Bulletproof For BJJ Podcast
Discussions on improving your BJJ, navigating mat-politics and all aspects of the jiu jitsu lifestyle. Multiple weekly episodes for grapplers of any level. Hosted by JT and Joey - Australian jiu jitsu black belts, strength coaches, and creators of Bulletproof For BJJ App. Based out of Sydney, Australia
Bulletproof For BJJ Podcast
We Spent Thousands On Private Lessons And Learned This...
Time to answer a recurring question, are private lessons worth the cost? Jiu jitsu gyms and their coaches rely on private lessons as a means of making a living. But are you really getting your money's worth? The truth is really how your coach carries out the private lessons, and if you aren't loving your progress, you need to say something to make sure the juice is worth the squeeze. Learn more in this ep.
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A good martial artist does not become tense but ready.
Speaker 2:Essentially, at this point, the fight is over.
Speaker 1:So you pretty much flow with the goal. Who is worthy to be trusted with the secret to limitless power? I'm ready. Bjj Private Lessons Are they a scam or are they a great investment? Now, private Lessons you may have had a couple are really the backbone of many gyms' income. Obviously, they've got people paying their memberships, but really the model of doing a one-on-one lesson with your coach, it's like personal training for BJJ and yeah, I wanted to get into this because there's been some very positive experiences for some folks. But then I heard a story about a not very good experience and I wanted to go deeper on this show. Where do you, where do you sit in this view on the private lesson in BJJ?
Speaker 2:I reckon that private coaching is like generally, like a mad tool for people to upgrade their skills. I think that it it there's no reason why a group environment is the only learning scenario yes you know, I think some people respond better to private coaching. Some people find groups hard to handle, yes, right, um, but also, too, in the group thing, something is lost, right in terms of every person getting exactly what they need at every session.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we, we kind of trade that for the good vibes and the energy and the diversity of training partners, but often if you do a private lesson, you just focus in on the specific things you need, but they're also not as fun right? However, with that said, I think a lot of coaches can probably get a bit lazy about the whole thing, which can result in private lessons really becoming kind of low value for folks while costing a fuckload of money.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I think that's the biggest thing. For the best part, people are already paying their membership dues and so they're like, well, I'm already paying money, like I'm here to learn jujitsu, why don't I get that? I guess the way I frame it as being personal training for BJJ is when I first started in the gym as a trainer, I was just a lowly kind of first year trainer, just putting the weights back, cleaning the treadmills, sorting out the programs. I wasn't actually allowed to do PT because I'd only had my Cert III at this stage, I was just studying my Cert 4. But what I saw was people who did PT consistently got better, faster, they improved within a very short space of time. And then there was people who always just showed up to the gym and they're always there, but they just did the same thing.
Speaker 1:Whereas the people who did PT, they got guidance, they got feedback, and I was like that's the fucking way, like this is before. I was even interested in in in doing BJJs back when I was doing Taekwondo and a bunch of other sports, I was like, oh my God, like this is, this is the unlock. People who get those that, that feedback and those lessons do well, uh, do better, significantly so, and I have found myself even though I've had good and bad experiences with getting private lessons huge unlocks for me in terms of understanding jiu-jitsu have come from investing in the thing, and it's also maybe this is like a bit of a bias, but it's also been shown that when you pay for something like you pay more, you value it more Because you're like this is important.
Speaker 2:I'm paying money Like you pay more. You value it more because you're like this is important.
Speaker 1:I'm paying money, yeah, you're invested, you're incentivized now to get something from it. You're not just sitting there like, oh, whatever, and you can't. I think this is a really positive thing. And historically in jiu-jitsu, when I was going back and I was looking in the kind of early 90s, the graces would mainly give private lessons and it was usually two to one.
Speaker 1:In the kind of early 90s, the Gracies would mainly give private lessons and it was usually two to one, so there'd be the instructor they would have like their uke, and then the student, right, so they would demonstrate on the UK and then they would get the student to come in and then they could give them feedback from watching them do it. And when I did private lessons in Brazil, that's how it was taught as well, right, and it was great. I was like, wow, that's really powerful. Before it moved to this more like group class, bigger business type thing, yeah, and some would argue that maybe the whole idea of a group class is more about the gym making money more than it is you about getting better, if that makes sense, oh yeah, yeah, I mean, I guess I can see.
