Group Lessons vs. Private Lessons

[AceHBK]

I have been lucky. I take TKD and my master started his school so when I first started there was only 2 people incl. myself in the adult class. Laster the other student dropped out and it was just me and my master.
For damn near a year I had one on one lessons while we tried to find ways to build the school and get more students.
Well when we got more students i got extremely jealous. I mean for 3 days a week at an hour or lil over an hour each time I had private lessons. Now we have more students and it is hard to get use to people in my class. I do help them work on things and if my Master is out of town I will teach the kids and adult class.

I know I learn better in a private setting and have always hated group sessions. How about you? How do u learn in group sessions. I know my training has suffered some b/c of it. The best part of class to me now is sparring and that is when me and my master spar and that is once a week.

How do u get use to group lessons when all you are use to is one on one?

 

[lonecoyote]

I was in a similar situation, almost 9 mos or so of almost always private lessons, just me and the instructor, working way ahead, up to brown belt level. Realize, though, that you can get a lot out of working out with other people, you can learn a lot from them, and there are a lot of advantages. Think about this and it will help you integrate into group classes. Or, if privates are your thing, they are your thing, pay a little more and take privates.

 

[Grenadier]

You'll adapt, and learn to take advantage of having others in the classroom.

One thing that you may notice, is that having others there can drive you to become even better, since people's energies tend to feed off each other in the classroom. Also, having another set of eyes can be a great help when working drills.

 

[Gemini]

There's a positive in everything if you're willing to look for it. This is no exception. Like you, I had my fair share of private (because no one else came) classes and they were difficult to give up. I enjoyed them immensely and learned at an accelerated rate. Initially, I felt a bit put out by the intrusion of other people in class. The biggest positive I found was that each individual you encounter has something different to offer. Whether they're your level, senior or even junior didn't matter. Take what each one has to offer and treat each one like a new lesson. Give back in kind. In time you'll find you were richer for the experience.

 

[arnisador]

I think a mix is best, but as a rule, I feel group lessons are better. I learn more by working with a variety of people and getting the chance to try my techniques against different opponents than by focusing on small details time and again with one person. Obviously, every now and then I want a private lesson so as to focus on those things! If I was doing iaido it might be different, but everyone swings the stick a little bit differently from everyone else, so variety is important.

 

[Slippery_Pete]

I agree with the rest...with no one around to compare yourself to, how do you know where you stand or how hard to push yourself? Plus, some times you can learn different things from your peers that you may not learn from your instructor. My instructor once told us that we should always be striving to be better than the next...you should always be on the heels of the students who are more advanced than yourself

 

[Flatlander]

I'd say that a healthy balance of both is optimal. I enjoy private training for the one on one training, which allows me to work on the things that I specifically need work on. However, I have found that, at times, the group work needs to happen so that I have the opportunity to work with different levels of skill, and different body shapes and sizes. I think that this is important for balance.

 

[Kacey]

I think that group classes are better for most MA training because many activities require groups or group dynamics to work properly. Certainly, private or smaller-group sessions can be very useful at intervals, but to develop many MA skills properly, they need to be practiced against a variety of people of different sizes, genders, ages, and abilities. Also, learning in groups provides more opportunities for feedback, both positive and negative - not that a qualified instructor won't see things, but different people will have different perspectives. While I will train individually with any of my students who request it, I find that, other than special circumstances (one of my students is in college, for example, and is too far away to come for classes, but comes home on weekends, and we train in my basement) group training is, in the long run, more effective - although I certainly enjoy the progress I make when I train individually with my instructor, and the progress I see in my students when they train individually with me.

 

[Carol]

I have not had many private lessons, but when I first started training I was very skeptical of group lessons. I never did well with them at all...not even with simple classes such as Pilates or aerobics.

The difference for me in MA is that I actually learned why I haven't done well. I can't say that I have been able to eliminate these blocks, but I'm getting better at working around them.

The supportive energy of the other students has now become one of my favorite parts of training. I partnered with someone that deeply moved me with his enthusiasm, grace, and spirit. He is also a beginner like me, but only 13 years old.

My teacher once said that he learns the most from white belts. If he can, then it's worth the effort for me to try, IMO.

 

[jdinca]

To echo others, a mix is best. Privates are a good way for an instructor to help you pinpoint what needs to be worked on in the group setting.

 

[Tony]

Well if no one turned up to class but me my instructor woudln't consider it worth his time although there was one time it was just me and him and we worked on techniques together. I think both cases have their advantages and disadvantages. You probably learn more one on one but with more people you can also learn, to see if your techniques work on some people.

