Private lessons are a common part of BJJ training. A Private training session typically involves a one-to-one interaction between the student and their teacher. Sometimes Privates can have two or three students at once, however they usually involve just two people in total. Privates are designed to target specific details of a move or position and they differ from conventional training which involves a larger group of students which often ends with sparring.
Table of Contents
BJJ Privates cost
One of the biggest issues with Private training is the cost. Privates can be expensive but as a general rule, you get what you pay for. An example of this could be paying a world class black belt $300 for an hour session. For most people, this is too expensive, but when looked at closely it’s not actually a bad deal. Imagine trying to get a one-hour session from a top tennis or NFL player. The cost would probably be closer to $3000, so in that sense, BJJ privates are much cheaper. World-class advice is worth paying for with some people who are desperate to add the finer intricacies to their game.
Alternatively, cheaper privates are also an option. One example of this could be as a white belt and paying for privates with a competitive blue belt at your gym. Whilst the blue belt will probably lack the knowledge of a world-class black belt, they will also be much cheaper. In some cases, the private could cost as little as $40 for the hour – especially if the blue belt is young. This is a good deal for both parties as it’s worth the time to teach and also a white belt can definitely learn from a good blue belt.
With this in mind, you should not be picky about learning from those who aren’t black belts. Just because someone is a below black belt, it doesn’t mean they lack knowledge. The reality is from the end of blue belt and beyond, the average practitioner has an area of expertise that may be around black belt level. This means you could possibly pick up a bargain if going after Privates with a lower belt.
The benefits of Private training
The benefits of Private training can be to improve upon your strengths or weaknesses. A problem typically found in larger gyms is that the instructor is too busy teaching everyone, so they don’t give people individual advice. Because of this, teaching can often be very broad in a larger class which means specific details may be missed. With everyone after the teacher’s attention, it may be harder to learn as a result.
This is where Privates come into play. Here you can get the full attention of your coach and benefit from it. Using this time to ask plenty of questions is a good idea as there are no distractions. For example, if you want to know the finishing mechanics of an armbar, then this is a good time to ask.
It’s not just questions either, Private training will often involve drilling. By repetitive drilling, you can really get down a key movement and make sure you’re doing it right. This may not be the case if drilling in class. For instance, if you drill a move badly it may not be corrected. However, with the coach guiding you, it will make your technique more precise as a result. With this in mind, Privates are a great way to learn – especially if you have spare money available to progress.
The negatives of Private training
One of the main negatives of doing Privates is that they often don’t involve sparring, or the sparring is intentionally soft. For instance, in some cases, some people will train only one private per week, instead of training regular classes more often. The issue with this is that you need to spar to progress. Sparring against a resisting opponent is not easy and proves the difference between drilling and actually putting moves into practice.
By sparring, you are essentially testing out your moves which are similar to testing them out in competition. However, if one chooses to only do Private lessons, then they will lack the experience of others. In short, there’s a big difference between hitting a move whilst drilling and doing the same move against a tough opponent. It is important not to get carried away with exclusively training privates because of this. Not only this, but it’s good to train with as many people as possible to adapt to different styles and techniques. Whilst Privates an excellent way to improve, they cannot be the only way to train.
If we were to take a student who had trained for 6 months in a beginners class and sparred properly compared with an individual who only did private lessons. There is absolutely no doubt that the beginner with the sparring experience would destroy the student who only did privates. I would guess that the technique of the private individual would be a lot smoother and more detailed in some areas but their overall knowledge of positions would be lacking due to no experience of being put in bad situations.
Cost and time
As outlined above, Private training can be expensive. This means they’re not for everyone as costs can quickly mount up. To combat this, some instructors will offer discount block bookings but again it’s an expensive choice if you go down that road. Because of this, most students won’t do many Privates throughout the year and Privates are often done by those incredibly committed or wealthy. In short, if money is an issue then regular training in class is probably a more sensible option.
Secondly, time can be an issue with Privates. For example, a typical practitioner may train three times a week. Coupled with a 9-5 job and other activities in life, Privates just aren’t a realistic option. In short, if you’re already busy and paying for BJJ elsewhere, Privates may simply be too much of a commitment alongside regular training.
Summary
As outlined above, Private training is a very quick way to improve whilst practicing BJJ. Because of this, it’s recommended if you have the time or money to do so. Having said this, Privates should only be used as a supplement. As also outlined, nothing beats regular training and hard sparring. By training with others, you will get real experience and a diverse game. This can’t be taught with Private training which is instead a great way to add improvements needed with your game.
