On Training and Improving in Jiu-Jitsu
Tine Scheldeman
Learning Faster or Learning Better?
In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, group classes are the foundation of learning. They give you training partners, sparring, repetition, and exposure to many different styles. Most of your progress will always come from regular training in group classes, not from private lessons.
However, private classes can play an important role at certain moments in your Jiu-Jitsu journey.
Solving Specific Problems
At some point, almost everyone in Jiu-Jitsu runs into problems they cannot easily solve. Maybe you keep getting stuck in the same position. Maybe your guard gets passed the same way every time. Maybe you don't understand how to connect techniques together.
In group classes, there is not always time to go deeply into your personal problems. A private class allows you to focus on one situation and really study it. Sometimes one hour of focused work on a specific problem can save you months of confusion.
Details Make the Difference
In the beginning, Jiu-Jitsu is about learning the big movements. Later, progress often comes from small details: grip placement, weight distribution, timing, angles. These details are difficult to see by yourself.
During a private lesson, an instructor can correct small mistakes that you may repeat for months without noticing. Often you are not doing the wrong technique, but you are missing small details that make the technique work.
Understanding Your Own Game
As people train longer, they slowly develop their own style. Some people prefer pressure and top control. Others prefer guard and movement. Some people compete, others just train for the love of the sport.
Private classes can help you build a game that fits you. Instead of learning random techniques, you start connecting positions and building a system that works for your body, your age, and your goals.
Not a Shortcut
Private classes are not a shortcut in Jiu-Jitsu. They do not replace sparring, mat time, or years of training. Someone who trains three times a week in group classes will usually improve more than someone who only does private lessons.
Private classes are better seen as a tool. They can give direction, fix mistakes, and improve understanding, but the real progress still comes from regular training and experience on the mat.
When They Are Most Useful
Private classes are often most useful:
- When you feel stuck in your progress
- When preparing for a competition
- When you want to build a specific game
- When you keep making the same mistakes
- When you want to understand positions more deeply
They are usually less necessary for complete beginners, who mostly need mat time, repetition, and experience.
Final Thought
Jiu-Jitsu is a long process of small improvements and many repetitions. Most of what you learn will come from your training partners, your mistakes, and your time on the mat. But sometimes, one conversation, one correction, or one private lesson can give you a new direction. And in a long journey, direction is often more important than speed.