I only want to roll because classes are too boring

45, brown belt, 6 years training 3-4x/week avg.

I've reached the point where I can't sit through a two hour class any longer. The first half is a 15 minute warm up followed by a 45 minute technique portion. The second hour is rolling. I often purposely get there late to miss the technique so I can warm up a little and then roll. Our instructor doesn't care about lateness.

I haven't lost my desire to train. I love rolling and always go to open mat, but I don't do regular classes as much now because of the boredom. I absolutely despise drilling. I don't claim to know every technique but we rarely cover anything I haven't seen multiple times.

I was looking for some input from others that have gone through this stage to help find a reason to get interested again. I don't want to set a bad example for new people at the academy.

You’re a brown belt. You’ve earned the right to skip technique. You’d probably benefit more from privates or seminars anyway. But I don’t blame you. I haven’t been training nearly as long as you and I tend to get bored. Especially if it’s a move I know damn well I’ll never use.
 
I have limited experience with pure BJJ. Most of what I did was through training MMA, but I really have trouble finding a good school. The majority of BJJ schools seem to be built around young kids and "developing self confidence" or middle-aged adults casually rolling around that are "really into the sport" but not really...They have little to no drive to actually compete and become high-level material. Just want to say they are into BJJ because it is trendy.

I want a more militant "for competition gym". I was literally laughed at for asking a BJJ trainer in my area why the classes weren't harder. I have a problem with BJJ becoming like most other traditional martial arts in this country. Far less about actually combat and more about "Find yourself through the sport personal growth blah blah blah" Ummm, hello you can do all that having a strenuous workout you do not need to sugar coat and soften the class to do that! Ben Askren was right about BJJ schools doing it wrong. They are more about generating money for themselves and catering to people who want to casually roll around and take it easy. They're just like these huge crystal palace gyms that offer every amenity known to man that don't actually want people to get into damn shape!

Should there be gyms for average joes who just want to learn technique and roll around? Absolutely! But for those of us that want combat and competition can we get are serious damn gym!? People hate on LI but he actually trains for combat and competition. Hell, I've even heard people who've trained with Ryan Hall talk about how hardcore he is and how he's so negative because he won't pat them on the back and tell them "good job" every time they shrimp correctly! I don't mean to sound like I'm hating, but we would probably have more American world champs if this wasn't the case.
 
I have limited experience with pure BJJ. Most of what I did was through training MMA, but I really have trouble finding a good school. The majority of BJJ schools seem to be built around young kids and "developing self confidence" or middle-aged adults casually rolling around that are "really into the sport" but not really...They have little to no drive to actually compete and become high-level material. Just want to say they are into BJJ because it is trendy.

I want a more militant "for competition gym". I was literally laughed at for asking a BJJ trainer in my area why the classes weren't harder. I have a problem with BJJ becoming like most other traditional martial arts in this country. Far less about actually combat and more about "Find yourself through the sport personal growth blah blah blah" Ummm, hello you can do all that having a strenuous workout you do not need to sugar coat and soften the class to do that! Ben Askren was right about BJJ schools doing it wrong. They are more about generating money for themselves and catering to people who want to casually roll around and take it easy. They're just like these huge crystal palace gyms that offer every amenity known to man that don't actually want people to get into damn shape!

Should there be gyms for average joes who just want to learn technique and roll around? Absolutely! But for those of us that want combat and competition can we get are serious damn gym!? People hate on LI but he actually trains for combat and competition. Hell, I've even heard people who've trained with Ryan Hall talk about how hardcore he is and how he's so negative because he won't pat them on the back and tell them "good job" every time they shrimp correctly! I don't mean to sound like I'm hating, but we would probably have more American world champs if this wasn't the case.

My gym is a serious competitive one and even there I see that they award vanity belts to hobbyists. It's business. For those who do compete, however, they don't give gratuitous compliments and push them hard.

The higher belts and anyone who is serious sets up their own drills, btw, often to the side of the class, which is allowed.
 
We talked about it last night. He said that my situation is not rare and he's had many students go through it. He drills a lot, but he competes a lot. He suggested that I run an extra open mat each week so I can continue to train frequently if I don't want to do as many regular classes.

My response was intended for someone else, which you obvious misinterpreted or couldn't understand.

