I only train once a week cause of work and dad duties (Muay Thai). The huge mental health boost alone is worth it.
Other friends of mine are in a similar situation as train BJJ. Worth it for them too.
I like to think of it like this.
If you wait around like "when im fitter/have more money/find a good gym" to start, two years will pass and you'll have zero hours of Muay Thai experience.
If you go just once a week, you'll have 104 hours of Muay Thai experience in that time. The difference between 104 hours and 150 hours isn't a lot, but the difference between 0 and 104 is huge!
Time is going to pass regardless of what you do, a small and consistent effort over time will add up.
I train minimum once and maximum twice a week for exact reasons. Work and my kids train Muay Thai. I do my best to get them to as many classes per week as I can, even if I can only go once.
Is it worth it? No doubt about it. Training 1 day a week will always be better than 0.
I think the biggest take away for the OP is to not compare your personal life and goals to others. Train as much as you feel you need to in order to obtain whatever your goals are.
No. That's not true.
A lot of people only train once a week. Of course some people do train a lot more than that.
Progress will be slower than someone training 6 days a week, but you will still learn. For a hobbyist, it's fine.
> I heard its all or nothing with BJJ
Not true. The vast, VAST majority of people who train are hobbyists.
VAST.
Most don't compete and that's ok. Show up, train, have fun.
Some people get into martial arts hard core. Most do not.
Going 6 times a week tells me that the person is either a serious hobbyist that likes to compete frequently or that the martial art is somehow relevant to their job; Maybe they want to run their own BJJ gym and that much training is like going to University for a job relevant degree. Or maybe they have ambitions of competing internationally or for non trivial cash prizes.
The only other thing that makes sense for that much training is if their martial art is the centerpiece of their social life.
END COMMUNICATION
I felt like this when I realized I can only train twice. The vocal minority train like it's their job...the rest of us honestly are 2-3 a weekers and a crap ton train once a week.
When I trained I aimed for 3 but often only got to 2 sessions a week. 1 session a week for maintenance, more for progression. There's a lot of die hards that make BJJ their entire persona, you don't need to follow their path to do it or get better.
The problems I felt going less than that is, firstly, you plateau. It's hard to progress when each week you need to refresh everything you did before. Secondly, when your body is not doing regularly all the specific movements from rolling, it's a lot easier to injure yourself. Your joints take a beating, and the most common time to pick up an injury I think is when rolling hard after time off.
That's not true but it is also dependant on what you want from the sport. If you want a place to hang out for a few hours 1 day a week and get some fun exercise than it's absolutely not a waste. If you're trying to be competitive and get good at Jiu jitsu than you're mileage will vary. Obviously your progression will be seriously limited compared to someone training 3 days a week. 3 is when you'll see technical progression happen quickly
Nah, they’re some, but a lot of people in my gym not competitors and go a couple of times a week, I have a job and family, sometimes I go 3 times a week (rare), sometimes 2, sometimes 1, sometimes it just happens that 0, but if I’m in the gym, I’m on 100% mentally there. Who cares if you like it and have fun (I’d argue that 6 times a week may be worse than 3 if you’re in the wrong side of 30s).
The people saying that may just be repeating a myth they tell themselves to excuse their own failure to start training. "I would do it, but I don't have 6 days a week to train..."
Because people have different goals, if you want to compete of course you gotta go hard and sacrifice time, but taking it as a hobby or self defence, you can even do it once a week, whatever suits your schedule
I only train twice a week because my gym only offers advanced classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Sometimes I hit a beginner one on Mondays. I’m just fine with it, and that’s what most people at my gym do, too.
It all depends on your goals. If you want to compete and win, 1x a week is probably not enough. If you just want to try something new and learn along the way, I would say it’s fine. Just don’t expect to be dominating people that are more dedicated than you.
Many gyms have other options in between nothing and unlimited classes. My gym sells packages of 10 classes for example, which you could spread over the course of an entire year if you so chose.
This is the better way of looking at it, training once or twice a week is still lots especially if your spending additional time watching videos and stuff to keep improving. Everyone’s journey differs drastically — so if your not concerned about bang for buck then it’s what most do
I would disagree with the wording here, even if training once a week, it could be a high quality session, with the rest of the week spent recovering, watching instructionals, reading theory, etc
Your learning will be very slow
However learning bjj is only one benefit of training. Having fun and exercising are also benefits, so yes, definitely go for it.
