BJJ classes will get expensive quickly. As a result, many may be unwilling to afford such monthly expenses. For instance, it’s not uncommon for the prices to be $150 on monthly fees. For that reason, you may prefer to train at home and spend less money. Let’s explain how you can do it.
You can train BJJ at home in 3-different ways. The following list is the ways you can train BJJ at home ranging from $0-$150 in a one-time payment.
- Using a grappling dummy
- Training with friends/people
- Buying an online course/watching YouTube
Eventually, you can go through with any of these ways and you’ll learn the techniques. However, some martial arts may be more suitable to study at home. For instance, you can learn boxing if you have a punching bag at your home.
On the other hand, training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu without someone you can practice with- is incredibly challenging. For that reason, there’s a single product I’d recommend you to buy; a grappling dummy.
I wrote an article on the best grappling dummies for your money and how to fill them. If you desire to study BJJ at home, buying one- will boost your progress. Moreover, it’s not as costly as BJJ classes.
This article will demonstrate and explain the best ways you can go about training BJJ at home. If you’re interested in learning it by yourself and not spending as much money on a monthly basis, I encourage you to read it to its fullest.
Can you learn BJJ by yourself?
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a leading martial art. In fact, it teaches the most effective fighting technique, which is ground grappling. In real life, you can use these movements to disable an opponent with ease. For that reason, learning Jiu-Jitsu- is more valuable than you may think. However, can you learn it by yourself?
You can learn BJJ by yourself and at home if you choose a way you can learn it globally, such as following a YouTube channel or buying a grappling dummy. However, training with people and seeing what each movement feels like- will allow you to learn more quickly and effectively.
Eventually, if you want to practice BJJ by yourself, you won’t learn as fast. Because of that, finding others with a similar interest as yours- will boost your progression.
Additionally, I encourage you to consider buying a grappling dummy. Although it’s not a real person and it won’t return a fight, you’ll practice the ground grappling techniques- more efficiently. By having the platform you can practice on, you’ll study Jiu-Jitsu faster.
Also, not having a mentor or a coach- will make the learning process more challenging. As a result, I recommend choosing an online course or following a YouTube channel. By doing so, you’ll learn faster from someone who knows his BJJ.
#1- Using a grappling dummy
The first way is also one that you can combine with the following ones. In fact, I believe it’ll be best for you to buy a grappling dummy. Again, I wrote an article on the best grappling dummies that you should buy and linked to it at the beginning of the post.
A grappling dummy provides a platform to practice grappling techniques on. As a result, if you train BJJ at home, you’ll learn much faster than by not having one. Additionally, it’s not as costly as monthly BJJ classes and it’s a one-time fee. Thus I encourage you to buy it- regardless of how you learn BJJ.
If you don’t want to buy a grappling dummy, you may not be as capable of learning BJJ at home because you won’t have a platform. Okay, let me explain.
Picture the following scenario; you just watched an online course you recently bought and you want to practice the technique. However, you’re by yourself and thus you can’t do it on someone. Moreover, you can’t practice it in thin air. So, what’s next?
Because of that, buying a grappling dummy- will grant you a platform to practice on a concrete item. As a result, you’ll learn faster and more effectively than if you didn’t buy it. Nonetheless, you don’t have to buy it; yet, you’ll find it more difficult to study the techniques (especially the basics).
Grappling Dummy
#2- Training with friends/people
Before I explain why training with others- is critical for BJJ, I want to note that you can combine all of the ways to create a more effective learning process. Because of that, if you decide to train with your pals, don’t hesitate to buy a grappling dummy.
Training with others- is critical for BJJ because unlike other martial arts, such as boxing, you need to have a training platform. On the other hand, you can learn the basics of boxing by ghost-boxing, which is when you don’t have any resistance when you punch. However, for BJJ- you must have a concrete platform.
Eventually, even a grappling dummy isn’t sufficient because you may want to practice some defensive moves. Now, you can’t do it if you don’t have another person try and attack you. As a result, training with others- is critical for learning BJJ.
Still, to study the basics of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, you don’t have to have someone train with you. Instead, watching a course (which is our following point) or buying a grappling dummy- will suffice.
