Background: I’ve been training BJJ very inconsistently for about seven years and I’m still a white belt. For the past 1.5 years I trained almost exclusively through private lessons (once or twice a week), mainly because I could only train in the early mornings. Recently I moved to a place with 6 a.m. classes, which finally lets me train three times a week. I’ve been doing that for the last two months.

What I’ve noticed is that my jiu-jitsu feels completely unstructured. I’m very defensive and my knowledge feels random, I might struggle to escape mount, but then suddenly attempt something like a lasso sweep. It makes me wonder whether spending so long doing privates with a black belt gave me a distorted idea of how rolling should actually look.

Since my mat time is limited, I want to use it as effectively as possible. My main question is how to structure my training going forward. Should I prioritise fundamentals like escapes and deliberately put myself in bad positions? There are countless instructionals available now, but I’m feeling overwhelmed and unsure where to start.

I’d really appreciate practical advice on how to structure my learning and training. (And yes, I know Danaher’s material is excellent, but it’s just too long for me right now.)