 

[MJS]

I have been lucky. I take TKD and my master started his school so when I first started there was only 2 people incl. myself in the adult class. Laster the other student dropped out and it was just me and my master.
For damn near a year I had one on one lessons while we tried to find ways to build the school and get more students.
Well when we got more students i got extremely jealous. I mean for 3 days a week at an hour or lil over an hour each time I had private lessons. Now we have more students and it is hard to get use to people in my class. I do help them work on things and if my Master is out of town I will teach the kids and adult class.

I know I learn better in a private setting and have always hated group sessions. How about you? How do u learn in group sessions. I know my training has suffered some b/c of it. The best part of class to me now is sparring and that is when me and my master spar and that is once a week.

How do u get use to group lessons when all you are use to is one on one?

Private lessons are certainly a great thing. However, its good to have a variety of people to work with. By always doing a technique on one person, we get so used to that person, that when we go to work with someone else, we may find that we're having problems applying that technique due to the fact that we're so used to one body style.

I wouldn't let this get in the way of your training. Its good to have others to work with, and if you're still interested in private lessons, you could always set one up with your instructor at another time.

Mike

 

[AceHBK]

Thanks. You guys..and girls..lol have helped alot.
My master said the samething when we got another person in the class but it went in one ear and out the other. I felt like someone was invading my space and I withdrew (personality wise) for about a month.

I have always been a person who works better in one on one enviornments and that is why I never really took up MA before b/c I said, "how n da hell can u learn correctly with 25 or 30 other people in your class?"

I will start looking at it from the perspectives that you all have written about. I will say I never thought I was any good cause I was always sparring my master but when I did spar someone else I did look at myself and was like "damn..i aint half bad"..lol Being everyone else is a white belt and im about to be a blue belt this week I do spend time teaching them more and I will admit working with different people does help.

I guess the mental block was the hard part. Just you learn so much and move sooo faster when u r one on one. Funny when u look at white belts and they do things wrong, you just shake your head and think..."Damn was i this terrible when i started?" lol.

 

[jdinca]

Thanks. You guys..and girls..lol have helped alot.
My master said the samething when we got another person in the class but it went in one ear and out the other. I felt like someone was invading my space and I withdrew (personality wise) for about a month.

I have always been a person who works better in one on one enviornments and that is why I never really took up MA before b/c I said, "how n da hell can u learn correctly with 25 or 30 other people in your class?"

I will start looking at it from the perspectives that you all have written about. I will say I never thought I was any good cause I was always sparring my master but when I did spar someone else I did look at myself and was like "damn..i aint half bad"..lol Being everyone else is a white belt and im about to be a blue belt this week I do spend time teaching them more and I will admit working with different people does help.

I guess the mental block was the hard part. Just you learn so much and move sooo faster when u r one on one. Funny when u look at white belts and they do things wrong, you just shake your head and think..."Damn was i this terrible when i started?" lol.

You're going through a natural progression as a martial artist. You've already gone from feeling put upon over other students joining the class to helping them develop their own skills. Given that you're close to your Blue Belt, it's time to start looking at martial arts as more than just a way to move. You've already taken that first step.

 

[AceHBK]

^^thanks.
I have now enjoyed teaching sometimes more than practicing. My istructor may be called away and has ased me to teach the kids and adult class and I must say that I do enjoy it.
Kids class is hard but the adults is kinda cool.
Show them new things and fine tuning basics.

 

[Shirt Ripper]

Most of my training for several years (strongman) has taken place in solitude. Adjusting to training in a compact environment with many others around has a dynamic to it...

Just my two cents in relation to the matter...

 

[SAVAGE]

Each has its merits...private means that you are getting alot of attention and are able to go through the ranks quickly!

Group means that you have more partners to train with and learn in an enviroment with different sizes, body types, levels of agression and skills!

Obviously the down sides are the same as the upside in reverse

private means that you dont have more partners to train with and learn in an enviroment with different sizes, body types, levels of agression and skills!

Group means that you are not getting alot of attention and are not able to go through the ranks as quickly!

As with all MA the test comes in your ability to adapt to all situations and I am sure after a while you will enjoy the group sessions...you also get an opportunity to teach that in itself is a great tool for learning!

 

[bushidomartialarts]

There's good things in group lessons:

the energy is higher

you get to see how other students do the same stuff you do -- which can inspire you to greater achievement or give your ego a nice boost.

you'll work harder.

there are numerous drills you can only do well with more than two people in the room.

the dynamic is different.

 

[Touch Of Death]

The more uncomfortable you feel about group classes, the more you need group classes.
Sean

 

[bushidomartialarts]

The more uncomfortable you feel about group classes, the more you need group classes.
Sean

well said, dim mak