Going from Krav to BJJ ... some thoughts

[steppppo33]

I have four years of Krav Maga experience but I had to stop a few months back when my teacher left. I also have a brown belt in Judo but have not been in a judo dojo in about 15 years.

This week, I decided to sign up for a free week at a local BJJ school and I don't think I'm going to fit in there.

During a two hour class on Saturday, I was told by three different partners that I was either going 'too rough' or I shouldn't grab their gi so hard or I need to be careful while sparing because I 'almost punched' a guy when I went to grab the neck of his gi. Also, people were freaking out if you came within a few feet of them while you were grappling with your partner.

Tonight, my partner (a fellow white belt) asked me not to grab his gi so hard because it was scratching his arm. Later I was practicing a sweep and when I got on top of him, he told me I was going 'too hard.'

In my Krav class, people got hit in the nose and face regularly. A little blood would get spilled every few weeks but we just cleaned it up and continued with the lesson. No one seemed to mind. Guys (or gals) would shake hands to show that they were alright and no one got pissy about being hit. If you did, then you didn't stick around too long at this school.

On the other hand, this bjj school seems to be very competition oriented. Is it typical that the guys there would be such prima donnas and complain about little things like having their gi grabbed too hard? I am looking to use bjj to round out my self defense repertoire so I'm pretty serious about pushing hard when practicing a technique and using explosive power to my advantage. My experience at this bjj school thus far seems to indicate that the guys there are not willing to work with someone who wants to go full tilt - in other words, the same way you would react to a situation in the street if you happen to find yourself on the ground.

I have to say that after a few days with these bjj guys really makes me miss my old krav teacher and class. It's a real effin shame.

After typing this whole thing out, I think I'm pretty sure I won't sign a long term contract with this bjj school. Doesn't seem like a good fit for someone interested in self-defense. BJJ actually seems like a waste of time unless you're interested in trophies or going into the UFC.

[plasma]

This is a common situation. Now the most obvious answer is if you don't like the academy, don't train there. Possibly an MMA gym that does No-Gi grappling would be a better fit. On the other hand, BJJ tends not to spar 100% speed and power every roll. A lot of time BJJ players like to focus on technique and emphasize applying it with out using too much speed or strength. Therefore, you might be in the position of being the "newbie spazz" fighting every round like its the finals of the Mundials without focusing of improving technique as much as winning every gym round.

[slamdunc]

A lot of time BJJ players like to focus on technique and emphasize applying it with out using too much speed or strength. Therefore, you might be in the position of being the "newbie spazz" fighting every round like its the finals of the Mundials without focusing of improving technique as much as winning every gym round.

This is especially true at the beginner level. Although you have years of training in a different type of martial art, you are a beginner again. You may just be way too street for this particular club anyway.

[Devil]

OP, you are a spazz. The problem is you, not them. You're not going too hard for them. You're going too hard in the wrong ways. Nobody likes a spazz but most everybody who has been training for a while understands why a newb spazzes. Most of them have been the newb spazz. But they're not going to trust you as a training partner until you demonstrate that you can control yourself. Spazzes are dangerous training partners. They think they're going 'full tilt' but they're really just going 'full retard'.

Krav Maga sucks. Stop yearning for your days as a participant of a shit martial art.

[goodlun]

This week, I decided to sign up for a free week at a local BJJ school and I don't think I'm going to fit in there.

Yeah ass holes typically don't fit in well in combat sports

During a two hour class on Saturday, I was told by three different partners that I was either going 'too rough' or I shouldn't grab their gi so hard or I need to be careful while sparing because I 'almost punched' a guy when I went to grab the neck of his gi. Also, people were freaking out if you came within a few feet of them while you were grappling with your partner.

All these years of martial arts training and you still can't control yourself and your wondering why people are "freaking out".

Tonight, my partner (a fellow white belt) asked me not to grab his gi so hard because it was scratching his arm. Later I was practicing a sweep and when I got on top of him, he told me I was going 'too hard.'

Yes see that word practicing, practicing is not fighting. Its not a measure of who is stronger or macho or any of that bullshit. Its to learn the technique, the timing, the application. Which you can do with about being an asshole. Well maybe not you but most normal people.

In my Krav class, people got hit in the nose and face regularly. A little blood would get spilled every few weeks but we just cleaned it up and continued with the lesson. No one seemed to mind. Guys (or gals) would shake hands to show that they were alright and no one got pissy about being hit. If you did, then you didn't stick around too long at this school.

Here is the big difference between the two that you simply don't get.
If you fuck up in BJJ you can seriously hurt your partner not just a few bits of spilled blood.
Its very easy to hyper extend a limb or the neck.
Its very easy to crack that floating rib.
It very easy to chip a tooth or break a nose.
Hold a choke to long well I am sure you can figure it out.
Cranking on a choke even if you don't have it can do damage to the neck and spine.
Going rough with Striking is not equal to going rough with grappling.
Then you have 2 bodies moving around on the mat and their combined weights colliding with another 2 bodies and you can do some damage. Just in case you wondering why people didn't want you to get close while they are already distracted you know with their partner in front of them.

