Nothing but spazzes for training partners

[Like Water]

I know this thread has been dead for like 2 years now but the newbie BJJ thread led me here. I didn't know if I should start a new thread so I figured I'd add to this one since it is a similar issue. I ended up leaving my old school for a list of reasons: I moved too far, my life got really busy and some of the people there where just douchebags that treated every drill the like they where in the finals of the Olympics.

I am at a new school that that does BJJ and standup separately. Totally separate teachers and classes and I am the only one that is doing both.

Even though it is only two guys in the BJJ class that have no conception of of "50%", it makes me not want to go to those classes. I was watching this one guy today. He is brand new and probably in his mid-50s. He is big guy, at least 250lbs, clearly not all muscle but a strong dude. It was a stand-up, randori type drill but just for position, no throws or anything and this guy is going all out. What concerned me the most is how he was using his head to push against the other person body and head. I couldn't help but think, "He is going to knock himself and his partner out." The people who are explosive with no control scare the **** out of me.

There was also a really simple drill where the person on the bottom holds onto the tops arm and just works moving their hips from side to side to get position for an armbar. You should end up moving your body from left to right and putting both your legs on either side of the top's head. But when this guy was on top he was like resisting like crazy. I see the guy gritting his teeth and grimacing and I'm just thinking WTF dude?! He head was bright red. As you might imagine the guy is totally gassed like 20 min in to a 90 min class.

As much as I can I roll with the blue belts and up since they tend to be all technique and no strength, but I just do not have any fun rolling with these other guys that are all strength and no technique. The only other person like that is a kid who is a high school wrestler. This kid is pretty out of control too. There was one time when we just working on getting under-hooks while standing. It was a nice little light drill, everyone is pretty much standing in one spot, maybe circling a little bit. All of a sudden this kid is driving his partner across the mat and after about 15 feet the pair going tumbling to the ground.

I have studied various martial arts my whole life doing mostly stand-up boxing and Mu-Thai, but man, **** like this make me want to walk away.

Newbies will learn. Lead them by example. I know I figured out that spazzing was getting me nowhere right quick when I'd be going crazy in a blue belt's guard and he'd tap me out with two hands behind his head, no sweat broken. The ones that never seem to learn should be getting destroyed purely on technique by the higher belts. It's all part of the process, in my opinion.

Until then, if you've got such a huge problem with it, when they're working with you, you always have the option to tell them to cut the crap. Especially if you do it in a polite way "Hey man, don't gas yourself out. This isn't live rolling." they should have no reason not to respect your request. You're voicing your complaint to the wrong people, here.

[Hitokiri88]

Starting out, I was a bit spazzy myself. Fortunately, I've learned quickly. Since then, I've had plenty room for growth. Spazzing gets you nowhere.

[blackmonk]

It seems like everywhere I train now is full of higher-belt spazzes. I left one school recently for that reason, and one of the black belts at a new place I go to is just as bad... At least the other guys aren't jerks. It does seem like they do it more against me than other people, though, so now that's got me thinking that maybe I'm the problem, but I can't for the life of me figure out why that may be. I'm respectful, roll at a moderate pace, prefer to work technique over aggression, don't use illegal subs, etc... WTF who knows.

I'm caught on how to think about it, also... I need a modicum of intensity in order for my grappling to transfer well into competition, as I compete constantly, but I don't feel like I learn anything from getting mangled day-in and day-out. During the time I trained at the place I just left (because everyone was such a douche), I had my nose badly broken, a separated rib, several deep scratches across my eyelids, and I had to have a piece of my lip reattached. The badly broken nose happened DURING REPETITIONS.

I think the most important thing, though, is that I just wasn't having fun there. I love grappling and am completely obsessed with it, so when you take the fun out of it for me, you're taking away a part of my life that I find very important.

[goodlun]

As much as I can I roll with the blue belts and up since they tend to be all technique and no strength, but I just do not have any fun rolling with these other guys that are all strength and no technique. The only other person like that is a kid who is a high school wrestler. This kid is pretty out of control too. There was one time when we just working on getting under-hooks while standing. It was a nice little light drill, everyone is pretty much standing in one spot, maybe circling a little bit. All of a sudden this kid is driving his partner across the mat and after about 15 feet the pair going tumbling to the ground.

I havn't had to deal with too much, for the most part most of the guys I train with are light I think 190 being the heaviest. I do run into brand new people who do not want to "lose" but since they are new they are pretty easy to control and that attitude gets corrected pretty quick.

In fact it gets down right embarrassing at times rolling with Coach Henry whom can keep me from passing with no hands especially bad considering he is only like 130lbs.