The Mat Spaz

**Bustardo** · Posted On: 1/24/2007 1:05am

We have a new guy at our club. He joined about 3 weeks ago. He's about 23 and he claims he has no MA experience outside of Tang soo do. He's fairly big and he seems to never gas out.

The problem with this is he's a complete fucking spaz ass.

Last week while one of our blue belts (who was going at about 25% to be nice to the newbie) had him in a cross body (he had about 70 pounds on the blue belt) he tossed the blue belt off the mat and about 3 feet away from the door, when he came back pissed off he arm bared the guy in like 10 seconds. This is when we discover that the spaz has "Im-not-gonna-tap-itus". The blue belt just let it go cause he didn't feel like breaking the guys arm or causing any damage. Right afterward he was like " I WANT TO GO AGAIN!!!"

Today I was rolling with him and we end up rolling right into our instructor and another guy. So I stop, which he takes as his opportunity to be a complete fucking tard and try a miserable attempt at choking me from my guard.

Usually I'd chalk this up to normal douchbaggery, but today while I'm watching him roll with another blue belt he tried doing fucking leg locks. Now If he hasn't been trained in any MA besides tang soo do where the **** is he learning leg locks from? He didnt know what the **** he was doing and got choked out right after. After this he was strongly advised not to attempt leg locks.

When he rolls with everyone he seems to treat it like it's life or death and not training. We've explained to him several times that if he injures training partners he wont have anyone to train with. No amount of getting the **** choked out of him or near arm breaks seems to discourage him.

Ever have anyone like this at your club? How'd you handle it? Is there a better way than just not rolling with the guy?

**FUNKtastic** · Posted On: 1/24/2007 1:20am

Being always ready to go is an admirable quality but buggin out and take it to seriously can get annoying. In my Judo place during ne-waza the higher belts will talk to me a we are rolling to explain what I'm doing wrong. He could be using moves he hasn't learned but has seen on TV or one of you guys pulling it in class. In my experience I think I got that way in my first tournament...I wasn't trying to do ridiculous moves but I almost failed to tap when my opponent got me in a choke and I remember getting sever tunnel vision to a point where I wasn't thinking at all and couldn't remember simple counters from class.

I think your best way is to get him comfortable around you in order to get him to relax. Talk him through it when you guys roll and try a slower pace using pins so he isn't as excited. I know people don't listen when they have the adrenaline pumping but until he gets comfortable rolling with you guys I think this will continue. Best thing I can suggest is to take it slow when you work with him, don't make it an open randori for example in Judo we just start back to back and go when the timer sounds. Instead start in a position you want to work with him on and make explain what you want him to do while restricting him to trying to slow the first few times. I know this sounds like a lack of aliveness but it may be what he needs in the beginning to help him adjust. We have a black belt in our class who sometimes doesn't realize newbies are newbies and goes harder when they try to use their strength. Sensei always tells him that strength is all they can resort to if they are inexperienced so you have to work with them.

Hope it helped.

**Virus** · Posted On: 1/24/2007 1:38am

I've trained with people like that but never that bad. Best bet is to refer him on to a taichi school.

**PPlate** · Posted On: 1/24/2007 2:12am

Groom him to become the next Pride champion, then take half his fight purse.

**Steve** · Posted On: 1/24/2007 2:18am

I assume that your school has students sign waivers.

Break his arm.

Or stop whining that he is stronger than you.

**Tonuzaba** · Posted On: 1/24/2007 4:39am

Punch him in the nose?

**Goju - Joe** · Posted On: 1/24/2007 4:43am

This is something your instructor should deal with.

**kobudo** · Posted On: 1/24/2007 5:13am

Originally Posted by GoJu - Joe

This is something your instructor should deal with.

Agreed. I suggest you discuss this concern with your instructor. A word in his ear will only help him stay on top of things.

**RDRR** · Posted On: 1/24/2007 5:48am

I agree with Steve... It sounds like the most entertaining solution for us on this board anyway.

**FictionPimp** · Posted On: 1/24/2007 7:02am

We have a guy like this at our club. He's been there a couple months, he gets upset when he loses a sparing match (How many of you keep score?) He talks a big game, but still has no grasp of basic escapes or positioning. If you try to show him a technique, he's one of those 'what if' guys.

Example.

I was rolling with him about 2 weeks ago. I locked in a triangle. Rather then defend the triangle, he screams that it is over his lip. I let go and he says that I was over his lip and that he can't risk facial injury because he doesn't want his co-workers to know he trains. I try to explain a proper triangle defense, and he tells me that doesn't work for him so he doesn't use it. I offer to watch him do it and give him pointers, but he says no the technique just does not work. We roll some more and I put him in a RNC, again he taps but says he only tapped because I was cranking his jaw and he can't risk any injury that would bust him out. I again offer suggestions for a good rnc defense. He goes on the "what if" defensive. I call this chess match jjujitsu.

He basically discounts any technique he can come up with a 'counter' to in his head. It doesn't matter that he is getting walked all over by guys using these same 'flawed' techniques. He's even questioned the instructor with the what if scenarios and been schooled a few times. It seems obvious to everyone else that a technique never works like you want it too and good jiujitsu requires some creativity. He just does not get it.

Luckily about a week ago I heard him talking to the instructor about how he sucks and isn't getting any better (because you should apparently see immediate progress and begin tapping out guys who have been there for a year or more within your first month) and how he thinks he is going to quit. In this case he kept talking about how one of our better blue belts tapped him out all night and there was nothing he could do about it! I hate seeing anyone quit, but I must admit in this case I did not even try to talk to him. He hasn't been back sense and I'm hoping it stays that way.