Sincerely,

Internet tough guy
My point was that you talked very harshly about coaches and your god almighty 150 dollars online, but in real life you would probably approach the subject in a more polite manner with your coach. Which seems correct judging from your response.

Edit: and I think most coaches realize that Brown belts should structure their own training if they want to improve, but if they dont want to compete they might as well only show up to open mats. Which you can, I mean no one is forcing you to go to instructional training.
I dont get your problem, since you show up to a class where drilling is an essentiel part and then you complain about drilling. Go to open mats instead, where the whole purpose is to only roll.
 
I have limited experience with pure BJJ. Most of what I did was through training MMA, but I really have trouble finding a good school. The majority of BJJ schools seem to be built around young kids and "developing self confidence" or middle-aged adults casually rolling around that are "really into the sport" but not really...They have little to no drive to actually compete and become high-level material. Just want to say they are into BJJ because it is trendy.

I want a more militant "for competition gym". I was literally laughed at for asking a BJJ trainer in my area why the classes weren't harder. I have a problem with BJJ becoming like most other traditional martial arts in this country. Far less about actually combat and more about "Find yourself through the sport personal growth blah blah blah" Ummm, hello you can do all that having a strenuous workout you do not need to sugar coat and soften the class to do that! Ben Askren was right about BJJ schools doing it wrong. They are more about generating money for themselves and catering to people who want to casually roll around and take it easy. They're just like these huge crystal palace gyms that offer every amenity known to man that don't actually want people to get into damn shape!

Should there be gyms for average joes who just want to learn technique and roll around? Absolutely! But for those of us that want combat and competition can we get are serious damn gym!? People hate on LI but he actually trains for combat and competition. Hell, I've even heard people who've trained with Ryan Hall talk about how hardcore he is and how he's so negative because he won't pat them on the back and tell them "good job" every time they shrimp correctly! I don't mean to sound like I'm hating, but we would probably have more American world champs if this wasn't the case.
There is minimal money in BJJ competition, so "militant competition gyms" aren't common. An MMA gym with a strong gi program is likely your answer. The only way most BJJ schools keep the doors open is with the kids classes.
 
The higher belts and anyone who is serious sets up their own drills, btw, often to the side of the class, which is allowed.
That's interesting. I've trained at two schools (one large gym and the small one I'm at now), as well as single sessions at several places thoughout the country. I'm yet to see brown or purple belts on their own while the instructor teaches the class. The black belts seem to do what they want to. The exception is if a big competition is coming up.
 
I always thought it would be cool to have an advanced class that functions as a meetup. You have a mandatory drilling period (warmup) where you work on whatever and then a mandatory rolling period. Then another mandatory drilling period to improve what you were working on earlier (cool down). Everyone basically teaches each other informally.

Not very sustainable though. At some point I suspect higher belts would stop showing up to regular classes.

It's an optimal way for me to learn. I don't need formal lessons. I get enough out of small adjustments over long periods of time.
 
It's a good idea, but you definitely need a leader/moderator. I participated in one and it turned into an hour of speculation and moonshot moves.
 
It's a good idea, but you definitely need a leader/moderator. I participated in one and it turned into an hour of speculation and moonshot moves.
I've been involved in that sort of unstructured open mat. It can be great training, and the next week it can turn into philosophy 101 with way too much talking and not enough drilling/rolling.
I like a class to still have a designed purpose and a facilitator to manage timings.
 
It's a good idea, but you definitely need a leader/moderator. I participated in one and it turned into an hour of speculation and moonshot moves.

Have timed drilling rounds, if people want to do bullshit they only waste their time.
 
I started at a club nearly 6 months ago after a long layoff. The instructor explained that we wouldn’t be doing any rolling because he didn’t think there was anything to be learned from it. I was skeptical but went along with it.

The first couple of months I was okay with 2 hours of instruction/drilling and no rolling. I saw it as a good way to get my body back into shape. Now, though, I’m really itching to roll, and I don’t think 30 minutes of a 2 hour class is too much to ask.

I enjoy the drilling part of the class and think it’s important, even if you’re doing stuff you’re unlikely to use, but if you never roll it becomes pointless. BJJ can also be a real grind when you don’t get to roll, rather than the joyful experience it should be.
 
I started at a club nearly 6 months ago after a long layoff. The instructor explained that we wouldn’t be doing any rolling because he didn’t think there was anything to be learned from it. I was skeptical but went along with it.
You don't do any positional sparring? Just drilling? Seems like complete bullshit is there a different club?
 
