What's a BJJ private lesson worth......?

[SweepEm]

...I think, a lot.

Tonight at class, our teacher Rey Diogo is starting to rehab his wrist that he had surgery on.
So, we got to spar with him and he worked on weaknesses (at least mine, and I have lots of holes in my game).

I've trained at 2 other schools and never had regular sparring session with the black belts like I have now.
I don't hold any anymosity towards my previous instructors since I believe they helped me to be who I am today.

I don't see my regular progress and think that my self image of my Jiu Jitsu sucks but people say that I am much better.
I do have to give credit to my improvement to Rey and also my fellow students that help me along.

Yeah, I am old, my muscle mass is shrinking.
In my dreams, I get my BJJ black belt, but the reality is that I will be awarded a posthumous black belt on my coffin.
Well, at least they have the Seniors and Masters division in tournaments for the old guys like me.

I'm a lucky guy.....

[Groin Grab]

The school I'm at now and have been at for the past two years is great my teacher rolls with us every night. It has helped me so much and I have so much respect for the guy because he rolls with every one every night. Some nights he'll just beat on us other times he has a specific technique he's working and so that's all he'll try to get you with. Other times he'll just escape over and over again or let me try to pass his guard and see if I can make it a little longer before getting swept, or he coaches you through a match against him while he wrestles with you getting that kind of training gives me a lot more confidince. I have a hard time respecting guys that never spar with their students. I went to two other BJJ schools where the instructors rarely if ever rolled with their student's I've only been able to roll with five black belts so far in BJJ and it is awsome just to be able to feel the differnt style of each of those black belts was a good learning experience. I try to take every opportunity I can to roll with a black belt because those guys have so much mat time, you can learn a lot from watching them you can also learn a lot from actually grappling with them as well. I've done a lot of privates with him too and he rolls with me a lot in the private sessions and has me work moves and drill techniques, he'll also leave stuff out there for me like an arm bar opportunity or a choke or sweep or something just to see if I'll see it and take it right away. The last private I had we worked on going for the submission right away and making adjustments right after. Because I was adjusting too much before attempting the submission by the time I went for the sub the guy knew I was going for it ten years before it happens now he has me going for it as soon as I see the opportunity and then making my adjustments. Stuff like this has helped me a lot then when I get into the mat for a tournament I tell my self I've been training privately with a black belt and I doubt this guy has there is not way he should be able to take me and I'm a lot more confident.

[SweepEm]

We have a seond black belt Andreh, that has a tough work schedule but does make it as much as possible and does train and spar with us too.
He's not a big guy, and in fact on the small side. We have two different worlds since Rey is a big guy and Andreh is smaller.
Andreh works the bottom game really awesome and is ultra flexible. He's a prime example that you don't need to be strong, huge and powerful to be great at BJJ.
But I am not that flexible so I can't get out of situations like he can, and I am not a black belt either......

Every teacher has their own training style and I don't look down at other instructors for their different training styles.
I think it's all a matter of how you were trained and how you want to conduct your classes.
I've seen some lazy instructors, leave the room and talk to friends, talk on the phone. But Rey and Andreh give us 110% and that's why I am where I am at.
I am the opposite of guys that would be called gifted athletes. You know the guys that can be shown the move one time and they pick it up and know it.
When I was taking Kung Fu and my teacher showed me a series of forms, I could pick up maybe 3 of the 7-8 moves and would have to have him show me it many times. My friend who trained with me would see it once and know it.

Good thing there aren't grades in BJJ or martial arts like in school. I'd be in the remedial or dumbbell classes. heh heh

[Groin Grab]

That's cool that you have a black belt to train with on a regular basis. I know it's made a lot of differnce for me. My past two Jui-Jitsu instructors were just like the guys you mentioned they'd show a move and then go back to the office and tool on the internet or make phone calls. It just pissed me off I have no respect for those types of teachers. The teacher I have now is like the guy you've got he stays for the entire class and watches every one do the technique it makes a huge differnce because I'm always doing something wrong and there's always some little detail or point in the technique I can work on to make it better and tighten up my game. As far as each black belt having their own style I think that's the beauty of Jiu-Jitsu is how every black belt seems to have a way of making the art their own.

[Chuck]

I think when you go into a private lesson you need to have a game plan on what you want to work on. Let the instructor know just what you want to accomplish before the lesson. Come to an agreement on price and amount of time given for the lesson and what you should learn. I have had private for 50 bucks and also had one for 100.

[SweepEm]

Professors:
Rey Diogo (leftt)
Marcello Alonso (center)
Andre Alemao (rightt)

[Chuck]

Croin Grab what school do you train at? I am trying to find a school where the instructor will roll with EVERYONE in class. And every class.

[Zhoozhitsu]

Ahhhh, Sweep, isn't Rey the one on the left?

[SweepEm]

duuuh,
I guess that's why I flunked driver's training 3 times.

I don't know my right from my left

[andreh anderson]

Sweep em,

I didnt realize how much I was truly learning from the training and sparring sessions with Rey until I got to Brazil. It was as if all of the pieces fell into place when I started to spar so many different guys who attack with so many different games. I found that the core techniques that Rey has taught us would really come through even when I encountered a position I wasnt familiar with.

An interesting side note: Yesterday I got to hang out with Carlos Barretto. Almost the only thing he talked about was how good Rey was back in the day. He said that when Rey was a purple belt, NO ONE could touch him. It was cool to see the respect Carlao had for Rey. I later talked with Liborio and he echoed Carlos´comments. He said that right after the split with Carlson, the Top Team wanted to contact Rey to come join them. I dont think Rey would leave Carlson though...

[SweepEm]

Andreh: What's UP?

WHEN/ IF (Ha) you get back, I know you'll bring back lots of great stories.

Rey is too humble to talk about his past and it's good to learn so much about the respect he has from such notable BJJ athletes.

Now that you're gone, we are learning so many super secret techniques that Carlson has passed along........heh heh.

[andreh anderson]

SWEEP!

Im doing well. How is everyone? Please give everyone a big thumbs up from me, and tell them I miss them.

Also, if you have the chance, please ask Dan to check his email.

Miss you guys.

[bear]

I have heard many good things about Rey. I have always trained at the GJJA since I got involved in JJ. I only make it to california a couple of times a yr though. I would like to get some classes, privates from Rey in the future. What's the going rate for an hour private? How far is Rey's place from Torrance? Sweep whats happening with the chat...I can never find anyone there anymore??

[SweepEm]

Hey Bear, good to hear from you....

Rey's school is about 10 minutes North of the airport, closer to the airport than the Torrance academy, South.

I am not sure how much a private lesson is and I'll have to check and let you know.
What ever it is, it is very reasonable.

Chat? it's been a long time since we assembled in a chat session with anyone.