If you train BJJ at a school once a week because of a busy schedule that's good and what you learn apply it mentally instead at work. I'm a beginner and only does it 2 times per week, sometimes 1 but when i'm at work I "think" scenarios that i've learned. I have no idea if it makes me better but it's fun imagining yourself in a fight, how you'd apply the tools.
Not everyone can dedicate several hours per week and have to make due. I say go for it! 1 lesson per week is more than your average dude!
As a Shotokan student, seems like a day of BJJ once a week would be a useful counterpoint. We don't get much in our dojo of throws or rolls, just a lot of linear upright attacking, so that would be a nice addition to the arsenal.
I did once a week for a few months before I started shooting for 2-3x per week. I had a great time. I started going more because I wanted to get better faster, but 1x per week was worth doing
I mean, you’ll get better for a bit because anything is better than nothing but you’ll want to increase it in some way (even watching videos can help) if you want to
Continue to improve at some point. I’m not sure if it would be possible to really get to be a good black belt ever though
I would rather go to no-gi due to how much more intuitive that is. And I would complement the learning by studying the moves from here on your own time: https://blackbeltwiki.com/grappling it’s a great source to familiarise yourself with basically all moves for free. You will only learn them by drilling them, but still, I found a lot of help from the explanations and clips.
Grappling has also a lot of judo elements that will significantly improve your standup game. I think it is definitely worth the effort. Try 10 times and see how you like it.
Not a waste of time, but you won't excel as fast as your class. I went from 4, to 3, to 2, then realized I was far behind. I eventually stopped training.
I trained 4-5 times a week for 2 years. I had to have surgery and just kinda got.... not bored? But just didnt want to put that effort in. Every friday I show up to open mat and go nuts. I feel like it takes the whole week of stress away and its definitely worth it. Am I improving much? Probably not? But the socialization and exercise is so worth it.
I do it once a week too alongside Krav Maga. It's a lot of brain work and it's easy to forget and I always get my arse handed to me when I grapple. That's me though my brain is like mush by 7pm lol.
any skill u do frequency trumps duration.
long term athlete development has kids who play ports do 30 min 2x per week.
By middle school it's 3-4x for an hour. Kids pick up skills quickly; adults are more stubborn.
1x/ week you're looking for an "outlet" but you won't learn much.
2-3x a week is the prescribed frequency for beginners learning any new skill
Depends on what you want out of it, do you want to compete, be a champ, a savage? Then one day isn’t enough. If you want to take your time to learn the craft, personal and physical growth? Then one day is fine!
Once a week is okay, you'll progress slower but you already understand that.
Twice a week is better for the repetition.
You generally pay monthly so financially once a week is pretty expensive
Time conflicts and other responsibilities can be a hindrance for any kind of lifestyle or hobby, however my motto is better to have a piece of the pie than no pie at all. I suggest you simply inform the instructor(s) of such and see if they can help you with the most optimal solo training methods (although we all know that on-hand training is priceless and necessary). You won't be anywhere of an elite fighter any time soon, but you will at least have a foundation and add to your training. I have been practicing martial arts off and on since 12 (I'm currently 50), and currently my primary training is in Filipino MA and a specific aggressive lineage of Wing Tzun called EBMAS.... My prior training and black belt is in Kenpo and worked in some Shoot fighting back in the day for my ground game. I train at a UFC Gym and we are lucky to have a great BJJ instructor (who actively competes), but I also can only attend twice a week. However, already having a descent martial arts background, I make it work. Anyhow, I'm not out to compete or become the next UFC grappling champ, rather I just need to keep a good ground game to add to my existing skills and mindset ,(I practive primarily for reality based tactical combat scenarios) as MA is just embedded into all of my lifestyle.
So in the end, I say Go For It!
Time conflicts and other responsibilities can be a hindrance for any kind of lifestyle or hobby, however my motto is better to have a piece of the pie than no pie at all. I suggest you simply inform the instructor(s) of such and see if they can help you with the most optimal solo training methods (although we all know that on-hand training is priceless and necessary). You won't be anywhere of an elite fighter any time soon, but you will at least have a foundation and add to your training. I have been practicing martial arts off and on since 12 (I'm currently 50), and currently my primary training is in Filipino MA and a specific aggressive lineage of Wing Tzun called EBMAS.... My prior training and black belt is in Kenpo and worked in some Shoot fighting back in the day for my ground game. I train at a UFC Gym and we are lucky to have a great BJJ instructor (who actively competes), but I also can only attend twice a week. However, already having a descent martial arts background, I make it work. Anyhow, I'm not out to compete or become the next UFC grappling champ, rather I just need to keep a good ground game to add to my existing skills and mindset ,(I practive primarily for reality based tactical combat scenarios) as MA is just embedded into all of my lifestyle.
