Brazilian Time is NOT a Good Time!

Here is a huge enemy of your school,  Brazilian Time.  “Brazilian Time” is a humorous term used to denote  starting the martial arts class up to 15 minutes late in many cases. 

This is made famous by Brazilian BJJ Instructors (and many American Instructors) who are notoriously late in beginning their class; whether they arrive late, leaving their students sitting out on the front steps with a locked door or simply having a small talk conversation on the mats with a few students and letting time slip by.

Besides setting a bad example it also minimizes the actual technique learning process because many schools will actually do “extensive” warm-ups and drills leaving minimal time for the actual teaching of methodical technique. 

Let’s do a time breakdown to see what “Brazilian Time” is cheating us out of.

Let’s pretend that your instructor has six class times a week.  I’m sure they have more but let’s “pretend”.  Let’s also pretend that he/she starts class 15 minutes late for only 4 of those 6 classes a week.  4 classes X 15 minutes=60.  That’s 60 minutes of productive class time per week that is being wasted.   60 X 50 Weeks in a year =3000 minutes of training time not applied for the entire year.  3000 minutes divided by 60 minutes in an hour =50 hours of down time.  Lets say that each class is two hours long, that equals out to 25- 2 hour classes (50 divided by 2) that is kaput.  That is like you paying for close to a month of class and getting nothing out of it!!  How is that math working out for you?

This waste of time could be the difference between you winning a medal at a tournament and going home empty handed if not just getting better at Jiu-Jitsu.

Because this is a math/ bjj class,  let’s go a little further and cut it in half again just to be conservative and say your instructor isn’t “that bad”.  Let’s say 25- 2 hour wasted classes divided by 2=12.5 two hour non -productive classes per year vaporized….wow I feel better now, don’t you (Sarcasm)?

I’m not putting myself up as the perfect example and saying that I “Always” start my class on time. I don’t. But I try.   I’m just saying that I’m very very, very  aware of the benefits of proper time management.  I will also go on to say that I never let my students show up late without giving me a call or text.  My time is valuable as well and I won’t let them insult me by continuously showing up late like it’s no big deal.  It is a big deal.  Respect goes both ways. 

I want to close by adding that ending your class late (in kids and adult class) is NOT ok both because many students and parents have families to get home to and they often have to walk up embarrassed and say, “I have to leave before class bows out.”  As an instructor I have been guilty of this felonious act many times and it’s not right and I’m pledging to do better. 

Let’s keep the Brazilians, because they rock….Let’s just get rid of Brazilian Time!

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