A short story : A guy came to our school to test his skills

[boisefireman]

Thursday night I showed up to class an hour early because my son teaches the kids class. As I was sitting there, I noticed a kid in his early twenties dressed in no gi gear blasting an iPod. I got up to walk to the front desk, my instructor was talking to his wife and waved me over. She told us that the kid had come in to " test his skills". He trained somewhere and was telling her how he was not belted but really good. She thought that talking to him he wanted to see what belt he was compared to us. I think he probably wanted to be able to call himself a so and so belt if he beat a so and so belt.
He wasn't very friendly and pretty much in tournament mode. After a great guard passing class we started to roll. Keith usually let's everyone pair up but he chose partners that night.
The guy got our highest purple belt and got domanated. The guy was a full on spazz. Next he got my son. I stopped rolling to just watch. It was a glorious sight. My son was smooth and flowed from one move to the next and handled the spazzing and muscling with ease.
Next a new blue belt. It got closer but our blue's technique won out over the muscling.
Next a white belt that will be testing soon. It got closer but the white was in control the while time.
Final roll, we all got matched and Keith said " I'll go with you". The kid looked crest fallen. He would not have one tapout the whole rolling session. Our guys only found out after the dude went to the bathroom, puked and left without say anything.
Everyone was nice and rolled like we always roll and we none the wiser and the guy got to leave and go home and really evaluate his bjj.

 

[xcydal]

If he wants to 'test his skills' why didn't he do a tournament?

 

[879lexus]

Hope someone charged a mat fee for him to get on the mat...

 

[boisefireman]

Because I guess it was free. Keith let's guys come in and try. I bet the dude thought we would walk through most of us. It was just the aura he gave off. It was fun to watch his ego slowly drain out of his body.

 

[Unsupa]

we had a guy come in one time and do that. but he didn't participate in class, he just watched the whole time and then wanted to roll with our instructor and no one else. He got dominated and then chewed out for coming in and hoping to upset the teacher in front of all his students. some people just think they are total badasses, it's nice to see them humbled sometimes.

 

[redaxe]

I was hoping you were gonna tell us he got his ass kicked by Ari Bolden but this was almost as good. War BJJ!

 

[curb1850]

Nice. Dude sounds like a real winner.

 

[curb1850]

we had a guy come in one time and do that. but he didn't participate in class, he just watched the whole time and then wanted to roll with our instructor and no one else. He got dominated and then chewed out for coming in and hoping to upset the teacher in front of all his students. some people just think they are total badasses, it's nice to see them humbled sometimes.

He came in and challenged the instructor? Thats pretty nuts.

 

[Red Harvest]

The backyard grappler movement strikes again. I love these stories.

 

[Bostonkrav]

I wonder if he would get by the gate keeper ...... haha!

 

[HEAVY GRAPPLER]

I have it written out in full somewhere - but a couple of Gracie University students came in to roll with us one day. A six-month white belt tapped one out with shoulder pressure.

A week earlier, they had apparently challenged the instructor at a JJJ school (I know the guy,) and got waxed, though not injured.

 

[CajunJudoka]

Sounds like he had a big ole piece of humble pie that day.

 

[boisefireman]

What I find shocking is the poor manners. I mean if I really wanted to test myself I sure wouldn't announce it. I would also be overly respectful of the instructor. They let me I to train I find that very generous

 

[peytonlucy]

Because I guess it was free. Keith let's guys come in and try. I bet the dude thought we would walk through most of us. It was just the aura he gave off. It was fun to watch his ego slowly drain out of his body.

Why didn't he start with the white belts first? If you gassed him out enough probably the kiddie class white belts could have hung with him. You don't know anything about this person; yet, it was fun to lower his self-esteem. Sounds like a whole bunch of people with problems, not just the one guy.

 

[xcydal]

Why didn't he start with the white belts first? If you gassed him out enough probably the kiddie class white belts could have hung with him. You don't know anything about this person; yet, it was fun to lower his self-esteem. Sounds like a whole bunch of people with problems, not just the one guy.

Good point. While he does sound like a douche, was it really beneficial for anyone to embarass him and have him leave, (probably) never to come back?

Not very good business.

 

[crocoppertones]

lol at him blasting his ipod in tourni mode.

probably playing eye of the tiger

 

[Steelviper]

But will it REALLY get through to him? Or has he already rationalized his "losses" away, returning right back to that place he was (mentally) before that experience? Changing people is hard, and doesn't often happen overnight.

A reaction I'd prefer to see (and I'm sure Keith as well) would be him owning up to his misconceptions and humbling himself to become a fellow student of grappling at your (or any reputable) school. Turn "those guys just beat me down" into "those guys could teach me a lot". I've been fortunate enough to have alway had people better than me to roll with to help dispel an delusions that I'm anything extraordinary. It appears this guy was not that lucky.

 

[Moley]

Why didn't he start with the white belts first? If you gassed him out enough probably the kiddie class white belts could have hung with him. You don't know anything about this person; yet, it was fun to lower his self-esteem. Sounds like a whole bunch of people with problems, not just the one guy.

Why should the instructor let this guy potentially embarrass or even hurt a white belt? no one knew what the guy was up to, he could possibly have done a lot of damage if he wanted to. Best to put him with a highly skilled individual first who could handle any shit this kid pulled.

 

[dahakkuh]

Pretty lame .. He is a kid with big ego - nothing bad about it. As long there is enough respect in his mind.

You wrote your stroy a bit harsh .. sounds like you enjoyed to melt his ego.

Dont get me wrong, I would never walk into a new gym like this kid, but you arent better if you feel great to fuck this kids mind up.

 

[Jdonw]

Why didn't he start with the white belts first? If you gassed him out enough probably the kiddie class white belts could have hung with him. You don't know anything about this person; yet, it was fun to lower his self-esteem. Sounds like a whole bunch of people with problems, not just the one guy.

When talking to somebody with a mental disability it is courtesy to talk to them at a normal level and then work your way down until you find the appropriate level. Why should it be different in BJJ when somebody challenges you?