Martial Arts

1. Posso fazer uma aula avulsa hoje?

   Can I take a single drop-in class today?

   Usage

   Brazilian jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai academies normally take visitors on an "aula avulsa" (single class) or an "aula experimental" (trial class), and many make the first trial free. This is the line to open with. The same words work in Portugal, though the venue there is more often called a "ginásio" than an "academia"

   Grammar Note

   "Posso + infinitive" is the basic way to ask permission. "Avulso/avulsa" means "loose, one-off" and agrees with the feminine noun "aula", hence "avulsa"

2. Posso assistir ao treino antes de me inscrever?

   May I watch a training session before signing up?

   Usage

   Brazilian academies are relaxed about spectators and will rarely say no. The 19:00-21:00 classes are the busiest and the best for reading the atmosphere. Even as a visitor, never step onto the mat (tatame) in shoes; off the mat everyone wears flip-flops (chinelo)

   Grammar Note

   "Assistir" takes the preposition "a" when it means "to watch"; "a + o" contracts to "ao". Without the preposition, "assistir alguém" means "to assist someone" instead

3. Vocês alugam kimono e faixa?

   Do you rent out a gi and a belt?

   Usage

   A Brazilian jiu-jitsu uniform is called a "kimono" rather than a gi, and the belt is a "faixa" — a white belt (faixa branca) marks a beginner. Rentals run about 20-40 reais a session, and plenty of academies have none at all, so ask first. For a no-gi class you only need a rash guard and shorts

   Grammar Note

   "Alugar" covers both renting out and renting in; the subject decides which. Addressed to the gym as "vocês alugam", it asks whether they lend the gear out

4. Sou iniciante, nunca treinei jiu-jitsu.

   I am a beginner; I have never trained jiu-jitsu.

   Usage

   Tell both the front desk and the instructor (professor) on duty and they will put you in a fundamentals class or pair you with a gentle partner; stay quiet and you may end up rolling with a higher belt. In Brazil "jiu-jitsu" means Brazilian jiu-jitsu by default — the Japanese art is specified as "jiu-jitsu japonês". Swap in "muay thai", "boxe" or "capoeira" as needed

   Grammar Note

   "Nunca" plus the simple past (treinei) expresses "I have never done it". Portuguese normally uses the simple past, not a present-perfect construction, to deny past experience

5. Pode pegar leve comigo, por favor?

   Could you go easy on me, please?

   Usage

   "Pegar leve" is the standard Brazilian way to say "take it easy on me" and is worth saying to your partner before every roll — they will often answer with the same phrase. In Portugal "vá com calma" sounds more natural

   Grammar Note

   "Comigo" is the fused form of "com + mim" — "com mim" is not used. The same pattern gives "contigo" and "conosco". "Pode + infinitive?" is the standard polite request

6. Se eu bater duas vezes, solta na hora, por favor.

   If I tap twice, let go immediately, please.

   Usage

   The single most important safety line in grappling. "Bater" means to tap — striking your partner or the mat with your hand to submit. If your hands are trapped, say "bate!" out loud or tap the mat with your foot. Joint locks (chave de braço) and chokes (estrangulamento) turn dangerous within seconds, so agree on this before you roll. Tapping is treated as a safety valve, not a defeat

   Grammar Note

   After "se" the verb takes the future subjunctive, which for regular verbs looks identical to the infinitive — hence "bater". "Solta" is strictly the tu-imperative, but Brazilian speech uses it freely with "você"; the more formal form is "solte"

7. Quanto custa a mensalidade?

   How much is the monthly fee?

   Usage

   A jiu-jitsu academy in a smaller Brazilian city charges roughly 150-250 reais a month; well-known academies in Rio or São Paulo can run 300-500 reais or more. An annual plan (plano anual) is cheaper per month but pointless for a traveller. If you are staying over a month, the monthly fee is the best value

   Grammar Note

   "Mensalidade" is built from "mensal" (monthly) plus the noun suffix "-idade". The same family gives "anuidade" (annual fee) and "diária" (daily rate)

8. Quanto custa a aula avulsa? Tem plano semanal?

   How much is a single class? Do you have a weekly plan?

   Usage

   A single class typically costs 50-100 reais, often priced at about three sessions' worth of the monthly rate. If you are around for a week or more, asking about a "plano semanal" usually cuts the cost sharply — academies in traveller-heavy cities such as Rio or Florianópolis often publish a weekly rate for foreigners

   Grammar Note

   Brazilian speech asks about availability with "Tem ...?", while written Portuguese and European usage prefer "Há ...?". In everyday conversation "Tem" is far more natural

9. Tem turma só para mulheres?

   Is there a women-only class?

   Usage

   Women-only jiu-jitsu classes (turma feminina) and self-defence classes (defesa pessoal) are well established in Brazilian cities. Because jiu-jitsu involves close body contact, many academies steer female beginners to a women-only group first. Even for a mixed class it is worth asking whether there is a female instructor (professora)

   Grammar Note

   "Turma" is the same word used for a school class; in a gym it means the group that trains at a given time slot. "Só para + noun" builds "X-only", as in "só para crianças" (children only)

10. Onde posso ver a grade de horários?

    Where can I see the class timetable?

