training at home vs. class

[hawk59]

Hello,

I would like to solicit an opinion: I have the opportunity to attend a BJJ class that is approximately 30 miles away. Considering the cost of the class and the time and expense of travel, I am also considering training Vale Tudo at home with a partner using the Sperry tapes. Given that my objective is purely self defense rather than competition, would training at home under these conditions be the best option? Thank you in advance.

[Szczepankiewicz]

There is no substitute for training under a qualified instructor.

Tapes and two novice training partners is a dangerous combination. You can pick up bad habits really easy.

I'd go for 6 months or so to class, then if you want, after you understand the basics of the basics, you can work with tapes and your training partners.

Also, make sure you don't fall into the 'Ultimate Self Defense Trap'.

BJJ is an excellent art, but more often than not it is not taught with the Self Defense perspective.

If you want to buy a Self Defense video set with a good combination of striking and grappling, I highly recommend Streetfighting Essentials: Combining Western Boxing and Hapkido into an Unstoppable Self-Defense System

The whole Unstoppable Self-Defense System is a bit much, but hey, it's advertising and not necessarily from the author.

I've trainedwith the author and he really knows his stuff. I have this tapeset and it's excellent.

Self-Defense is about Awareness, Avoidance, Application and Escape.

I hope this helps.

Spanky

[Thai Bri]

I train at home, but feel I can do so because I have had over 20 years of experience in different classes and arts. I also only train a very small syllabus, almost exclusively striking.

[Benjamin Dover]

You can train with books, videos and online to get your BJJ black belt. After you have assimilated all this info walk into that school and roll with the instructor. I bet you'll choke him out

[chris davis 200]

teaching yourself can work - look at mark wier of UFC.

Taught himself and is quite effective.

But i agree that generally under an instructor you will 'get' things alot easier.

Often the best way to see how good an instructor is, is to look at the abilities of his students. If he is good but all his students are pants then he aint a good teacher and its time to steer clear.

i train more at home than in the dojo but i do train in the dojo 5 times a week too - so i get the best of both worlds.

Cheers
Chris

[hawk59]

Thanks for your excellent advise and insight. If there is any way I can swing the class, I will go for it. If not, I will just have to make do with training at home.

[falcon3624]

Originally posted by Thai Bri
I train at home, but feel I can do so because I have had over 20 years of experience in different classes and arts. I also only train a very small syllabus, almost exclusively striking.

There ya go. Do the opposite of what Bri does and you ought to come out alright.

Seriously though you should go to a class cuz you get alot more experience in the class that you won't get off a tape.

[grubbogoppoly]

Yup. .A video probably won't give you the little details that make or break the stuff.

[falcon3624]

Not to mention in a class you have the oppotunity to roll with a bunch of different people where at home you might only get the chance to roll with one person. It really helps to roll with as many people as possible because everyone does things differently.

It would be almost impossible to get really good at any martial art if you never tried it against other people.

[grubbogoppoly]

Another very good point falcon

[MrPoopy]

If you have a partner, you should do both.

I think it's very hard to motivate yourself when you're not in a class.

[Lizard]

Its good to learn the basics of a technique in class then try to improve it by training at home. But It would be hard to learn the technique in the first place without an instructor.

The more techniques and stlyes you learn the easier it becomes to learn new techniques.

[hawk59]

Thanks for the excellent replies and advice. I will heed that advise and go the class route, training at home only when I cant attend class. I am a proponant, as most of you are, of cross training. That being the case, I have an opportunity to crosstrain BJJ/Karate. (2 classes per week in each) The Karate also includes a 1-day a week "Combatives" class which is training in pure self-defense, focusing on street application, which is what Im after. On the flip side, there is also a Muay Thai dojo 1 1/2 hrs away that I could crosstrain my BJJ with. Being that it's so far away, I could only get to class once a week. I could then train/spar the second day at home with a partner. I know that the Muay Thai/BJJ crosstraining combo seems to be highly regarded. Any opinion as to which would be the "better" route to take, keeping in mind that my goal is purely self defense rather than competition? Thanks again.

[Thai Bri]

I'd go for the Combatives every time, as long as it was a good class. Let me know the kinds of things they teach, and I'll give you an opinion.

I'd also cross train with BJJ.

Thai Boxing is awesome, but it is still a sport. It is great for self defence but, is self defence is your thing (like mine) I'd definitely do the Combatives instead.

[falcon3624]

O yea that's true you did graduate from the women's self-defense school of London didn't you Bri.