Hi guys, don't normally post in the grappling forum but I've recently started no-gi training at an MMA gym and I've got a little story.
Alright, so I've been to maybe six sessions or so at this gym and I'm struggling a little compared to what I'm used to considering Judo isn't as focused on groundwork as an MMA gym and a lot of what I'd normally do is impossible without the gi.
Nevertheless, I'm hanging with the blue belts at the gym and some of the amateur and pro fighters. Then one session I get paired up with this pro fighter and we're drilling tome nage (you fall back and kind of do a butterfly sweep with one leg for those who've never heard of it), so we're drilling this and I'm going smooth and easy whereas he's getting harder and he's resisting a lot whereas I'm going over for him, like you should.
Anyway, then he starts cranking the choke from the front headlock after the tomenage, no big deal he's just practising it. So I start resisting a little but still giving him the choke since we're just drilling it. Then when it's my turn he starts sprawling on me so I go for a guillotine then let him pass, I'm just thinking here 'well done, you defended a 30% guillotine'. Also, I don't want to draw attention to myself with it being a new gym and all.
So then this goes on for a while and I'm going like 50%, if that and then when he's in mount he goes from S guard to an armbar and I'm just stacking and not hopping round thinking he'll let go since there's no way he's going to get it. Nope he's still trying, then the coach comes over and tells me to walk round so I do and I'm out. Then his turn comes again and he goes for the juji again and I'm on my back just holding my bicep stopping him from getting it, getting sick because I don't want to act up at a new gym and start going 100% like he is. Then this guy starts banging his leg off my head trying to get me to loosen my grip and I'm just thinking wtf. At this point the coach is over and breaks the guy's grip and goes to him 'this is your one warning, don't do that' looking pissed.
We drill more stuff and I come to realise he's just like that so I don't bother resisting and just go a bit harder when it's my turn so I can get him down but keeping the pace low, but the guy's still going for it hard.
So I'm wondering is it going to be acceptable for me to go harder when he does from now on? The instructor gave me a quick word saying 'we've always had bother with him' or something like that so I'm presuming I now have carte blanche when I'm rolling with him from now on?
Also, what's the best way to deal with people like this?
CLIFFS
Guy keeps going harder while drilling techniques
Dirty techniques
Coach gets pissed
Keeps doing it but not quite as much
What do I do from now on?
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Enlightened ego: 'i played hockey and football for 15 years, i am 6'4 over 220lbs. there isn't a woman on this earth who could flip me over... women bone structure will shatter from one punch'
Don't go with him unless you absolutely can't.
The coach notices it as well so it's not such a difficult situation, but just go about it how you are, really.
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'Now water can flow, or it can crash. Be water, my friend.' - Bruce Lee
Annihilate him. What my teacher has always told me, "Bowing to each other is more than showing respect, It's agreeing to mutual destruction. If your partner pushes hard, he has given you the okay to do the same." Not exactly related with the bowing, but the point remains the same.
Chael's way works just as long as they can't escalate the situation to the point where you can't handle it.
Or you can try to talk to the guy and find out what the issue is.
Being that you were practicing tomo-nage he might not have mastered his ukemi and was taking the fall incorrectly. I've had this happen to me in a BJJ class, we were practing ippon seoi-nage and I wasn't throwing hard but my partner was getting hurt. He just didn't know how to fall and he ended up complaining about me. I wish he would of told me.
Ugh, gym bullies. So irritating - they are present in almost every martial art from what I understand. They usually don't last for various reasons (they do something really bad and get kicked out, quit, or in SOME cases they actually stop acting like that) but they're just so darn irritating. Interestingly I've never seen a purple belt or higher bully before though - probably because the above reason (they don't last). No real good solution to it except to look at it as a challenge - in BJJ I think they're the closest thing to real fighting and it trains you to stay focused, because if you can stay focused on doing your best technique when they're bully-spazzing then that is an advantage, and helps you deal with intense and fast styles.
But yeah, if you're better than him, then unleash the fury (in a technical way of course), it's probably good for him.
I don't understand. If you are drilling, why he is going all out and resisting and getting all wild? Drilling is when you practice the technique and try to get the fundamentals of the move down (unless the instructor specifically tells you to add resistance).
If he wants to try a technique on a resisting opponent then he should do it during sparring.
Simple communication, man. If you get paired up again with him, tell him that that is not the way you want to drill. Tell him to stop. Be polite. If he has a problem with that then he is a douche.
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I fought for world titles in boxing, karate, I fought bar wars, street corners, most everything living and half the stuff dead and darling there ain’t nobody bad, I know, I looked-Tex Cobb