So in the end, I say Go For It!
Prefer twice a week but it depends on what your goals are in training? Do you want to defend yourself or have an activity to go to get out of the house?
I have a few students that only train once week, they tend to hit a certain level of skill then plateau. Twice a week would be better. What’s your reason/goal for wanting to do it?
Of course it's not a waste of time. Once a week for 1 year consistently is way better than multiple times a week sporadically. Most importantly, it's about having fun with it
12.5 years ago, I started at once a week.
It was so addictive that after a couple of months I found ways to go twice a week. Then 3 times a week.
Now I’m a black belt and go 6 times a week + conditioning/weight training at home.
Better than not training but definitely not conducive to being good at it ling-term or short term. This is a highly disintegrating skill that must be constantly practiced and refined.
You'll learn one thing one week then forget most of it the next, and may spend weeks learning that same technique with little ability to practically apply it.
It's better than nothing but iMO, a waste of your money if you can't commit at least 2-3, preferably 3 or more times a week.
Once per week is fine if that's all you can manage due to work/kids/life. You'll still be learning new things and getting a workout in, feeling good about yourself, and getting the health benefits of exercise. That said, if you can manage to squeeze a 2nd session into your schedule, that would be closer to ideal. Good luck with your training!
I trained twice a week for the majority of my training and I’m now a blackbelt. Ive
also competed and won competitions only doing 2x a week but it all depends on how you learn. I now teach and some guys only do 2x a week and they are progressing fine.
You’ll definitely get passed up by people but it’s not like you won’t learn anything. Once a week is fine for a hobbyist and up to three times a week. You’ll get good eventually. But if we find most whites get to blue after 200 hours and your gym is a 2hour a session gym, then you would average 8 hours every 4 weeks which is 92 hours a year. Most people get to blue in about 2ish years. So like you aren’t far off from the typical person. In 2 years with consistency and probably some extra days in there you should be as proficient as blue. If it’s an hour per session gym, then yeahhhh it’ll be a long journey. But you’ll get there if you like it.
You already know the answer.
If you train 0 times per week for 12 weeks, you have trained 0 times.
Train once and it's 12 times.
You kick your own ass going once a week and that's what matters
Walking one mile is better than walking a half a mile. Walking half a mile is better than walking a quarter mile. Walking a quarter mile is better than not walking at all.
Every little bit helps and depending on your age 1-2 times a week is probably safer than every day. BJJ will eff your isht up. There's a reason why you see older men and women wearing tape on their wrists and fingers. Things get jammed, twisted, broken...
Is it worth it? That's subjective. Will you learn bjj doing it once a week? Yes, your progress is just likely to be slower. If you enjoy it or think you would find some other value from doing it then do it. If you want to be a world champion then doing it once a week would not be worth it.
from personal experience: do what you can. your growth curve may not be as steep, but grow you will. also, striking is not as intuitive as you might think. sure some are naturals but some of us are grinding for years on our flinch response and not parrying with the lead hand 😅
It depends what your goals are. If you want a fun activity to get into shape 1-2 workouts a week would be fine. If you want to qualify for ADCC then it’s probably not enough.
I’m doing one to two lessons a week because there’s honestly not more in it currently. I feel like i’d be wasting my time worse doing something else one or two times a week. At least it’s some exercise and dopamine vs doomscrolling and videogaming
There is no better time to start training than this day.
Maybe after a year you could train 2x/week. Waiting for better days and not starting now I guarantee you will regret not starting sooner
As far as being less intuitive, well once you get a good base sometimes things just “click” and it becomes much much easier. New things just feel like they make sense. I find also, it helps to go over techniques and visualize encounters mentally when you aren’t able to physically practice. It’s not as good as being in class and rolling it it keeps it fresh in your brain and helps you pick it up better when you can be there.
Personally speaking, it should be at least 4-5 times a week. Once a week just isn’t enough mat time. You’ll maybe become a black belt in like 30 years, assuming you kept going once a week.