Speaker 2:I can see where someone might come up with that. I mean, look, yeah, it also. I mean, for me personally I've got no interest in in like, if private was my only means of learning jiu-jitsu, I probably wouldn't be interested Right, like in terms of what's enjoyable. It's not what I'm there for. Sure, I've recognized, saying my own training, that if I do a private like every few months or something, it's a good chance to like zero in on maybe some mistakes I'm making and get a specific fix for a couple of issues I'm having. Yeah, um, that then allows me to get more out of my group training for the next period of time. But I don't like, I don't love that. It's not what I'm into. You know and and I think it, you know, it's knowing yourself and what you like about jiu-jitsu. If you're super technically minded, you probably love a private session, right, because you can fucking get into the nitty-gritty for sure. I just want to stand and bang with fucking people in a class, anyone you know me king kong boy oh shoot.
Speaker 2:We weren't throwing strikes tonight.
Speaker 1:My bad, sorry yeah, why have I got these mma gloves on? Why are you wearing a mouthpiece, brother, I thought it was pride. Be ready, soccer kick.
Speaker 2:But yeah, like if I'm looking at like someone who's new-ish to jiu-jitsu, I would think that a great sort of template for their training would be like do a private session every eight weeks, right. Do one private with your coach every eight weeks, I would say once a month, Right, yeah you know, but at some regular interval, so they get some new shit.
Speaker 2:Go work on it for the next little while, come back. How did that go? Good, yeah, no, okay, let's look at more of that. Or okay, let's fix this other thing. And it just. There's an accountability to the private training yes, which that's what it is right For the people who invest in PT in a gym. There's an accountability. They've got to show up. They've got your eyes on them the whole time. You're critiquing them. They've got to fix the mistakes.
Speaker 1:It really is the most express way to improve what you're doing on the gym floor. Yeah, the feedback learning loop and the iteration and all these ideas for me come from technology, right, and they they're like you always want to shorten up that feedback loop so you can make mistakes, but then fix them, make mistakes, fix them and keep improving. And if you don't get feedback, like you, you don't know what, you don't know right and there's a white belt. That's a lot of shit that you don't know. So if you're just working on one thing or you're just trying to get better at a thing, the sooner you can get some really kind of informed feedback, the sooner you can get better.
Speaker 1:And honestly, the first two years of my jujitsu was like the slowest, even though the enthusiasm was through the roof. I was fucking here for it, man, I was frothing out, I got very little feedback and even though I was good at the one or two techniques I did like, my jujitsu was just fucking stagnant. It was only once I got to work with a coach who gave a shit about me and inputted more into my game that I really started to get good at jujitsu. The first two years I even paid. I had a fairly negative experience that I paid for some private lessons and then I did learn a few things in the first couple lessons and then just did like three. I paid for 10. I paid for like a 10 pack of lessons and I paid up front. So it was like 150 bucks a lesson.
Speaker 1:It's 1500 and at that time like I didn't have a bunch of money, to be honest, um, but I was invested this private. I was invested, right, I fucking really wanted to get good at this thing, and so it was. I learned a few things, first couple lessons, and then there was a bit of a cancel, like, oh, sorry, mate, my car broke down, can't be there. And I was like, oh, okay, and the second time, no show. Which I thought was weird. So then I asked later I'm like, oh, he's like, yeah, sorry, mate, times couldn't book times and then never got another private lesson again. And they kept the money. And I was like, yeah, it was a bit, it was a bit shit.
Speaker 1:And even though I don't think I was conscious of it at the time, that was definitely like a drop of water in the glass that made me go. You know what? I'm going to go somewhere where they give a fuck about me. It's, I'm not just paying money to be here. Where they give a fuck about me. It's I'm not just paying money to be here.
Speaker 1:And I have heard from another guy he was very good white belt at his gym but his coach had said to him oh, you're not going to grade to blue belt until you do some private lessons, but the guy's really good, like good enough to be a blue belt, but it was like a tax. It's like no, you want to go up a belt, you're basically paying for it. Like you've got to do at least five private lessons before you're allowed to grade the blue belt. That's what they were saying. Yeah, this is a totally different gym. You know, I won't name the gym, but I was like that's extortionary, like that's extortionate. I should say Like it's just not, that's got nothing, my beef. With old school martial arts gyms. They were very keen for you to grade when you did Taekwondo because you had to pay 50 bucks every time you graded.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:So not only they were like we'll get these guys grading every quarter, every two months, you're grading, bro. Yeah, I was like, wow, I'm going to be a black belt in no time.
