Jiu Jitsu for Women in Newark and Heath, Ohio
If you're a woman thinking about trying jiu-jitsu in the Newark or Heath area, you probably have a few questions running through your head. Will I be the only woman there? Is it weird training with mostly guys? Am I going to get hurt? Will I be able to keep up?
These are fair questions, and this post answers them honestly.
You won't be the only woman on the mat
Right now we have a handful of women who train at 10th Planet Newark, including a purple belt and a blue belt who have been on this journey for years. They aren't beginners anymore. They train hard, they know their stuff, and they help newer women find their footing.
Here's one of my favorite things about our women members. They have their own group chat where they check in with each other about who's coming to train each night. That's not something we set up or organized. They built it themselves. It's a small thing, but it tells you everything about the community here. Training is easier and more fun when you know a friendly face is going to be on the mat, and our women look out for each other that way.
So no, you won't be walking into a room where you're the only woman and everyone's a stranger. You're walking into a group that already exists and already has your back.
Do you need a women's only class?
We don't currently run a women's only class. Our women train in our regular classes alongside everyone else, and it works well.
That said, if enough women come through the doors and want one, a women's only class is absolutely something we'd consider adding. The program grows with the people in it. For now, the mixed classes are a strength, not a drawback, and here's why.
Training with men isn't what you might think
A lot of women worry that training with men means getting smashed by bigger, stronger partners. In a good gym, that's not how it works.
Jiu-jitsu is the one martial art specifically built around the idea that technique and leverage beat size and strength. That's the entire point of it. A smaller, technical person can control a larger, stronger one. For women, that's not a disadvantage to overcome. It's the exact skill jiu-jitsu teaches.
On top of that, the culture at 10th Planet Newark matters. We pair beginners with experienced training partners who know how to control their intensity and help you learn. Nobody is trying to prove something by muscling a new person. Rolling is about problem-solving, not domination. Our senior students, men and women both, take care of the people they train with.
Is it safe?
Jiu-jitsu is one of the safest combat sports because there's no striking. You're not getting punched or kicked. You're learning control, leverage, and movement.
Before any live training, you learn how to move safely and how to tap, which is the universal signal to stop that every single person on the mat respects immediately. You control your own pace. You never have to do anything you're not ready for, and you can tap any time you want for any reason.
Why women train jiu-jitsu
The women who train here came for different reasons and stayed for the same ones.
Some came for fitness and found the best workout of their lives. Jiu-jitsu builds real strength, conditioning, and body awareness in a way that no treadmill ever will. Some came for self-defense and gained genuine confidence in their ability to handle themselves. Some came for the challenge and got hooked on the problem-solving. And a lot of them stayed for the community, the group chat, and the people they now consider friends.
The confidence that comes from jiu-jitsu is real because it's earned on the mat against resisting partners. That confidence follows you off the mat and into everything else.
What you need to start
Very little. For your first class, wear comfortable athletic clothing. A fitted t-shirt or rash guard and leggings or shorts without zippers or pockets. If you have a mouthguard, bring it.
We train no-gi, so there's no expensive uniform to buy. Down the road you'll want a rash guard and grappling shorts or leggings, but that's not something to worry about on day one.
Come see for yourself
The hardest part is walking through the door the first time. Once you've done it, you'll wonder why you waited.
You won't be alone. You'll have a group of women who train here, a coach who teaches every class personally, and a room full of people who want to see you succeed. Come try it, meet everyone, and see how it feels.
Your first class is completely free. No commitment, no drop-in fee, no pressure.
10th Planet Newark | 409 S 22nd St Suite 6, Heath OH 43056 | (740) 520-0112
Serving Newark, Heath, Granville, Pataskala, Zanesville, and Mount Vernon.
