I am sure we can ALL agree that bjj has evolved immensely over the years. I guess that i am curious to see what everyone's first experience was. How does an experience from a typical class in 2000 differ from that of a class taught in 2015? Also, what were your intentions and or expectations?
I remember my first class. It was probably around 2006. I was a fat, tapout wearing douchenozzle who wanted to be a "fighter". We started with a warm up (which made me run to the bathroom and puke), than did some foot work to set up a throw, than drilled the throw, than rolling a few rounds to finish up the class. I was completely dominated, smashed, and choked by everyone. It was great and exactly what I NEEDED.
postscript: i never continued training after that (cocaine is a hell of a drug and can ruin your life if you let it). I began REALLY training in 2011 after i got my shit together. And needless to day my 2nd "first" class was much different. Not better, just different. Maybe it was me, who was now ready to really learn jiujitsu. Fast forward to now and i am a purple belt (and 100 pounds lighter) and i LOVE when a new face shows up. I try my best to make the experience very positive for them. Regardless of what their intentions and expectations are i reassure them that, so long as you continue to show up you will find what you are looking for. 
Ttt
Then my friend...then
superninjadragonkiller - Then my friend...thenMy apologies for the inappropriate use of the word.
Ricco Rodriguez, then a purple belt, showed me how to open the closed guard by slamming me into the ground with all of his weight. When I came to, I instantly felt like I was in love with the sport. I think. Concussion syndrome wasn't heavily studied in 1997.
- some punch block defenses, clinching then on to the arm-inside sweep from the closed guard. Never forgot those first few lessons. Details were good and instruction demonstration very precise.
1991 Relsons garage. Already a seasoned Kickboxer and no grappling experience. Was the best one hour class I ever had. I met Relson working as a bouncer in a very popular night club in Waikiki, a friend introduced me to him and said "you ever heard of Gracie Jiujitsu ?" I think I said, " you mean the stuff like judo?". Relson was chill and the nicest guy and in a very controlled way, bat the living shit outta me. I was mounted, armlocked, choked out from every position. This was before UFC 1. I was sold instantly. Back then, half the class was self defense, half ground work.
2010: blew out my knee in the warm-up during my first class (leap frogs). ACL reconstruction + PT + got sidetracked into judo (which I know is worse for your knees, but whatever).
2015: just now getting back into BJJ. Liking it so far...still don't like the warm-ups, though.
I trained no-gi submission wrestling for a year and a half first, but my first "real" BJJ class I rolled with (Carlson Gracie BBs) Ricardo "Rey" Diogo & Carlos Barreto. I remember Carlos having a very detailed discussion in Portugese with someone who was just off the mat as I tried & tried to pass his open guard.
The amount of effort he used to hold me in his open guard, was the same amount of effort you might use to keep a curious puppy corralled on a particular area of the couch, "Hey, stay here puppy, I don't want you going over there."
First class (2011) happened exactly like the Ed O'Neill story. Purple belt pulled me aside, mounted me and asked me to escape. I had watched enough mma to know not to give my back up, but after 3 minutes of flailing (I did attempt to restrain an arm once), I gave up my back just so I he could show me the right way. We drilled the upa mount escape. At the end of class I asked the instructor to put me in a triangle because I could not figure out how it was a choke. He still laughs about it today.
shen -
I trained no-gi submission wrestling for a year and a half first, but my first "real" BJJ class I rolled with (Carlson Gracie BBs) Ricardo "Rey" Diogo & Carlos Barreto. I remember Carlos having a very detailed discussion in Portugese with someone who was just off the mat as I tried & tried to pass his open guard.
The amount of effort he used to hold me in his open guard, was the same amount of effort you might use to keep a curious puppy corralled on a particular area of the couch, "Hey, stay here puppy, I don't want you going over there."
Damn, I would have loved to roll with either of those guys and have them destroy me.
I had two "first class" experiences:
Aug 1997 - visited Torrance, CA and took 3 classes in a row at the Gracie Academy. All were taught by a blue belt. The first class involved very little content, and was mostly the ol' "how would you react to this shirt grab? Whatever you're thinking, it's wrong." It was mostly just an hour of anti-tma propoganda, as was customary in those days. There were only two of us in the class, but there was about a dozen blue belts sitting along the sidelines hoping to be a partner. It was surreal. The next two classes had more white belts in them, and we mostly drilled a random assortment of self-defense curriculum. They let us roll with our blue belt partners at the very end, and we had no idea what we were doing.
Sept 1997 - Back at home, I took my next class in Kipp Kollar's basement. We drilled triple threat attacks from the Mount. I trained with Kipp and his crew for several months afterwards, mostly out of the wrestling room at Wesleyan University. We all got hurt. Lots. Also, I thought Kipp was a BJJ black belt for the first couple months because he would wear his BJJ gi with a plain black belt (it was his "other" TKD black belt, not the one with his name and stripes embroidered on it).
Was 17, had next to no idea what BJJ was. Got mount, made eye contact, got freaked out and quit that roll. 
shen -
I trained no-gi submission wrestling for a year and a half first, but my first "real" BJJ class I rolled with (Carlson Gracie BBs) Ricardo "Rey" Diogo & Carlos Barreto. I remember Carlos having a very detailed discussion in Portugese with someone who was just off the mat as I tried & tried to pass his open guard.
The amount of effort he used to hold me in his open guard, was the same amount of effort you might use to keep a curious puppy corralled on a particular area of the couch, "Hey, stay here puppy, I don't want you going over there."
Do you know if Carlos Barreto is a Sr black belt or under one of his bb's? I noticed on the Carlson Gracie Sr BB list he is not listed. Always thought he was since he was always in the training fotos.
SpeedKing9 -shen -I trained no-gi submission wrestling for a year and a half first, but my first "real" BJJ class I rolled with (Carlson Gracie BBs) Ricardo "Rey" Diogo & Carlos Barreto. I remember Carlos having a very detailed discussion in Portugese with someone who was just off the mat as I tried & tried to pass his open guard.
The amount of effort he used to hold me in his open guard, was the same amount of effort you might use to keep a curious puppy corralled on a particular area of the couch, "Hey, stay here puppy, I don't want you going over there."
<br /> <span class="User-106514" id="userPost53987015">Do you know if Carlos Barreto is a Sr black belt or under one of his bb's? I noticed on the Carlson Gracie Sr BB list he is not listed. Always thought he was since he was always in the training fotos.</span><br /> </blockquote>
hmmmm... I know he TRAINED with the Carlson team and Carlson cornered him, so I always assumed he was a BB under him, but I don't see him listed, either. So maybe he got kicked out when he went to BTT or something...? Good question. I really just don't know.
First class: got my ass-kicked repeatedly by a blue belt Tim Credeur. Was functioning on pure spaztastic instincts. Never felt that kind of exhaustion before. Didn't realize who Tim was until I saw him on TUF years later.