Speaker 2:You're just taking all your fucking money. You know, that's where I have a beef with the, the paying for grading type shit. Yeah, I think the paying for paying for grading is a well you know?
Speaker 1:yeah, it is a tough one I mean, that's why I say that, like, depending on your situation, the private lesson could really present like a fucking scam if you, if you know, depending on the setup, yeah, if it's being leveraged in that way, right, like oh, but you didn't do your private, so gonna like it.
Speaker 2:Like the private sessions are some kind of gatekeeper to the next level. Um, I don't, I don't have an issue if, if, if there were a gym and I don't really know any gyms that have this as a policy but where it was like, look, the way we teach is that we do group training and that you, and then there's also a component of private training and you know we, it's, it's what we believe is the best way for because, say, we do that, like we. We've sort of have that to a degree here at this gym, sure, where it's like, um, and I've known other gyms who have it quite strictly where it's like you need to do a pt session every month on top of your group membership, right, and that costs x. And if it's like, oh, need to do a PT session every month on top of your group membership, right, and that costs X, sure. And if it's like, oh, well, that's what it is, then that's fine because it's mentioned at the outset and expectations are clear.
Speaker 1:I think that's a huge difference as opposed to you like Pulling it out Just like pay the fee now, yeah, and you're like yeah, I think the disclosure and the structure. There's something big to that in terms of just being up front, but having someone kind of jump it on you is not, no, it's a bit fucked up.
Speaker 2:You listen to our podcast because we distill simple information that is going to enable you to get the most out of your jiu-jitsu journey, and this is really the mission of the show, and a tool that we've built to also help you fulfill this mission is the Bulletproof for BJJ app. It is an app that gives you access to simple and brutally effective programs that are going to help you to perform at your best on the mats, to stave off injury as much as possible and to also be as healthy and enjoy life as much as you can. And the best part is that you don't have to be experienced in gym training. We teach you how to do that and you also don't need to put a huge amount of time towards it each week. Best part is, you can access all of our programs for 14 days for free. All you need to do is go to the app store whether you're on an Android or iPhone, search Bulletproof for BJJ, get the app, get your 14 day free trial and once you get in there, you'll be able to get coached directly by JT and myself and the Bulletproof coaching team. We look forward to the other side of it, too, and this is something that I find myself reminding coaches of this a lot, not jujitsu coaches, but like gym coaches, right Is that?
Speaker 2:It's very easy to get complacent and lazy in your role as a coach, and when you've got someone coming in to train with you privately every week, it's just oh, hey, yeah, it's 12 o'clock Wednesday. Good to see you, man. Yep, we're doing the same. Yep, get the weight on the bar, let's do your warm-up. Like and you often you have a conversation, how's your weekend? But before you know the hour's gone. Right, yes, and you're like that was a good session, but that person and and sometimes often that person's like, yeah, it was a good session, but sometimes as well. Often that person is like, motherfucker, I'm paying you 130 for the hour, bring me some fucking structure and some energy.
Speaker 2:Like I'm paying for a service here yeah and so and I think this is where a lot of coaches get lazy and jujitsu coaches it sounds like the experience you had was that where it's like mate, I've paid you 1500 bucks, like I've made a significant investment which I'm super happy with if you're going to fucking show up and give me value, but if you're just going to get lazy about it and then, after enough time passes, you're going to kind of scratch it like it never happened, like that's actually super dishonest.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and look, you know I've been very lucky that I've also had coaches who basically gave me private lessons for free. You know, they took an extra half an hour after class to explain details and break shit down for me, because they were also trying to show I care about you getting better. And also, it was just very-.
Speaker 2:It's not a money-making operation.
Speaker 1:I'm here for you. I want your jiu-jitsu to be great, so that's why I'm doing this. And it was also just in them that passion to want to share, and that's fucking incredible. So I've definitely benefited from coaches just being so caring and passionate that I got a ton of private lessons basically for nothing. But then I've also paid high level money to high level coaches because I was trying to show them that I'm like Fabio Gagel.
