There's what's called a "bite point" which is different and unique to every car you will ever drive. This point is where the clutch begins to engage and the car tries to urge forward.
Try this - If you keep your foot off the gas and very gently raise the clutch (handbrake fully on), you'll feel the car try to urge forwards when you get to the bite point. You'll also hear the engine note drop. This is the bite point. If you continue to raise the clutch, the car will jolt and stall. This is the jerk you are feeling. It's doing this because the engine is pulling power into the clutch and requires it's reward of fuel to feed the forward motion. If you don't put the right pressure on the gas pedal to feed this need, the car simply stops. Listen for then engine note, it will tell you when the car needs more gas, but you'll need to turn the stereo down to get it right every time.
With the handbrake firmly on, find the bite point of your clutch, and practise the see-saw movement with your feet that releases the clutch and presses on the gas simultaneously. If the engine is racing, ease off the gas and release more clutch. If it's jolting, add more gas and "feather" the clutch (depress very slightly then release). Once you've mastered this, you can get the car to rock (like da gangstas do), then slowly release the handbrake and you should glide away smooth as silk.
Golden rule with manual clutch - slowly means smoothly. If you release too quickly you'll never get a smooth gear change. Good luck - manual cars are the best fun.
