Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know before joining SBG Portland!

No! The classes at SBG are there to build everyone up no matter what physical condition you start in.

No! We have a full program specifically built for new students that have NO experience!

No. In fact only about 1 out of 10 students at SBG compete. We have a solid rule concerning competition -We never ask anyone to compete. The students that compete for SBG do so because it’s something they want to do. Our fantastic competition results aren’t because we run a competition school. It’s simply due to superior coaching and solid fundamentals.

In total we have nearly 70 classes a week at SBG and the schedule can be hard to navigate. For more info on our schedule please contact us directly.

Membership cost is tied directly to the classes you take, how you enroll in those classes, and what payment method works best for you. For more info simply give us a call.

Currently our Little Explorers program starts at 3 years of age, but we are currently working on a new program where a parent takes classes with their toddler! The Monkey and Me Program.

Honestly age is just a number. We have students at all ages even well into the sixties. The best advice is to take a orientation so you can see how the movements feel for you.

Ideally 3 years of age and now. Really the sooner the better. The most common thing we hear from students is “I just wish I got started sooner”. So what are you waiting for?

 

With any form of athletics or sports there is a risk of injury but with the programs and procedures we have in place the risk of injury at SBG is extremely low. In fact most of the time when a student gets injured and has to take time off it’s due to work or other sports like snowboarding or basketball. In all honesty the training at SBG is safer then even cheerleading.

No one starts off “Good” the whole idea of training is to get better and the coaches at SBG are there just for that reason. If you are worried about being “good enough” then just make sure you are working with top-notch coaches like the staff at SBG.

Yes a majority of our classes are co-ed but we also have Women’s only training for women who don’t feel comfortable in that environment yet. The honest truth when it comes to training is that male or female isn’t as much of an issue as weight class.
You will find that everyone on the SBG mats is treated with respect no matter what gender or orientation they are. We are here to learn and progress. This is why you will find female coaches and competitors being fairly common at SBG.

In short the most expensive equipment for beginners will run around $30.00.
At SBG we want students to provide their own personal equipment things like gloves or uniforms. This is all for the sake of hygiene. As far as an investment the most expensive investment for beginners would be a pair of gloves for the beginning stand up classes. SBG does provide these but does not require you to use our equipment in the classes.

All by happy circumstance be sure to ask your consultant about this when you come in for your free tour.

No one is too small or too large to train

Extremely. Our coaches are highly trained not only in the martial arts and fitness they teach but also in the safety behind these subjects.

We have been at our current location for over 5 years and we move only as we outgrow our facilities. We have been serving Portland since 1992 and wont be going anywhere anytime soon.

This would be based on your goals and more importantly what you enjoy doing! After all if you aren’t having fun you can’t expect to do it for very long. The best result would be to take an orientation and find out firsthand how the different classes work!
This will allow you to find out what you enjoy and why. Making it so you can base your decision on firsthand experience and not what SOMEONE ELSE thinks YOU should do.

We have co-ed and women only classes.

Yes and they are some of the best in the north west. Not the best female the best period.

Training with and without a gi will offer different options. It will also keep you from relying on one or the other. Training without a gi can be faster. It can also be hard to be submitted in no gi as you can slip out of things easier. This can in turn make your submission much tighter and stronger.
Training with a GI can slow things down and offer a different pace. It can be easier to submit someone since they can’t tear out of things as easy. This will in term give you much better defense as you have to be more aware and preventative.

SBGi has the I for international and we are currently located on every continent except for Australia which we hope to be in soon and Antarctica which we aren’t sure about as penguins don’t seem to be very interested in martial arts.

 

There is a massive amount of information available for purchase and thanks to the internet even more information that is available for FREE!
However you want to make sure that you have a solid basis of understanding before you go and try to add new skills. A program like the SBG foundation program is perfect for this as you will develop the Need to Know skills for that martial art.
Once that is in place it will be much easier for you to look at new information and process what will and what won’t work for you.