Speaker 1:I did lessons with him. I paid a lot of money for those lessons, but I was trying to prove to him like bro, I'm fucking here for this. It was a message of intent to him so that he would pay attention to me, because obviously the guy is very important. He oversees all these fucking champions. Why would he give a shit about some random gringo? He oversees all these fucking champions. Why would he give a shit about some random gringo? I'm like bro, I flew from the other side of the earth to fucking listen to you and I'm I'm I'm paying you to pay attention to me. And and he was like, yeah, okay, I can respect that. So what's?
Speaker 2:his name again. Craig, he didn't mean joey right he did.
Speaker 1:I always get hit with the joey line but um, but what? What I got out of those lessons was more philosophical than technical, which actually just shaped the whole way I look at jiu-jitsu. So it was totally worth the money, even though the price was crazy it's like 500 bucks a lesson but I can say at least I did private lessons with him when that was a thing and it really shaped the way I look at jiu-jitsu and how I feel about it as a result. So I think it is an unparalleled investment to improve your j at jujitsu and how I feel about it as a result. So I think it is an unparalleled investment to improve your jujitsu, but obviously depending on your coach and the relationship that's going to dictate it, how it runs.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I totally agree. I would say, um, if you're considering it, just make sure that you hold the coach accountable to to doing a good job. You know, like as in, as in, well, I think, a good coach will hold himself accountable well, they will, they will, but but you know like people with good intentions will still get lazy right, sure, and and, as we know, like often in when you're in the coaching life, you've just taught fucking two classes in a row and then you got three privates and you happen to be the third one right before their lunch break and they're like just dragging themselves over the finish line.
Speaker 2:Sure, and it's like if you kind of get, if you detect that, I'll tell you this. So I'm paying a coach to teach me guitar.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:Right, and he's great and he's very good at guitar, and I had to put the hard word on him the other day. He didn't show up. No, no, no, no, he's always there, he's always there, but we only get 30 minutes together, right, and, um, often, and he he loves to go on about the philosophical side of it and and I'm there for it I'm like great, but often the 30 minutes is up and I'm like I've hardly touched my guitar like I've had and he gets to play a bunch because he's like let me show you this and then this and then this, and he's showing me all this high level stuff. Yeah, and one day we'll get you into this and you better do. And I'm like this guy's doing all the playing.
Speaker 2:And so I told him like man, look, I really enjoy it. I appreciate your approach, um, but I often come away and feel like I actually didn't get to fucking play my guitar while I get to watch you play a bunch. And and I was like this is a make or break moment, because he's either going to be like fuck you, that's my process, I guess we're not cut out for each other, yeah, or he's going to change his ways and he was like you're totally right, I get a bit carried away sometimes.
Speaker 2:Next, week it will be all you. Yeah, my point there is that sometimes that little bit of like me keeping him accountable prompt was just what he needed, you know, and sometimes that tired coach, that might be the thing, or it might be that, no, this person's not bringing their best energy to your private session and you should stop paying them for them, that's right, you just get the fuck out of there, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you've got to make that call yeah. And it's so much more personal in terms of the relationship. And so your best private might not be with your black belt coach. It might actually be with the super enthusiastic purple belt or the brown belt assistant coach who's just really dialed into what you do, and so I think a person's level of enthusiasm and empathy and just care for what you're doing is the absolute underpinning for the success of a private lesson, and I actually think it is one of the best investments you can make in your jujitsu. But there might be a bit of trial and error in getting to the right coach with the right format and all of that. Yeah, I dig it there. It is folks private lessons very valuable if you get it in the right context.
Speaker 1:Now, that's the thing about working up close and personal with people. I speak with people about this podcast and they're like man Hugh and Joey love hanging out and talking with you guys and it's a funny conversation because you hear us talk. But we don't always get to hear you talk, even though we do feel like we're connected with y'all. But the thing is we do this because we love the game, we love you guys and we would love for you to return that by giving us a like, a follow and a subscribe. It does help us a lot. The algorithm is meaner and tougher than ever and you guys liking and subscribing helps us help. More people like you Appreciate it.
Speaker 2:Preach Appreciate it, appreciate it.