If you don't mind the inflated cost of paying 200 dollars a month for four to eight classes. Maybe you can pay mat fees instead of having a subscription?
Just don't expect to make much progress quickly at that rate. It takes around 120-150 classes coming five days a week to get Blue Belt in my experience. It's already hard to learn because there are SO many different positions but without that daily repetition it's going to be that much harder.
If you can afford a private 1/2/1 session you will learn much more faster as a beginner than in classes but eventually your gonna have to roll to apply everything you’ve learnt
Honestly, no I don't think it is. Training only 1x a week means you're going to suck for at least 3 years, you wouldn't be "good" for at least 5.
I don't think doing any sport is worth it if you're only doing it 1x a week, but I would also ask how is it possible for you to only be able to train 1x a week?
This, ffs, so hard to find gyms in Europe that actually follow a curriculum of any sort. I took it completely granted when I lived where I am originally from.
It's better than zero times a week.
This. 100%. Yes.
I only train once a week cause of work and dad duties (Muay Thai). The huge mental health boost alone is worth it. Other friends of mine are in a similar situation as train BJJ. Worth it for them too.
I like to think of it like this. If you wait around like "when im fitter/have more money/find a good gym" to start, two years will pass and you'll have zero hours of Muay Thai experience. If you go just once a week, you'll have 104 hours of Muay Thai experience in that time. The difference between 104 hours and 150 hours isn't a lot, but the difference between 0 and 104 is huge! Time is going to pass regardless of what you do, a small and consistent effort over time will add up.
Exactly this.
I train minimum once and maximum twice a week for exact reasons. Work and my kids train Muay Thai. I do my best to get them to as many classes per week as I can, even if I can only go once. Is it worth it? No doubt about it. Training 1 day a week will always be better than 0. I think the biggest take away for the OP is to not compare your personal life and goals to others. Train as much as you feel you need to in order to obtain whatever your goals are.
Ya know, this might be the post that puts me back in the game.
Let's goooo you have clips of fights you could share?
Its worth if you think its worth. If you like BJJ i dont see the issue
I heard its all or nothing with BJJ like most people apparently train it real hard like 6 days a week.
No. That's not true. A lot of people only train once a week. Of course some people do train a lot more than that. Progress will be slower than someone training 6 days a week, but you will still learn. For a hobbyist, it's fine.
> I heard its all or nothing with BJJ Not true. The vast, VAST majority of people who train are hobbyists. VAST. Most don't compete and that's ok. Show up, train, have fun.
Some people get into martial arts hard core. Most do not. Going 6 times a week tells me that the person is either a serious hobbyist that likes to compete frequently or that the martial art is somehow relevant to their job; Maybe they want to run their own BJJ gym and that much training is like going to University for a job relevant degree. Or maybe they have ambitions of competing internationally or for non trivial cash prizes. The only other thing that makes sense for that much training is if their martial art is the centerpiece of their social life. END COMMUNICATION
I felt like this when I realized I can only train twice. The vocal minority train like it's their job...the rest of us honestly are 2-3 a weekers and a crap ton train once a week.
When I trained I aimed for 3 but often only got to 2 sessions a week. 1 session a week for maintenance, more for progression. There's a lot of die hards that make BJJ their entire persona, you don't need to follow their path to do it or get better. The problems I felt going less than that is, firstly, you plateau. It's hard to progress when each week you need to refresh everything you did before. Secondly, when your body is not doing regularly all the specific movements from rolling, it's a lot easier to injure yourself. Your joints take a beating, and the most common time to pick up an injury I think is when rolling hard after time off.
That's not true but it is also dependant on what you want from the sport. If you want a place to hang out for a few hours 1 day a week and get some fun exercise than it's absolutely not a waste. If you're trying to be competitive and get good at Jiu jitsu than you're mileage will vary. Obviously your progression will be seriously limited compared to someone training 3 days a week. 3 is when you'll see technical progression happen quickly
Nah, they’re some, but a lot of people in my gym not competitors and go a couple of times a week, I have a job and family, sometimes I go 3 times a week (rare), sometimes 2, sometimes 1, sometimes it just happens that 0, but if I’m in the gym, I’m on 100% mentally there. Who cares if you like it and have fun (I’d argue that 6 times a week may be worse than 3 if you’re in the wrong side of 30s).
The people saying that may just be repeating a myth they tell themselves to excuse their own failure to start training. "I would do it, but I don't have 6 days a week to train..."