On the other hand, this bjj school seems to be very competition oriented. Is it typical that the guys there would be such prima donnas and complain about little things like having their gi grabbed too hard? I am looking to use bjj to round out my self defense repertoire so I'm pretty serious about pushing hard when practicing a technique and using explosive power to my advantage. My experience at this bjj school thus far seems to indicate that the guys there are not willing to work with someone who wants to go full tilt - in other words, the same way you would react to a situation in the street if you happen to find yourself on the ground.

Funny thing about competitions their is no complaining to the reff about grabbing to hard or going full tilt. But competition and training are not the same thing and if you treat every training session like its competition someone is going to get hurt and not oh look at the bruise sort of hurt.

I have to say that after a few days with these bjj guys really makes me miss my old krav teacher and class. It's a real effin shame.

Yeah its a real damn shame you don't understand that in Krav you can go full tilt and everyone can still walk away and go to work the next day and everything but in BJJ you can't do that. Its a shame that you can't figure how to do the techniques right so that you don't have to go balls to the wall. Its a shame you don't get that one can choice when to be hard and when not to be.
On the street, or in competition great time to be hard. When rolling with the guy that has to go to work the next morning and would like to do so with out a cracked rib, sour neck, or fucked up limb, its not very appropriate.

After typing this whole thing out, I think I'm pretty sure I won't sign a long term contract with this bjj school. Doesn't seem like a good fit for someone interested in self-defense. BJJ actually seems like a waste of time unless you're interested in trophies or going into the UFC.

Its not a very good fit for your stupid ass that doesn't understand the difference between fighting, sparring, competing, self defense, learning, and drilling.

[Rzer03]

Well yes BJJ sucks but in stead of going back to Krav Maga why not try picking up judo?

[Permalost]

You go "full tilt" in krav maga? So, you actually kick each other full power in the testicles and try to gouge out each other's eyes? I doubt it, but I'll bet you do nice loud fry vocals when you pretend to go all out. Due to a lack of real fighting, krav generally overcompensates in ways that make it seem tougher than other arts (street clothes! Shoes! Kiai-swearing! WE'RE SO TOUGH!!!!)

[ermghoti]

Welp, I hate to be That Guy, but while OP is pretty obviously newbspazzing, trying to win at rolling, and almost certainly unclear about what comprises progressively resistive and realistic training, I don't see the point in treating him as a troll until he has at least had the time to answer with an arrogant, defensive, and ignorant reply to the initial replies.

[ermghoti]

Now, to join in the dogpiling, you realize you were at a beginner class? A class where fundamentals would be introduced and drilled? Not a competition or fight? You have four years experience in (snicker) krav, that would be a blue belt with a stripe or two, or a really quick-learning purple in BJJ. Why don't you go to an open mat, and ask to go full speed with a blue about your size, instead of trying to "win" at a lesson against guys that might have no experience in grappling?

[goodlun]

I don't see the point in treating him as a troll until he has at least had the time to answer with an arrogant, defensive, and ignorant reply to the initial replies.

I don't see a point in coddling some ass hole that makes their first post in YMAS when we have a newbie town and all sorts of stickies.
Old enough to have done Judo 15 years ago, old enough to click around the site and read some shit before injecting his stupidity.

[Kovacs]

Hold up. He went from senior Judo rank to Krav? Fuck him and fuck the horse he rode out on.

[Rzer03]

You go "full tilt" in krav maga? So, you actually kick each other full power in the testicles and try to gouge out each other's eyes?

With good cups that's actually possible. In fact I have had an all-groin strike class. Receiving and giving. In hindsight it was stupid and dangerous but with the right protection you can go (almost) full tilt on the balls.

...That came out much gayer than I thought it would.


Never had any classes about eyegouging. No kiai-ing either. Maybe my krav wasnt street enough or something?

As for OP: dont be too harsh on him. Switching off the KM mindset after 4 years takes some time.

[Devil]

With good cups that's actually possible. In fact I have had an all-groin strike class. Receiving and giving. In hindsight it was stupid and dangerous but with the right protection you can go (almost) full tilt on the balls.

That's the most Krav thing I've ever read. That's Kravver than a motherfucker. It pretty much sums up everything that's hilarious about Krav Maga.

[Rzer03]

That's the most Krav thing I've ever read. That's Kravver than a motherfucker. It pretty much sums up everything that's hilarious about Krav Maga.

You should've seen some of the classes involving cars and parkinglots. Students choking each other with seatbelts. Bizar.

[Kovacs]

As for OP: dont be too harsh on him. Switching off the KM mindset after 4 years takes some time.

That's the Krav'iest thing I've ever heard. It's basically saying all I can do is kill, rather than roll. It's like getting PTSD from playing paintball.

Switching cadence and mindset shouldn't be a mission.