BJJ Private lessons $$$ too much ? $$$

I have been on an off this idea for many moons . My game is starting to get stale and well I feel a private here and there would be helpful. The sad part is I feel my own instructor charges too much...I may have to review other schools and other BB's in the area and double check pricess. Ok, I said it lol .... its not ideal but hey its my $$.

What do you see is a fair price range for 1:1 privates?

50.00 an hour?
75.00
100.00
125.00 ???

Lets also toss in a few rating scales .e.g

Ex Pro (Saulo, Marcelo etc)
Should charge: xxxx an hour

Semi Pro (Competing a lot but never made it big time)
Should charge: xxx an hour

Non Competitive Instructor (Never had the desire but still solid)
Should charge: xxx an hour

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We all know BJJ is an expensive hobby but I would really like to get everyone's input on 1:1 private instruction AND if anyone (who has the $$) find it worth it? ... if at all.

 

I think top guys both as competitors and/or instructors should charge $100+, other random bjj black belts that are neither phenomenal instructors or competitors shouldn't charge more than $75.

Currently I'm doing nothing but private lessons. I hold a brown belt, and the classes I go to SOMETIMES has a black belt instructor (who has had it less than 1 year), and is mostly full of white and blue belts. I feel like for the most part the private is extremely helpful and the regular classes have been a huge waste of time and money. The privates do get expensive, I have 2/week at $100 each, but I still have some lofty goals in my personal bjj life that I would like to fulfill, so as long as I can comfortably afford it, I will continue to do this.

 

Good stuff haylinks,

When did you start your private endeavor and for how long? Also do you randomly take part in normal class and if so is it a 'huge' skill gap now?

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I think I'm honestly affraid of forking over so much cash and realizing there is no game plan for my development. Did you come to the table with a 'a to do list'? seriously, Im curious.

 

I started doing this about 3 months ago. I haven't been to a regular class since. It was already a huge skill gap, even the black belt instructor I would catch 6/10 times. My game wasn't progressing, the black belt had a very similar game to me (strong top side, weak bottom side), so it was very difficult to progress my weaker bottom game on him, and especially difficult because all he wanted to do was "beat" me.

In the 3 months, I have not worked on my bottom game at all. I analyze my game all the time and know my strengths and weaknesses. One of my biggest weaknesses (which in essence was a strength at one point) is grappling by instinct rather than real technique. I was never taught a set of rules on grips and grip fighting, what particular techniques and positionings would prevent or promote other techniques. So I went in for these privates wanting to learn properly. Everything I previously knew or thought about these things was purely learned via trial and error, but they were never mentally learned only really learned by muscle memory. I would feel somebody trying something that had previously swept me, so I would adjust my body accordingly, but sometimes I would never understand what's really happening and what I should really do.

I went in asking to learn just the finer details of grappling. The first 2 privates was purely for the instructor to break down my game. What was interesting for me was I passed his guard and had to adjust the pass 3 or 4 times with grips and pressure before I passed, but I didn't even realize what I did. So he broke it down for me and showed me what I did exactly and taught me that what I did for the most part was right, but he put it into perspective and said when X happens you do Y, just things like that to make it easier for me to understand what to do. I'll probably continue doing these privates for another few months. My schedule is so hectic that I don't have time to train during the night classes when all the purple belts and higher train. I should be able to make the time sometime this fall, until then I'll just continue to do the privates.

 

Wow, that's a lot of dough every month. A lot. Cool you're doing it, though.

 

Yeah, but it's worth it. I make a good amount of money, my gf is not high maintenance, and those are probably pretty much where all my money goes to. Except I bought GTA4 last week... :icon_chee

 

privates are great, I wish I could afford them!

 

I am paying 125 per hour with Rafael Oliveira BB of Gracie Barra. He won No Gi Worlds in his division.

I am doing about three per week, a little pricey but well worth it.

 

gta4 FTW

hayliks, question....if your catching the BB 6/10 times wouldn't that make you the better BJJ player? The reason i'm asking is that everyone says you need to work on defense with better guys and offence on weaker guys. If you roll for 2 privates a week with the same person does that really benifit you? I mean it seems like your at the same skill level

The reason i'm asking is i tend to roll with the same 2-3 people in class (neck injury so i go with blues who don't spaz on me and my teacher). We go over moves, but during rolling i tend to not be able to use the moves we just worked on, due to their counters and such. Do you find this a problem?

 

when you are at your high blue and above... it's when you need people at your lvl and higher than you (imho)...

 

I wouldn't say my bjj is better as a whole than the black belt I used to train with. He has a more complete game and can explain the techniques he performs. Like I said I feel like I roll more in instinct rather than solid technique. Sure I can take any blue belt and sub them with some of the most fundamental bjj, but with better purples and above I do things that are good technique in general but I sometimes don't know if I'm doing things incorrectly. For example I'm passing somebody's half guard and he gets under my leg, instinctively I sprawl and crossface which is one correct thing to do but that's something nobody taught me, I do it because it feels right rather than somebody telling me that is a correct thing to do. I rarely roll with my instructor, we go over more principles and techniques in order to tighten up my overall game and give me a better understanding of it all

 

if you can, just ask a higher belt at a the end of class to show you soemthign for one problem you have. they'll usually be more than willing to show if you're a not a jerk or something. consider them mini-privates. i've been doing a lot more of this type of stuff, just quick 10-15 minute sessions where they'll help me out with a position or something.

 

Great post Hayliks, thanks for the insight. That is exactly the feeling I always have, when I watch high level competition (especially in Gi). It's not just about which move they try, but every little grip counts and every weight shift. There is no randomness there with anything they do. That is what is really impressive and scary at the same time.... You expect me to learn all that shit????

I think this is where the notion comes from that BJJ is life-long learning.

Also seems like you picked the right path with the privates and ahppy for you that you can afford it.

B

 

$100 per hour with for our black belts one is a no-gi world champion

 

375 a week? That comes out to 1,500 a month.

Holy fuck. You must come from money. A lot of people don't even make that amount of money in a month, let alone being able to casually drop 1,500 a month on privates.

 

I would do 3x/week if I had the time, it's not THAT much money, depends on your job and spending habits.

 

That is crazy... though there are a few lawyers in Grappling. MattyD is a lawyer and a purple belt I believe under Renzo. I don't think he pays for privates but obviously, if you've got the money use it on what you enjoy.

~Foz

 

For me, mat time is more important than lessons. We all know many more techniques than we actually do during our normal training. More knowledge is not the key.

I like to roll with three different types of opponents on a given day. Some one better than me, someone equal to me, and someone less experienced than me. You survive the first, compete against the second, then experiment on the third.

 

Yea, I spend a lot of money BJJ in general. I am currently getting ready for Worlds so I am only doing privates at this point.

I don't come from money, I don't have a car payment and changed all my spending habits. I make good money, not great money, but still I can't keep this up forever. Trust me....

 

Isn't Zankou a lawyer too?