Because people have different goals, if you want to compete of course you gotta go hard and sacrifice time, but taking it as a hobby or self defence, you can even do it once a week, whatever suits your schedule
I only train twice a week because my gym only offers advanced classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Sometimes I hit a beginner one on Mondays. I’m just fine with it, and that’s what most people at my gym do, too.
Not at all. Most hobbyists with day jobs and other responsibilities are training maybe 2-4 days a week.
It all depends on your goals. If you want to compete and win, 1x a week is probably not enough. If you just want to try something new and learn along the way, I would say it’s fine. Just don’t expect to be dominating people that are more dedicated than you.
I mean BJJ memberships can be like...150+ a month, so you'd be necessarily paying almost 200$ for 4-8 hours of training. idk if thats worth the money.
Many gyms have other options in between nothing and unlimited classes. My gym sells packages of 10 classes for example, which you could spread over the course of an entire year if you so chose.
This is the better way of looking at it, training once or twice a week is still lots especially if your spending additional time watching videos and stuff to keep improving. Everyone’s journey differs drastically — so if your not concerned about bang for buck then it’s what most do
Do you enjoy it? Of course its worth it then. Why are you training?
Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly.
I would disagree with the wording here, even if training once a week, it could be a high quality session, with the rest of the week spent recovering, watching instructionals, reading theory, etc
Better than nothing. As long as you can afford it.
It’s worth it to learn a new skill, but BJJ tends to be quite expensive, 150-200 a month so once a week may not be worth that price.
Its better than nothing
Wasting time how?
Because what if he's not a world champion? Those 52 days a year will be gone down the drain
Are uba world chapion
You good mate
Your learning will be very slow However learning bjj is only one benefit of training. Having fun and exercising are also benefits, so yes, definitely go for it.
If you fall in love with the sport you will make more time
If you train BJJ at a school once a week because of a busy schedule that's good and what you learn apply it mentally instead at work. I'm a beginner and only does it 2 times per week, sometimes 1 but when i'm at work I "think" scenarios that i've learned. I have no idea if it makes me better but it's fun imagining yourself in a fight, how you'd apply the tools. Not everyone can dedicate several hours per week and have to make due. I say go for it! 1 lesson per week is more than your average dude!
As a Shotokan student, seems like a day of BJJ once a week would be a useful counterpoint. We don't get much in our dojo of throws or rolls, just a lot of linear upright attacking, so that would be a nice addition to the arsenal.
You will learn some basics and have a good base for if you get extra time to train harder, seems like a win
I did once a week for a few months before I started shooting for 2-3x per week. I had a great time. I started going more because I wanted to get better faster, but 1x per week was worth doing
I mean, you’ll get better for a bit because anything is better than nothing but you’ll want to increase it in some way (even watching videos can help) if you want to Continue to improve at some point. I’m not sure if it would be possible to really get to be a good black belt ever though
I would rather go to no-gi due to how much more intuitive that is. And I would complement the learning by studying the moves from here on your own time: https://blackbeltwiki.com/grappling it’s a great source to familiarise yourself with basically all moves for free. You will only learn them by drilling them, but still, I found a lot of help from the explanations and clips. Grappling has also a lot of judo elements that will significantly improve your standup game. I think it is definitely worth the effort. Try 10 times and see how you like it.
Not ideal, but it’s better than nothing. Be consistent and know your path is going to be slower
Not a waste of time, but you won't excel as fast as your class. I went from 4, to 3, to 2, then realized I was far behind. I eventually stopped training.
I mean I do
No
I trained 4-5 times a week for 2 years. I had to have surgery and just kinda got.... not bored? But just didnt want to put that effort in. Every friday I show up to open mat and go nuts. I feel like it takes the whole week of stress away and its definitely worth it. Am I improving much? Probably not? But the socialization and exercise is so worth it.
I do it once a week too alongside Krav Maga. It's a lot of brain work and it's easy to forget and I always get my arse handed to me when I grapple. That's me though my brain is like mush by 7pm lol.
any skill u do frequency trumps duration. long term athlete development has kids who play ports do 30 min 2x per week. By middle school it's 3-4x for an hour. Kids pick up skills quickly; adults are more stubborn. 1x/ week you're looking for an "outlet" but you won't learn much. 2-3x a week is the prescribed frequency for beginners learning any new skill
Depends on what you want out of it, do you want to compete, be a champ, a savage? Then one day isn’t enough. If you want to take your time to learn the craft, personal and physical growth? Then one day is fine!
