BJJ in Europe
Nestled away from the main road, in the middle of Helsinki, you’ll find a long set of floor to head height windows down an alleyway.
Through those windows, you’ll find what can only be described as a sweatbox.
I knew before arriving, how much the Finnish people valued Saunas. What I wasn’t aware of, is that they also like training in them.
Facilities
The gym is one large padded room, which is a great set up for being able to see everyone.
There’s a good amount of mat space, as well as benches to get dressed, a shower, and a toilet.
They’re currently constructing another gym space in Helsinki, which looks enormous & very impressive indeed.
This is obviously fantastic to see, and just makes clear how successful BJJ’s spread around the globe is.
You can follow this expansion journey on Instagram, by clicking here.
Staff
When I visited, the only member of staff that I met was Jungi, so I can’t speak for the staff as a whole.
However, what I will say is that Jungi’s passion and knowledge for Jiu-jitsu is really inspiring.
During some of the rounds, he was still on hand to give pointers to his students.
And then he would jump in for a few rounds, and let his guys work out their techniques.
Experience
The theme of the session was Hip Hop & hard rolls. Everybody I rolled with had a completely unique style, which is incredible to see.
You could see which techniques some people favoured rather quickly. However that’s not to say that I could do anything to stop some of them.
It’s always super intriguing to see if BJJ players in one location have similar games.
Every person there was really friendly, and everyone had an interesting life story to tell between rounds.
This made the atmosphere really welcoming, and a great place to spend 2 hours on a Saturday afternoon.
The music was good, people were laughing, joking and having a great time, all whilst trying to kill each other.
This is exactly how I like it. You’re trying to choke each other unconscious or make your friends submit. In an environment like this, you want mass respect for everyone, but no one taking themselves too serious.
It’s a delicate balance that can sometimes be hard to achieve, but AoGG have certainly got locked down perfectly.
If I ever moved to Helsinki, getting membership to this gym would be among one of the first things I’d do.
Price
Having spoken to Jungi (the owner) on Instagram before arriving in Helsinki, I wanted to join the Saturday Open Mat.
He openly invited me down, and very graciously allowed me to roll for free!
I really appreciate his generosity, and would like to do my part to promote his great club.
If you’re in Helsinki for any period of time, and want to train, give Jungi a message on Instagram.
They’ve got a good amount of classes, spread over each day of the week. For more information, click here.
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