#3- Buying an online course/YouTube
The last way you can learn BJJ at home- is by buying an online course or following a YouTube channel. However, you can do both- and therefore learn from 2-different sources. As a result, you’ll absorb more knowledge in less time, which is our goal.
The main reason people don’t attend BJJ classes and instead train at home is that it’s expensive. As a result, paying a one-time fee for a BJJ basics course- may make the difference. Moreover, by following a BJJ coach on YouTube, you’ll ensure you learn swiftly and effectively.
The primary issue with training at home- is that you don’t have a set of eyes on you. As a result, you’ll be more inclined of forming bad habits, as no one can fix your mistakes. Because of that, BJJ classes are superior to training at home, at least in the beginning.
However, by watching a person perform various BJJ techniques, such as the triangle choke, you’ll learn how to execute the move. As such, you’ll understand how to execute the technique mistake-free.
Nonetheless, you may still be inclined of forming bad habits for the rest of your BJJ career, which is the disadvantage of training at home. Because of that, if you can minimize this effect by attending BJJ classes, you should do so.
How much do BJJ classes cost?
BJJ classes or any other martial art- is expensive. Eventually, some may be unwilling to spend monthly cash on such an expense. As a result, they’ll avoid it altogether. However, the benefits of consistently training in BJJ are priceless. So, how much do Jiu-Jitsu classes really cost?
On average, BJJ classes cost $130 every month. However, the price ranges from $40-$300 a month, depending on the number of classes you want to attend. The price is higher than the average if you want access to an unlimited number of weekly BJJ classes. But, if you buy a weekly class, the price decreases.
“The True Cost of BJJ Classes”- Blinklift.com
As you can see, the price is up there. Many will become disinterested in martial arts after seeing this price. Because of that, the alternative you can take to still enjoy the benefits it has to offer is to train at home. By doing so, you minimize the amount you have to spend on classes.
If you want to know what are the benefits you can expect from training in martial arts, I encourage you to follow the link to an article I wrote on the topic.
Before you begin training at home, check the local prices you would have to pay to attend monthly BJJ classes. If you’re willing to afford such prices, I encourage you to avoid learning at home- as it’s more mentally demanding.
Essential equipment to buy for training BJJ at home
Having the appropriate equipment to train BJJ at home- will boost your progression. Because of that, let’s examine the one piece of equipment you ought to buy to learn BJJ faster at home.
The essential equipment to buy for BJJ training at home is a grappling dummy, as it provides a platform to learn faster. As a result, the price you’d have to pay for it- is worth the progression and value you’ll receive.
Previously in this article, I mentioned one grappling that you should buy. If you’re interested in buying a grappling dummy for your home, consider purchasing it, as it’s high-quality, durable, and valuable.
Should you do BJJ at home or in a qualified school
As of right now, you have two options for doing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. First, you can train at home or you can attend a qualified school. While the results are somewhat similar (learning BJJ), the ways are incredibly different. Let’s examine which one is superior.
You should do BJJ in a qualified school instead of at home because you’ll have an instructor teaching you and fixing your mistakes. Moreover, you’ll have access to training with people, which is more valuable in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu than in other martial arts, such as boxing or kickboxing.
On the other hand, you may find it more challenging to train at home, as you won’t have anyone to practice on or with. As a result, the probability of you forming bad habits- increases while your learning pace decreases. As a result, you lose from both sides.
Nonetheless, BJJ classes will get expensive fast. As a result, you may find yourself unwilling to pay monthly fees to learn it. Hence if your only option is to train at home, then I encourage you to follow through, buy a grappling dummy, and start training.
Final words
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or BJJ is one of the best martial arts you can learn, as it teaches practical and valuable life lessons while teaching you to fight. As a result, you’ll improve your well-being and gain more benefits while learning to grapple.
However, the prices of BJJ classes are somewhat high. As such, some may be unwilling to invest as much money in martial arts. For those, I recommend buying a grappling dummy for your home and to start learning the basics by watching YouTube.
Additionally, if you have access to some friends who want to train with you, you’ll boost your progression by plenty. Eventually, training in a proper class is superior to learning at home. Because of that, if you’re willing to invest money in monthly BJJ classes, I encourage you to follow through.