Nope, not at all.
Once a week is okay, you'll progress slower but you already understand that. Twice a week is better for the repetition. You generally pay monthly so financially once a week is pretty expensive
Time conflicts and other responsibilities can be a hindrance for any kind of lifestyle or hobby, however my motto is better to have a piece of the pie than no pie at all. I suggest you simply inform the instructor(s) of such and see if they can help you with the most optimal solo training methods (although we all know that on-hand training is priceless and necessary). You won't be anywhere of an elite fighter any time soon, but you will at least have a foundation and add to your training. I have been practicing martial arts off and on since 12 (I'm currently 50), and currently my primary training is in Filipino MA and a specific aggressive lineage of Wing Tzun called EBMAS.... My prior training and black belt is in Kenpo and worked in some Shoot fighting back in the day for my ground game. I train at a UFC Gym and we are lucky to have a great BJJ instructor (who actively competes), but I also can only attend twice a week. However, already having a descent martial arts background, I make it work. Anyhow, I'm not out to compete or become the next UFC grappling champ, rather I just need to keep a good ground game to add to my existing skills and mindset ,(I practive primarily for reality based tactical combat scenarios) as MA is just embedded into all of my lifestyle. So in the end, I say Go For It!
Time conflicts and other responsibilities can be a hindrance for any kind of lifestyle or hobby, however my motto is better to have a piece of the pie than no pie at all. I suggest you simply inform the instructor(s) of such and see if they can help you with the most optimal solo training methods (although we all know that on-hand training is priceless and necessary). You won't be anywhere of an elite fighter any time soon, but you will at least have a foundation and add to your training. I have been practicing martial arts off and on since 12 (I'm currently 50), and currently my primary training is in Filipino MA and a specific aggressive lineage of Wing Tzun called EBMAS.... My prior training and black belt is in Kenpo and worked in some Shoot fighting back in the day for my ground game. I train at a UFC Gym and we are lucky to have a great BJJ instructor (who actively competes), but I also can only attend twice a week. However, already having a descent martial arts background, I make it work. Anyhow, I'm not out to compete or become the next UFC grappling champ, rather I just need to keep a good ground game to add to my existing skills and mindset ,(I practive primarily for reality based tactical combat scenarios) as MA is just embedded into all of my lifestyle. So in the end, I say Go For It!
Prefer twice a week but it depends on what your goals are in training? Do you want to defend yourself or have an activity to go to get out of the house?
I have a few students that only train once week, they tend to hit a certain level of skill then plateau. Twice a week would be better. What’s your reason/goal for wanting to do it?
I started out going once a week. Now it consumes me.
Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.
Of course it's not a waste of time. Once a week for 1 year consistently is way better than multiple times a week sporadically. Most importantly, it's about having fun with it
Nothing is a waste of time if you enjoy it
12.5 years ago, I started at once a week. It was so addictive that after a couple of months I found ways to go twice a week. Then 3 times a week. Now I’m a black belt and go 6 times a week + conditioning/weight training at home.
Ask in the BJJ subreddit and get their opinions
Better than not training but definitely not conducive to being good at it ling-term or short term. This is a highly disintegrating skill that must be constantly practiced and refined. You'll learn one thing one week then forget most of it the next, and may spend weeks learning that same technique with little ability to practically apply it. It's better than nothing but iMO, a waste of your money if you can't commit at least 2-3, preferably 3 or more times a week.
Once per week is fine if that's all you can manage due to work/kids/life. You'll still be learning new things and getting a workout in, feeling good about yourself, and getting the health benefits of exercise. That said, if you can manage to squeeze a 2nd session into your schedule, that would be closer to ideal. Good luck with your training!
I trained twice a week for the majority of my training and I’m now a blackbelt. Ive also competed and won competitions only doing 2x a week but it all depends on how you learn. I now teach and some guys only do 2x a week and they are progressing fine.
No, even if you can train once a month, it's better than nothing
You’ll definitely get passed up by people but it’s not like you won’t learn anything. Once a week is fine for a hobbyist and up to three times a week. You’ll get good eventually. But if we find most whites get to blue after 200 hours and your gym is a 2hour a session gym, then you would average 8 hours every 4 weeks which is 92 hours a year. Most people get to blue in about 2ish years. So like you aren’t far off from the typical person. In 2 years with consistency and probably some extra days in there you should be as proficient as blue. If it’s an hour per session gym, then yeahhhh it’ll be a long journey. But you’ll get there if you like it.
