Check out my son's double-jointedness during his first competition

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missourimedic

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My 9 year-old had his first competition yesterday (along with myself and my 12 year-old daughter). My son is double-jointed and has freakishly flexible joints. Watch him here as his opponent (eventually) submits him with an Americana (at what point does it become a Kimura? lol)

It was like this all day. He rolled against several opponents, and all of them were frustrated by their inability to submit him with otherwise technically perfect armbars. My son lacks experience, but once he gets his technique down better, he's going to be a tough one to beat! :D

YouTube - Chase's double-jointed arms


Edit to add: just for clarification, I absolutely do not condone this at all, and have been lecturing for months about tapping. (see my follow-up post, below). Sorry if I gave that impression. I've actually sternly lectured him and even yelled at him a few times for not tapping when he should have. Sorry that I didn't convey that in my original post, but trust me when I say that you shouldn't confuse my amusement at some of the footage I shot yesterday with a lack of concern or bad parenting. You guys who criticized my (apparent) attitude were absolutely correct in doing so... but I should have clarified. Yes, I'm amused at this video... but NO, I wasn't amused at the time, nor have I indicated to him in any way that I find it acceptable. :)
 
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Looks bloody sore, how is his arm? Any soreness in it at all?
 
Imo this is nothing to be proud of. Seems to me he is lucky he didn't get hurt. His bones, tendons, ligaments are still developing and that kind of pressure on them probably isn't the best. I would advise him to tap sooner. Just my 2 cents.
 
Please have your son tap quickly. Everyone here would like to see your son compete after the age of 18 without having to tell everyone he has to drain his shoulder before he eats. His flexibilty is no excuse for not tapping and I'm sure you don't want to pay for his shoulder surgery.
 
Pretty odd the ref even let that go on for so long.
 
aren't refs supposed to stop the match when kids have the subs locked on? fully exteneded, I realize this could be hard to call with an americana or kimura but still

as others have pointed out, doublejointedness isn't just positive, injuries, bad habits and etc
 
Oh my God. At first I watch without attention and it looked like a kimura... then I rewatch it and it was this badly twisted americana :eek:

What the hell referee was doing there? You can't let a kids match going this far without interrupt.
 
This video is the reason I don't like tournaments with refs that are blue belts and under. It should be a requirement at all tournaments that the ref be at least a purple belt with some sort of coaching or reffing experience.
 
I should have clarified: you guys are absolutely correct that this is "nothing to be proud of" and I should have mentioned that I have repeatedly lectured him about it. Actually I've been lecturing him for ten months about it (ever since he started training) and have even yelled at him a couple of times about it. At our previous gym, the coaches would tap for him, because he had trouble understanding that just because it doesn't hurt, doesn't mean that he isn't dangerously close to tearing or breaking something. He would get mad when they tapped on his behalf and say, "But it felt fine! It wasn't hurting!" I've explained to him that once you rotate a joint that far, it may be too late by the time you finally feel the pain... but he has trouble grasping this concept since it hasn't actually happened to him yet.

I guess I did sound like I was proud of it when from what I posted, and I should mention that he has no idea that I posted this video or that I'm discussing this, and I definitely haven't said anything to him about it which he might construe as approval. Just the opposite!

I'm a paramedic and I'm currently nursing my own injury (ankle/tibia) caused by a heel hook, so I definitely know the dangers of these submissions!

Thanks for the comments; I totally agree that you're spot-on with your concerns and you'll get no argument from me. Maybe I should have instead started with, "My son refuses to tap... what should I do?"

edit to add: and no, The Lad, he isn't sore at all.
 
I understand kids getting frustrated, I'm 17 and still refuse to tap to stuff because it's only a little sore (it's near impossible to tap me via an ankle lock because I can't feel it) but you get reminded the next day when you step out of bed and fall over
 
tap or snap. or in his case tap or get twisted like a stretch armstrong and make for insane looking videos. good thing u lectured him about tapping :p
 
I too was surprised that the ref didn't stop it. It was our first competition, so I wasn't sure whether this was normal or not. In a few of my son's earlier sessions, the ref did ask my son if he was okay while in the middle of an armbar, and my son would smile and say, "I'm fine..." (and in several instances went on to successfully escape it) so I guess the ref just kind of gave up and figured he'd let him know.
 
thats not really acceptable in kids divisons. Refs are not supposed to wait for the tap they are supposed to intervene when they think it is dangerous to let them continue.
 
Holy smokes @ him rolling onto his stomach while still in an armbar.
 
You say that you told him about tapping, it's a very good example of why kid should not be allowed to sub other kids. They are just that, kid...

Very, very bad...

Do your kid a favor, put him in judo class. He will learn to throw and have a very good positioning on the ground. He can learn subs after, when he will be more mature.

I still wonder why people in bjj allow kid to sub each other...Very bad practice...
 
_Glorfindel_ said:
You say that you told him about tapping, it's a very good example of why kid should not be allowed to sub other kids. They are just that, kid...

Very, very bad...

Do your kid a favor, put him in judo class. He will learn to throw and have a very good positioning on the ground. He can learn subs after, when he will be more mature.

I still wonder why people in bjj allow kid to sub each other...Very bad practice...
Click to expand...

I agree. Maybe in 2-3 years he should be starting BJJ. Judo is definately the way to go at younger ages. If it works for all the big BJJ guys from Brazil why wouldn't it work for your son?
 
_Glorfindel_ said:
You say that you told him about tapping, it's a very good example of why kid should not be allowed to sub other kids. They are just that, kid...

Very, very bad...

Do your kid a favor, put him in judo class. He will learn to throw and have a very good positioning on the ground. He can learn subs after, when he will be more mature.

I still wonder why people in bjj allow kid to sub each other...Very bad practice...
Click to expand...

i agree 100% children should not be allowed to learn or apply submissions until 12-13
 
Higher Learning said:
i agree 100% children should not be allowed to learn or apply submissions until 12-13
Click to expand...

They could learn it but I would not let them use it at competition.

To be think about, I am not even sure.

at that age, what if they choke out cold their school friends.

I have seen kids compete and cry after getting caught in an armbar.

It was terrible.
 
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