    Usage

    Brazilian academies usually run three blocks a day — around 06:00-07:00, midday, and 19:00-21:00 — with regulars training before and after work and a short lunchtime session in between. The timetable is normally on the wall by the desk or on the academy's Instagram rather than on paper. They close on public holidays, so check on the day

    Grammar Note

    "Grade" literally means a grid or grating and by extension a timetable — TV listings are a "grade de programação". "Onde posso + infinitive?" is the all-purpose way to ask where something can be done

11. Machuquei o ombro, posso evitar as quedas?

    I have hurt my shoulder — may I skip the takedowns?

    Usage

    Say this before training starts. Takedowns (quedas) in jiu-jitsu and judo aggravate injuries on landing and are where beginners most often get hurt; if you speak up, the instructor will simply start you on the ground (trabalho no chão). Swap the body part for "joelho" (knee), "tornozelo" (ankle), "costas" or "lombar" (lower back), or "pescoço" (neck)

    Grammar Note

    "Machucar" ends in "-car", so the first-person past changes spelling to "machuquei" (c to qu) to keep the hard sound. In Portugal "lesionar" or "magoar" are preferred over "machucar"

12. Quando eu vou poder rolar com os outros?

    When will I be able to roll with the others?

    Usage

    In jiu-jitsu, sparring is called "rolar" — literally "to roll" — and that is the word everyone uses; striking classes keep the English "sparring". Most academies want you to have breakfalls and a basic guard first, which usually means two to four weeks at three sessions a week. Let the professor decide rather than pushing for it

    Grammar Note

    "Ir + infinitive" expresses the near future, here stacking two infinitives as "vou poder rolar". In speech this construction is far more common than the simple future tense

13. Tem vestiário e chuveiro?

    Is there a changing room and a shower?

    Usage

    City academies usually have changing rooms and showers, but bring your own towel (toalha). Hygiene rules are strict: bare feet on the mat, flip-flops the moment you step off it — breaking this will get you told off. Washing your gi after every session is an unwritten rule, and body odour is taken seriously

    Grammar Note

    "Vestiário" derives from "vestir" (to dress), and "chuveiro" from "chuva" (rain) plus "-eiro", literally a rain-maker. In Portugal a shower is more often called a "duche"

14. Onde tem roda de capoeira aberta ao público?

    Where is there a capoeira roda open to the public?

    Usage

    A capoeira "roda" is the circle of musicians and players, with two people playing the game in the middle. Public rodas that visitors can watch are held regularly in the Pelourinho district of Salvador and in Lapa in Rio. The berimbau sets the rhythm and thereby the speed of the game. Watching from outside the circle is entirely welcome, but ask before taking photos or video

    Grammar Note

    "Onde tem ...?" is the Brazilian colloquial way to ask where something exists; European Portuguese prefers "Onde há ...?". "Aberta" takes the feminine ending because "roda" is a feminine noun

15. Guarda alta, olha nos olhos do adversário!

    Guard up, look your opponent in the eyes!

    Usage

    Said by the instructor. This is the most frequent cue during Muay Thai or boxing pad work and sparring, and "Guarda alta!" alone is common. Brazilian coaches bark short imperatives; there is nothing rude about it. Beginners drop the guard and look away when they strike, so these are the first two habits corrected

    Grammar Note

    "Guarda alta" is a bare noun phrase with the verb dropped — very common in spoken coaching. "Olha" is technically the tu-imperative but is used with "você" throughout Brazil; the European standard form is "olhe"

16. Chuta com força, não segura o golpe!

    Kick hard, do not hold back!

    Usage

    Said by the instructor. The standard call when a coach on the pads wants full power, and also a signal that you may hit at full force. A Muay Thai round kick lands with the shin (canela); holding back and catching it on the instep hurts you more. It is only said for pads or the bag, never during sparring

    Grammar Note

    A negative command formally takes the subjunctive ("não segure"), but Brazilian speech simply uses the present indicative, giving "não segura". In writing, "não segure" is the correct form

17. Cinco minutos de descanso, bebe água.

    Five-minute break, drink some water.

    Usage

    Said by the instructor. Brazilian academies are hot and humid and often have no air conditioning, so water breaks are called between rounds as a matter of course. Bring your own bottle (garrafinha); water and coconut water are usually on sale at the academy or the bar next door. In jiu-jitsu classes the technique explanations often double as the rest period

    Grammar Note

    "Cinco minutos de descanso" works as a complete instruction with no verb at all. The "A de B" pattern here simply links quantity to noun: a five-minute break

18. Por hoje é isso. Muito bem, parabéns!

    That is it for today. Very good, well done!

    Usage

    Said by the instructor to close the session. In jiu-jitsu everyone then lines up in belt order, bows, and shakes hands or hugs. "Oss!" serves as greeting, acknowledgement and thanks all at once — the Japanese "osu" naturalised into Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Saying "Obrigado, professor!" afterwards is plenty; tipping is not a thing

    Grammar Note

    "Por hoje é isso" literally means "for today, this is it" and is the set phrase for wrapping up a session or a meeting. "Parabéns" is always plural; the singular "parabém" is virtually unused

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