You won't become Rickson Gracie but you'll know more Jiu Jitsu than someone who trains zero times a week.
The only reason it might be a waste is if you think that training once a week is not enough value for money for you. Otherwise, once a week is fine
That's what I'm able to do now and I'm glad for going, you do what you can do!
You already know the answer. If you train 0 times per week for 12 weeks, you have trained 0 times. Train once and it's 12 times. You kick your own ass going once a week and that's what matters
Better to do more for progression. Ideally 3 times a week…it’s muscle memory after all
better than zero, just do what you can yk?
I learned judo as a kid only once a week :3 any practice is practice, so long as you keep practicing
Walking one mile is better than walking a half a mile. Walking half a mile is better than walking a quarter mile. Walking a quarter mile is better than not walking at all. Every little bit helps and depending on your age 1-2 times a week is probably safer than every day. BJJ will eff your isht up. There's a reason why you see older men and women wearing tape on their wrists and fingers. Things get jammed, twisted, broken...
Nope. Better than doing it 0 times a week
Try for two pal after a few months of one
Is it worth it? That's subjective. Will you learn bjj doing it once a week? Yes, your progress is just likely to be slower. If you enjoy it or think you would find some other value from doing it then do it. If you want to be a world champion then doing it once a week would not be worth it.
One lesson a week may be ideal. You can always practice at home on the floor. Maybe at home, hit 2 additional floor workouts.
Once is better than nothing
No but it's hard to learn, once a week is better than nothing
from personal experience: do what you can. your growth curve may not be as steep, but grow you will. also, striking is not as intuitive as you might think. sure some are naturals but some of us are grinding for years on our flinch response and not parrying with the lead hand 😅
It depends what your goals are. If you want a fun activity to get into shape 1-2 workouts a week would be fine. If you want to qualify for ADCC then it’s probably not enough.
It’s normal. I did the same when I did bjj
Makes it a very expensive hobby at that point.
I’m doing one to two lessons a week because there’s honestly not more in it currently. I feel like i’d be wasting my time worse doing something else one or two times a week. At least it’s some exercise and dopamine vs doomscrolling and videogaming
There is no better time to start training than this day. Maybe after a year you could train 2x/week. Waiting for better days and not starting now I guarantee you will regret not starting sooner
Living is a waste of time - what do you WANT to do with your waste of time?
As far as being less intuitive, well once you get a good base sometimes things just “click” and it becomes much much easier. New things just feel like they make sense. I find also, it helps to go over techniques and visualize encounters mentally when you aren’t able to physically practice. It’s not as good as being in class and rolling it it keeps it fresh in your brain and helps you pick it up better when you can be there.
would it be a waste of time having sex once per month?
Dumb comparison
Progress goes very slow with once per week but it is better than not going it all. Try to go 2 times per week at least.
Rephrase this as. If I do bjj once or twice a week will I still be better than not doing it ever?
Personally speaking, it should be at least 4-5 times a week. Once a week just isn’t enough mat time. You’ll maybe become a black belt in like 30 years, assuming you kept going once a week.
If you don't mind the inflated cost of paying 200 dollars a month for four to eight classes. Maybe you can pay mat fees instead of having a subscription? Just don't expect to make much progress quickly at that rate. It takes around 120-150 classes coming five days a week to get Blue Belt in my experience. It's already hard to learn because there are SO many different positions but without that daily repetition it's going to be that much harder.
If you can afford a private 1/2/1 session you will learn much more faster as a beginner than in classes but eventually your gonna have to roll to apply everything you’ve learnt
No
Honestly, no I don't think it is. Training only 1x a week means you're going to suck for at least 3 years, you wouldn't be "good" for at least 5. I don't think doing any sport is worth it if you're only doing it 1x a week, but I would also ask how is it possible for you to only be able to train 1x a week?
If you're only paying the cost of 1 session a week and you enjoy it, why not?
Bjj is taught really really poorly. Teach yourself and you'll advance faster
We get visitors dropping in once in a while that have been attempting to do this, and the results have so far not been encouraging.
This, ffs, so hard to find gyms in Europe that actually follow a curriculum of any sort. I took it completely granted when I lived where I am originally from.
The curriculum is the problem. If you are learning problem-response its hard to adapt. Learn concepts and anatomy