When somebody asks whether to start privately or in a group, the honest answer depends on what they actually want. Each format does something the other cannot.
This comparison is here so you can decide for yourself - and not on price.
What only private training gives you
- Density of correction. Instead of three corrections an hour you get thirty. That is the one real difference, and it is a large one.
- Adaptation to your body. With a damaged knee or a stiff shoulder, the whole hour adapts, not just one drill.
- A slot that actually exists. For shift work, frequent travel or parenting small children this is often the only format that can be made to happen.
- Pace. Nobody waits for you and you wait for nobody.
- Quiet. For some people the presence of a group makes focusing impossible. A few hours alone solves that.
What only a group gives you
- Rhythm. A fixed slot twice a week is the single strongest predictor of whether you will still be training in a year.
- A reference point. You see someone who has trained five years and understand where the road goes. No description gives you that.
- Learning from other people’s mistakes. When the teacher corrects your neighbour, you get corrected too - for free.
- Partners. Any work in pairs needs people of different sizes, speeds and temperaments.
- Community. That sounds soft until you notice it is the only reason you turned up in month three.
The soft overcomes the hard. The gentle overcomes the rigid.
What we recommend for different goals
“I am a complete beginner and slightly intimidated.” Two or three private hours on the basics, then join the beginners’ group. After that you will not need private hours for months.
“I have an injury or chronic pain.” Start privately until we both know what the body tolerates. Then the group with clear adaptations, plus a private hour every few weeks.
“I have trained a year and I am stuck.” One private hour. Often that is all it takes - the cause of a plateau is almost always one specific thing.
“I have no time for a fixed slot.” Private, weekly or fortnightly. One hour that happens beats two that do not.
“I am interested in fighting and technique.” Group, without question. Private hours as a supplement for individual techniques.
“I want to unload after work.” Group Qi Gong. With that goal, other people in the room are part of the effect rather than a distraction.
The most common misunderstanding
People often assume a private hour is harder. It is not - or at least not necessarily. It is more precise.
Frequently the opposite happens: one-to-one you do fewer repetitions, each of them correct, and leave less tired than after a group class. Tiredness is not a measure of quality.
The combination we recommend most often
Two group classes a week and one private hour every month or two.
The group brings volume, rhythm and people. The private hour is a review: every few weeks someone looks closely at what you are doing and corrects whatever has crept into the body.
Practicalities in Ljubljana
Group classes run at Ziherlova 44 - mornings at 6:00 and afternoons at 17:30 and 18:30. Private hours are arranged around your schedule, daytimes included.
If you are unsure which suits you better, write us a few sentences about what you want to achieve and we will suggest something.
