How often to train

[shamster]

I am going to being BJJ training soon. I can only train twice a week though. Would this be enough to progress at a decent pace?

[47MartialMan]

2 or 3 times is ok....it all depends on one's lifestyle

[HtTKar]

You'll be training at home, too.
The class time is to learn new things and recieve feedback from the things you've been practicing at home. You should be practicing all the time at home.
This is just an example, but if you only took 2-3hrs of classes a week, but studied at home 10-20hrs a week, you'd be a lot better than someone that just takes classes twice a week. You'll progress as fast as you push yourself.

[shamster]

Thanks! Is it possible to practice the moves at home without a partner? None of my family or friends are bjj'ers.

[Jeremy Lobdell]

There are drills that you can practice at home without a partner, such as upa and shrimping. The majority of your practice will require another person. I would also recommend picking up a copy of "Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Theory and Technique" by Renzo and Royler Gracie to use as a guide and source of info for your training. Even if you have to use someone who is untrained in BJJ for practice, it would be very benefitial for the beginner level as you should concentrate (outside of the school) on working positions and submissions with minimal resistance. You're training partner should act as a live training dummy, and who knows, you may spark enough of a interest in BJJ to make them want to join your school.
Mahalo, Jeremy

[Yinboxer]

Originally Posted by HtTKar

You'll be training at home, too.
The class time is to learn new things and recieve feedback from the things you've been practicing at home. You should be practicing all the time at home.
This is just an example, but if you only took 2-3hrs of classes a week, but studied at home 10-20hrs a week, you'd be a lot better than someone that just takes classes twice a week. You'll progress as fast as you push yourself.

Exactly! Class time should never be your only training time if you are serious about learning the art. The more time you have to practice, the better! Good luck and have fun.

[Ahoym8e]

Originally Posted by shamster

I am going to being BJJ training soon. I can only train twice a week though. Would this be enough to progress at a decent pace?

Not sure how old you are, but 2 - 3 times per week may be all you can take(physically).

I train 2-3 times per week: Mondays and Wednesdays. 6-7 is no gi, and 7 - 8:30 is with gi. We have strenous warmup routines. On fridays we have an open mat from 6-7, and I go maybe every other week, sometimes only every 3 weeks. I am in my mid 30's, and in pretty good shape, but my body needs rest every now and then. Of course if you don't roll (train) much during class, it will be easier for you. We roll every class for at least 20 minutes. It doesn't sound like much, but I've seen someone puke from exhaustion after class...

But, I do stretch at home, and actually simulate some mount and knee on belly work with my BOB XL punching bag (the mean looking rubber dudewith the shorts). I take him off his stand and work on the floor with him. Sometimes I pound the shit out of him from the mount too. Gets the stress out...

I need to start a thread about grappling dummies.... I wonder if there are any good ones out there for work at home...

Anyway, good luck man! I'm sure you'll like BJJ, and soon you'll know why BJJ owns (something which non-bjj'ers always deny )

[shamster]

Thanks again guys!

I turned 28 recently. Hope that's not too old to start.

Anyhow, I could ask my wife if she wants to help me train at home. However, I suspect that she wouldn't be to thrilled with me if I tried out the moves on her. Plus I don't want to hurt her either.

Hopefully I can get a grappling dummy one day.

[Shoot]

2 X a week of class is plenty. Once a week can be enough. In my experience with BJJ the biggest threat to your training and learning is burnout. BJJ is characterized by constant sparring. Frankly, this gets old and taxing. I train in class once a week now. When I started and was all eager I trained 4 times a week. Then I quit for a long while because I was so burned out and sick of full speed wrestling. I’ve seen this happen to others. Here comes some comments about BJJ and some suggestions: BJJ is a wonderful art. However, the teaching methodology is really lacking in most places. Your typical class will begin with technique training. Even if you know absolutely nothing about BJJ you’ll learn the same technique that others who may have 3 or more years experience learn. The technique drilling is usually in fine detail and slow. The repetition is seldom enough to really learn it and have it come as second nature. It’s more or less an exposure to a technique. You could expose yourself to these techniques in a book and then practicing with a friend. Then, you’ll spend the second half or more “rolling.” You’ll train at full speed grappling even if you don’t know the basic ground positions and escapes. Most people get submitted over and over and over. Some never progress and end up quitting. The learning is slow and often painful if not embarrassing. You’ll probably not feel real comfortable “unleashing” your true athleticism upon strangers and out of respect and shyness to people who have some color on their belt you’ll find yourself “playing along” to see what they do instead of really fighting like hell. In other words, there is no organized syllabus of instruction that builds upon itself.

The truth is that even when you become advanced you’ll use half a dozen submissions, a couple of guard passes, and a few positional escapes over and over again–namely rolling left and right in a 45 degree angle and shrimping escapes (knee and elbow). You’ll learn about posting and tying up posts to accomplish positional movement. These techniques comprise the very basics of BJJ. Most everything beyond that is geared to gi grappling in competition. And fortunately for you if you know how to teach yourself or are lucky enough to stumble upon a good school (unlikely), the basics can be drilled over and over and over again at say 50-75% speed with a friend in your living room. Honestly, I had a friend who ran flow drills like this with me. Unfortunately he moved and now I train in class and at home with my imagination and sometimes a homemade dummy. I would say that 4 months of that type of training with a fried you’re comfortable with was better than 2 years of in-class training. You just don’t get that repetition in sparring. Buying books as resources is a good idea. Just keep in mind that there really aren’t 10,000 techniques. There are just a handful with 10,000 variations.

Again, I really like BJJ, but it really needs some organization in its teaching. No disrespect to anybody in the BJJ business. Maybe you’re different.

[BadgerFu57]

Why don't you just tell your training partners not to go 100% when you roll so you can practice certain techniques? Your training partners should respect you and help you learn.... as you should do the same for them.

[cakegirl]

You'll be able to come up with methods of training by yourself at home. e.g. if you get a medicine ball, you'll be able to use that to practice transitioning moves like side control to top control, etc. You can also drill arm bar from mount with a medicine ball, and it's probably MORE difficult than doing it on a real person!

[Tom Yum]

Explosive