How many times per week to progress

Hello, I am just beginning Judo at age 39 and have been trying to put together a schedule that allows me to train every day, but that is proving difficult where I live with no full time schools and other obligations in life. My question then is how many times per week does one need to train in order to progress? I understand there are variables for each person, but my fitness level is at least average for my age and I have no athletic or physical limitations otherwise. I was told by my instructor that serious training would allow one to obtain a black belt in 6-7 years, and my goal would then be to make sure I train enough during the week to hit that. This is a school with 3 classes per week, so I'm assuming I need at least that many? Thank you in advance.

I promise not to refer to the 'how long will it take me to get a black belt?' question.

Mashu, all I would like to point out is that training is not restricted to dojo time. Your local club offers three classes a week; I'm guessing 4.6 - 6 hours a week. Take off 56 hours for sleeping, 35 hours for school, 20 hours for chores and homework, 10 hours for family meals ... what are you doing with the other 41 hours?

Practice ukemi on the lawn (I tell the kids I teach that they have my permission to pull mum and dad's mattress off their bed and practice on that!!!), put some ropes or belts or inner tubes up in the garage and practice turn ins with them, do some technique repetitions, do some push ups and pull ups, perform osotogari on trees, practice shrimping and bridging (sorry, BJJ terms), run techniques and randori through in your head while you are lying in bed or on the loo (but never in class at school!), read books (and judo fora), look at judo videos, and wash and iron your judogi. You will be more than ready for class each time and will progress as fast as you possibly can.

DougNZ wrote:perform osotogari on trees

Thank you for the ideas on progression, but I am having trouble with this idea here ^. The tree in my backyard is very difficult to get off balance and has yet to go down no matter how perfect my form is. Suggestions?

Mashu wrote:Hello, I am just beginning Judo at age 39 and have been trying to put together a schedule that allows me to train every day, but that is proving difficult where I live with no full time schools and other obligations in life. My question then is how many times per week does one need to train in order to progress? I understand there are variables for each person, but my fitness level is at least average for my age and I have no athletic or physical limitations otherwise. I was told by my instructor that serious training would allow one to obtain a black belt in 6-7 years, and my goal would then be to make sure I train enough during the week to hit that. This is a school with 3 classes per week, so I'm assuming I need at least that many? Thank you in advance.

Three times per week.

Mashu wrote:

DougNZ wrote:perform osotogari on trees

Thank you for the ideas on progression, but I am having trouble with this idea here ^. The tree in my backyard is very difficult to get off balance and has yet to go down no matter how perfect my form is. Suggestions?

Tongue-in-cheek. Google 'Kimura'. You will need more than one tree.

I have to say doing turn ins using ropes/bands etc attached to solid frames as well as doing osoto gari on solid objects is not very good for beginners. Uchikomi is best done against the "semi solid body" of a human uke. There are many nervous system feedbacks you receive from this and many times a good uke will make subtle adjustments to help tori out. Adjustments have to be done while practicing specific things against immovable objects and OP will not have the knowledge to do this without wrecking his form.
At 39, going three times a week AND doing it consistently for a decent period of time like 6 months or so is a good start.

Mashu wrote:Hello, I am just beginning Judo at age 39 and have been trying to put together a schedule that allows me to train every day, but that is proving difficult where I live with no full time schools and other obligations in life. My question then is how many times per week does one need to train in order to progress? I understand there are variables for each person, but my fitness level is at least average for my age and I have no athletic or physical limitations otherwise. I was told by my instructor that serious training would allow one to obtain a black belt in 6-7 years, and my goal would then be to make sure I train enough during the week to hit that. This is a school with 3 classes per week, so I'm assuming I need at least that many? Thank you in advance.

At entry level no more than three days a week in the dojo.