The Best Open Mat in the DMV? Come Find Out Every Sunday at Underworld BJJ

Every Sunday from 10 AM–12 PM, the mats at Underworld BJJ fill up with one of our favorite things: people who really, really like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Our Sunday open mat is free and open to the public, and recently, someone on Reddit called it the “best open mat in the DMV.” What makes it special, though, isn’t the size of the room, the number of rounds, or some secret formula for creating the perfect open mat. It’s the community.

Why We Keep Our Open Mat Free

When we were young white belts in jiu jitsu, our coaches instilled in us the importance of cross-training, and told us to be weary of any gym that doesn't encourage it. We believe Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gets better when people of varying backgrounds, skillsets, styles, and abilities train together.

Some of our favorite relationships in the Washington DC jiu jitsu community started at open mats. Getting to meet the other jiu jitsu "lifers" who show up at local open mats around the DMV has brought us friends, training partners, and plenty of opportunities to learn.

"My jiu jitsu would not be where it is today without the incredible community of women throughout the DMV," says Underworld BJJ co-owner and Head Coach, Danielle Gallo. "If I limited myself to training solely with members of my gym, it would 100% hinder my ability to learn and get better."

Long before we (Aidan and Danielle, the owners of Underworld BJJ) took over, the gym's Sunday open mats were an invaluable staple of the culture. So when we launched Underworld BJJ, it remained a cornerstone of the gym's mission.

"We wanted our Sunday open mat to be the kind of place where people could walk through the door, introduce themselves, and immediately feel like they belonged," says Underworld BJJ co-owner and Head Coach Aidan Oates.

And yes, that means visitors are genuinely welcome. In fact, a huge percentage of the people who make our open mat so much fun are people who don't train at Underworld!

The Secret to a Good Open Mat: Play

If you're visiting an open mat, here's our best advice: Play.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a game. The goal of an open mat doesn't have to be to prove that you're the toughest person in the room. You don't need to win every round. You don't need to hunt for submissions like your life depends on it.

Instead, try things.

Experiment. Play a funky guard. Try a weird transition. Let someone get a position and see if you can escape. Give your training partner something interesting to work with. Laugh when your ridiculous plan absolutely does not work.

"If you're grunting and heaving 12 seconds into the first round, it might be a little harder to make friends," says Oates. "Play the game of jiu jitsu instead of competing against your training partner and this will open up a room full of people who want to roll with you."

And one more thing: Ask women to roll.

Women train jiu jitsu too. In fact, they make up about 30-40% of our gym! If you see a woman sitting out between rounds, don't assume she doesn't want to train with you. Ask!

We Don't Really Advertise It

One of the funny things about our open mat is that we don't really advertise it.

We tell our members about it when they sign up, and then we try to make it welcoming enough that people who visit want to come back.

Our Sunday open mat has grown almost entirely through word of mouth. People visit once, meet some great training partners, have a good time, and then show up again the next Sunday!

Submission Bingo: The Best Open Mat Game We've Ever Invented

Our favorite addition to open mat might be Submission Bingo.

At some point, someone gets out a whiteboard and creates a bingo card filled with the weirdest combination of submissions, positions, and techniques we can think of.

The rules are simple: complete five moves in a single line and you win. Everyone goes to battle for bragging rights and the results are... extremely silly.

"Nothing gets people to loosen up their jiu jitsu game more than having to try to hit a berimbolo, pressure tap from side control, and a tarikoplata in a single round of sparring," Oates laughs.

Suddenly everyone is trying things they probably wouldn't normally attempt...And that's exactly the point! Our open mat tries not to take itself too seriously.

The Vibe Matters

An open mat can be a pretty intimidating place if you're new to a room., but we want our open mat to feel different.

Come train hard. Come get rounds. Come work on the things you've been struggling with.

But also come meet people! Play! Try something silly!

Come Roll With Us

If you're looking for a Sunday open mat in Washington DC, we'd love to have you.

Underworld BJJ Sunday Open Mat

Every Sunday, 10 AM–12 PM

Free and open to the public

810 H St NE, Washington, DC, 20002

Whether you're a longtime local, visiting DC for the weekend, new to the DMV jiu jitsu scene, or just looking for somewhere to get some good rounds, come through.

You don't have to be an Underworld member.

You just have to bring your rashguard (or perhaps a gi), your willingness to play, and hopefully a few weird techniques for Submission Bingo.

We'll see you on the mats.