as you can fit into your schedule.

Club Rules

  • BJJ is purely a grappling sport. No striking is allowed.
  • At any point your partner may tap on your body, on the mat, or verbally say “tap”. As soon as you are aware your partner is tapping, it is your responsibility to let go of them. Taps should be forceful, to make sure your partner notices.
  • Treat your training partners with respect. Although you want to “win” a roll, it is never worth causing your partner injury to do so.
  • Never slam your partner. Some hip throws can cause a fairly hard fall, but you must never add force to slam your partner into the mat.
  • No manipulation of individual fingers or toes.
  • Take off your shoes before stepping on the mats.
  • Keep your finger and toe nails short.

Our Instructors

Peter Nolan

Peter Nolan is a BJJ black belt, and used to be a professional MMA fighter. He has an MMA record of 5-1; all his wins were by submission. Peter has graciously agreed to teach half of the Grappling Club classes while he is studying at U of T.

John Feng

John wrestled competitively for 4 years in high school and represented the University of Toronto Varsity wrestling team for 3 years. After enrolling in the Physics PhD program here at U of T, he took up Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at Toronto BJJ. John is now a BJJ blue belt, and has been training for 3 years.

Class Schedule

  • Fridays: 8-10 pm, Hart House activities room
  • Sundays: 2-4 pm, Hart House activities room
Please join our Facebook group to stay up to date with room bookings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: I have no experience. Can I join? A: Yes, absolutely. At any given practice, usually a handful of absolute beginners show up. Also, one of the best ways to improve at BJJ is to roll (spar) with people more experienced than yourself. If one of the more experienced people at the club does something you would like to learn, feel free to ask them about it; most of us would be excited to teach you part of our game. Q: I am a woman. Can I join? A: Yes! The women already in the club would be excited to have another partner closer to their size to train with! Q: How expensive is the club? A: One of our main goals with this club has been to make BJJ cheaply accessible to students. You can come to a couple practices for free to see if you enjoy grappling, and once you decide to join, club membership only costs $15 per semester or $25 for the year. Q: Does the club do any gi training? A: BJJ is traditionally trained in a uniform called a “gi”, much like in Judo. We have decided to keep all the club’s instruction no-gi, so that students do not need to pay for a uniform. That said, there are several members who own gis, and the second half of every practice is always an “open mat”. If you coordinated with another member to both bring gis and train during open mat, nobody would mind. Q: What gear do I need to bring to practice? A: All you need is shorts and a t-shirt. Some members wear sweatpants, gi pants, or yoga pants / tights - any of these options are also alright. If you plan on sticking with grappling for any length of time, tight-fitting compression shirts or rashguards are preferred, so that fingers and toes don’t get caught. Similarly, shorts with no pockets are greatly preferred, to protect your partner’s toes.