Published on · By GREATER
An app for BJJ instructors: what it takes off your plate
BJJ instructors spend more time than they would like on lists, messages and payments. An app for jiu-jitsu instructors can take a good part of that off you: timetable, bookings, attendance, belts, notices and fees. What it cannot do is teach, fix someone's guard or decide who is ready for a new belt. Here we go task by task through what gets automated and what is still yours.
1. Timetable and bookings: know who is coming before you open
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Without bookings, every class is a surprise: four people one day, twenty-five the next. With a weekly timetable where students book their spot, you know in advance how many are coming and can plan the class around it.
- Spots per class: handy if your mat is small or you run kids' classes with small groups.
- Waiting list: if someone cancels, the spot is not wasted.
- Timetable changes: you make them once and everyone sees them on their phone.
GREATER has a weekly timetable with bookings, spots and a waiting list, in the app (iPhone and Android) and in the web dashboard.
Still your job: deciding which classes you run, when, for which level and how many people can safely fit on your mat.
2. Taking attendance without paper
Attendance is the most useful data an academy has: it tells you who is progressing, who is drifting away and which time slots work. But writing it in a notebook after class is easy to forget.
- Take attendance in the app in a minute, at the start of class.
- Front-desk mode on a tablet: leave a tablet at the door and each student taps their photo when they arrive.
- Attendance statistics and rankings to see trends without doing the maths.
If you want to compare methods, see our guide to academy attendance tracking.
Still your job: paying attention to people. If someone who came three times a week stops showing up, the app shows you, but the phone call or the chat after class is down to you. There are more ideas in how to reduce dropouts at your academy.
3. Belts and stripes: the alert arrives, the decision is yours
Keeping track of stripes in your head works with twenty students. With a hundred, someone gets forgotten, and that is very demotivating. An app can store each student's belt and stripes, adults and kids, and alert you when someone meets the requirements you have set (for example, a number of classes or a minimum time at a belt).
In GREATER you set up belts and stripes for adults and kids, and you get an alert when a student meets your requirements.
Still your job: everything that matters. Turning up a lot does not mean someone is ready. You judge technique, attitude and how safely they train with others. For a refresher on the system, see our guide to BJJ belts.
4. Notices and families: fewer one-off messages
"Is there class on the bank holiday?", "What time is the grading?", "Gi or no-gi tomorrow?". Many questions come up again and again. One notice to all students, with a push notification, answers most of them at once.
- Notices with push notifications: timetable changes, holiday closures, gradings, seminars.
- Families: in GREATER one phone can manage several children, so parents book and get notices for all of them in one place.
- Languages: the app comes in 7 languages, useful if you teach students from abroad.
Still your job: the personal touch. A notice is for informing everyone; talking to a family about how their child is doing, or to a student about an injury, happens face to face.
5. Fees: see who is up to date without doing sums
Checking by hand who has paid each month is one of the most tedious jobs for an instructor who also runs the academy. Having it all in one place saves time and awkward conversations.
- Card fees through Stripe.
- Cash recorded on the spot.
- Passes with an expiry date for people who train irregularly.
- Who has paid, at a glance.
If you are not sure yet how much to charge, we explain it in BJJ academy membership pricing.
Still your job: setting prices, deciding what to do if someone does not pay and talking about it tactfully. And your academy's tax obligations, with your accountant.
6. What an app does not do for you
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It helps to be clear about this from the start, so you do not expect miracles:
| The app helps with | Still your job |
|---|---|
| Timetable, bookings, spots and waiting list | Designing the class programme and keeping the mat safe |
| Attendance and attendance statistics | Spotting who is struggling and talking to them |
| Storing stripes and flagging requirements | Deciding every stripe and every belt |
| Notices with push notifications | The personal relationship with students and families |
| Card fees, cash, passes and who has paid | Prices, late payments and tax |
| Contracts and rules students accept in the app | Writing them properly and having an adviser review them |
On that last point: you decide the wording of your contracts and rules, and it is worth having an adviser review them. And remember that if you are in the EU, storing student data means complying with the GDPR: collect only what you need (art. 5(1)(c) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679). Outside the EU, check your local data protection law.
7. Getting started without the headache
- Start with the timetable. It is what students use most.
- Add your regular students and ask them to download the app, which is free for them.
- Take attendance from week one. Without attendance data, the rest is of little use.
- Set up belts once the timetable is running.
- Move payments over last, when everyone is on board.
GREATER has a Free plan, no lock-in, and a 30-day trial of the Pro plan. If you want to compare options before deciding, see our guide to BJJ academy management apps.
Frequently asked questions
Does the app decide when a student gets promoted?
No. It alerts you when they meet the requirements you have set. The decision is always the instructor's.
Do my students have to pay for the app?
With GREATER, no: the app is free for students.
Does it work for academies with lots of kids?
Yes: there are kids' belts and family accounts, so one parent can manage several children from one phone.
What if a student does not want to use their phone?
You can take attendance for them and record their cash payments. With front-desk mode on a tablet, they just tap their photo when they arrive.
Can I use it from a computer?
Yes. GREATER works in the app for iPhone and Android and also in a web dashboard.
How much does it cost to get started?
GREATER has a Free plan, no lock-in, and a 30-day trial of the Pro plan.
Sources: Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR), EUR-Lex: art. 5 · GREATER: academy attendance tracking · GREATER: BJJ belts