You don't do any positional sparring? Just drilling? Seems like complete bullshit is there a different club?
Some positional sparring but not every class and only for 3 to 5 minutes at the end when it happens. It’s not near enough.
I’ve got my eye on a couple of clubs and will try them out in the new year. It’s a shame because the instructor at the place I go to now is very good, but the no rolling thing is getting me down. To me that’s the reward for all the drilling.
 
Try a different club for sure. Only drilling things is in my experience a super slow way to learn. You remember things a lot better if you try them out. Also a lot of stuff feels differently live.
 
Is it a self defense oriented school?
Yeah, he does some self defense. One dedicated class and another class is split 50/50 self defense and bjj. At first I thought it was kind of fun, but training self defense on the regular can get dull. I acknowledge the importance of knowing efficient escapes to headlocks, bear hugs, etc. It’s just that a little bit goes a long way.
 
Drilling is absolutely important for BJJ. People don't like drilling much due to 1) lack of discipline, Just wanting to work on what they want or 2) don't have a desire to improve.

They rationalize this by saying it's not fun, or they dislike drilling something they'll never use. But if you have a good instructor who knows what they're doing, not all of what you're doing will be fun. As a blue belt/new purple belt, I thought I knew what I needed to do to get better and what I wanted to work on. Until one day my instructor made us drill flying triangle and flying armbars for 2 weeks and nothing else. Training was 2 hrs long, we literally showed up and drilled flying armbars/triangles for an hour then rolled non stop for the next hour. I thought, I will never use this stuff and it's dangerous, I'm wasting my time drilling this. For the next few competitions and even years later, I've hit flying armbars/triangles without even realizing I wanted to do them and finished with them in competition due to muscle memory from drilling them so much. Even up to brown belt, most practitioners that don't drill nor show up for warm up have shitty movement. They suck at moving their body efficiently and this makes it so hard for them to learn new things that involve movements out of their element. I get purple brown and even black belts that come to my school to train its me and their movement is terrible and something as simple as getup to the knees suffers, they can't perform them well.

When I was still a brown belt, much less a purple belt, did I know what I needed to do to get better? I thought I did but my instructor put me in my place quickly and hammered down new concepts and made me drill that stuff till it sucked. He's shown me many things that I thought would never translate to my game and made them into strong A game material for me making me drill a lot and didn't let me just show up and roll all the time. Just like when you attend college, you don't tell the professor what you think needs to be covered so you can learn and improve, you shut the f**k up and listen and practice what they present you. You don't show up to BJJ class and tell the instructor what you need to do to improve.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to show up and just rolling all the time, but don't hide that behind "I want to improve." If you want to improve, you roll a lot but you drill a ton also. If You don't want to drill because its boring, again that's completely fine and nothing is wrong with that and you do want to "improve" but You just aren't willing to do what is necessary to improve.

Reading most of these posts here, it seems to me many of you are just shitty students whining. Not all and I don't know your individual situations, but what comes off from being written in the posts it seems that way. I can also understand if you have an instructor that is just checked out and doesn't give a shit what you guys drill, that really is an unfortunate situation in those cases.

Nobody in any other combat sports just show up and "spar" all the time. In BJJ it seems to be the only martial art where people just want to "roll" or spar. imagine doing boxing, muay thai, mma, etc and just showing up and sparring every session. That would suck and you'd improve extremely slow. Even wrestling you don't show up and go live every session, so much drilling is involved.

Just my rant and observations as an instructor


great post.. the coaches job is to make you better isnt it funny how white-purples here try to dis on there black belt coaches saying they dont know what they are doing and not running classes the right way lol.. your coach knows this game way more than you and knows what you need to improve

drills are how you get better my guys sometimes complain then i call them out on not being able to actually do certain things while rolling or even doing a technique smooth drilling it one time then they shut up and start to drill knowing they actually do need it to improve
 
I like drilling just useful stuff from world champs not some useless random shit.
this... but your coach should know more than you so what your drilling shouldnt be useless hes making guys do 20 kimuras on each side as a purple belt for example
 
Go to open mats instead, where the whole purpose is to only roll.

This sounds like the best solution. And if your gym doesn't have enough open mats then maybe you could ask the owner if he'd be willing to add more.
 
Back
Top