Yes, Get a bunch of 1084 or AEBL steel and practice grinding free-hand. Learn to look and see what needs to be done to keep the grind straight and even.
This is how you learn to control the grind. A thousand dollars in jigs won't teach you much, and won't be able to finish the blades.
A jig is a crutch, and if you don't learn to walk without it ... you will be on crutches the rest of your life.