Rolling Light vs Rolling hard

[Uchi Mata]

totally this i think situational drilling is something i defnitley need more of.

no one is really "complaining" but if people ASK me to roll light..i just cant really do it. its almost an alien concept to me. Even with my coach we dont fuck about,we go at it hard.When im rolling I want it to feel as close to a combat situation as i can,its very good for me mentally and physically,and i dont want to waste time trying to go at a speed im not really comfortable with. "roll at 20%" i couldnt... I just see the control some people have(albeit more experienced),and it makes me wonder if not being able to or having any desire to "go light" is something im just not seeing. Certainly i feel like my training situation has lacked certain things at some times,but its getting better.

when are they asking you to roll light? first roll? That can be legit if you haven't had class or drilling first (though 20% is absurdly slow). Just in general? Are they old or injured? If you're a hard rolling school, what's their justification for wanting to go light? To me the default is fairly hard, you should have the expectation that if you're in shape you're going to be going at it.

In general though being able to roll light for whatever reason is a skill you develop over time, basically as you learn how to do moves more efficiently. White belts can't really roll light most of the time, they can either go hard or not do much but in terms of keeping a constant, medium speed flow they just aren't there yet technically. I roll light with white belts, but they aren't going light (now for very long anyway) because they don't know how yet. It will come with time.

The only time I really roll light for an extended period of time is before a tournament, or the once in a blue moon that I go to open mat slightly...let's go with medicated.

 

[jr jr]

TS
Roll 10 minute rounds for 6-8 rounds with a one minute break between. You will learn to roll light. One of he best things I have done for my game is doing this.

 

[Title Fight Productions]

I'm guessing you're to inexperienced and have to big of an ego
To successfully roll light. Give it time, it will come to u.

Problem is people use speed, explosiveness and power to defend/fight the sweep, when really you should except the sweep and work on your escape from
bottom skills.....

 

[Title Fight Productions]

The problem isn't using strength but knowing when to use strength. You should be ready to explode when appropriate.

Uhm, no. To me this is the worst kind of partner. The guy that flows at a certain pace and then explodes into or out of something, worse than just rolling hard.

Unless I'm miss reading it.

 

[Uchi Mata]

I'm guessing you're bob to inexperienced and have to big of an ego
To successfully roll light. Give it time, it will come to u.

Problem is people use speed, explosiveness and power to defend/fight the sweep, when really you should except the sweep and work on your escape from
bottom skills.....

Couldn't disagree more. Is improving your balance and learning how to not get swept important? Is it not important for the guy executing the sweep to work on finishing? You'll spend enough time on your back as a white belt working on escapes, no reason to give it up without a fight. You're cheating both you and your partner out of valuable experience if you just give stuff up without any effort.

 

[Vitamin C]

Couldn't disagree more. Is improving your balance and learning how to not get swept important? Is it not important for the guy executing the sweep to work on finishing? You'll spend enough time on your back as a white belt working on escapes, no reason to give it up without a fight. You're cheating both you and your partner out of valuable experience if you just give stuff up without any effort.

So much, this.

 

[BJJ_Rage]

as you get more mat time, you will realize, Ive been told that I roll too intense, even if Im feeling im not... I can roll light too, but to be honest, I dont like it all that much, its fine for a warm up, but after a while, I find it boring...

 

[Einarr]

as you get more mat time, you will realize, Ive been told that I roll too intense, even if Im feeling im not... I can roll light too, but to be honest, I dont like it all that much, its fine for a warm up, but after a while, I find it boring...

Same. Unless the guy is injured or we haven't warmed up I don't like going light.

 

[Bryan from DC]

Problem is people use speed, explosiveness and power to defend/fight the sweep, when really you should except the sweep and work on your escape from
bottom skills.....

Disagree, never accept the sweep. If you train yourself this way you will do it in competition. If someone tried to sweep me in practice I will sure as hell backstep, post, float, whatever to stay on top. I just don't increase the speed to do it. Never accept anything, it will make you better and your partners better for making them earn every point even when rolling light.

 

[orangeclay]

I think there is a difference between a light roll and a lazy roll. To me a light roll is more akin to drilling in that during the light roll you really work technique. I don't let someone sweep me UNLESS what I want to work on is getting out from being swept and then I know that is what I will focus on. Yes, practice makes habit and letting yourself get swept over and over can create a bad habit. But, you actually do need to practice recovering from getting swept, so I think it is totally valid at times in a light roll to let yourself get swept. It is not a time to be lazy but to work on certain technical goals. I also think finding a good partner for a light roll is very, very difficult.

I find both rolling light and rolling hard to have merit, and in a good class I really like to do both. I really don't enjoy a class that doesn't involve some degree of hard rolling. What I loathe is when people roll lazy - that gets boring really, really quickly. It is very different to roll with someone who is just moving slowly and not really doing much and someone who is rolling without much muscle but clearly has an agenda.

 

[HIMBOB]

I think it is a balance, I have one team mate who is just too relaxed and calm and I think it is hampering his progress. On the other hand I trained with a guy who had two modes Off and 150% effort, he was strong and fit as hell but everything was done full force, I know for a fact this was holding him back.

When we first started rolling he would beat me despite me being more experienced (he was bigger), but he just failed to progress so I overtook him. He would gas out during sparring sessions of Him Vs Me, but in every single other way his cardio was vastly better than mine.

Because of this I would err on the side of caution.

That's a hard thing to do with only a year's experience. Being "technical" is hard when you don't have the techniques down in the first place. Be patient and keep trying to apply the techniques you know with the best possible form - pretend that your blackbelt instructor is watching you to make sure you're doing it right - and don't muscle things if you feel like it wouldn't work against someone of similar strength.

Underlined surprises me.

Can you explain your rationale?

 

[HHJ]

when are they asking you to roll light? first roll? That can be legit if you haven't had class or drilling first

mostly its times because ive gone to open mat against more experienced players,at the beggining,but i found it difficult to do. Sometimes in class,if im rolling with someone who is less experienced,a coach tell me go at 50% or something like that and i just have a hard time not doing what i always do. Ive had too much times,where some new guy who is way more fit and explosive just try to rip my head off anyway so its a matter or survival

 

[Uchi Mata]

mostly its times because ive gone to open mat against more experienced players,at the beggining,but i found it difficult to do. Sometimes in class,if im rolling with someone who is less experienced,a coach tell me go at 50% or something like that and i just have a hard time not doing what i always do. Ive had too much times,where some new guy who is way more fit and explosive just try to rip my head off anyway so its a matter or survival

Eh. There are people I know don't like to go hard, sometimes I indulge that, sometimes not. If it's early at an open mat then going light to get warmed up is a good idea, for a roll or two. You don't want to be the guy who tries to tear peoples' heads off before anyone is warm.

 

[Chinaboxer]

IMO it's not about going light or hard. it's about going as fast as you can while maintaining perfect form. i think of grappling much like tai chi, you go slow so that you can feel and perfect each and every movement and transition. if you get caught in a submission, then just tap and restart. the only time i kick it up a notch is to prepare for a tournament, other than that, grappling for me is like cooking pork...low and slow.

 

[pesadissimo]

I see it like this: how you roll in training will be exactly how you roll in competition. If you roll lazy in training, you will never be able to match the intensity of someone rolling hard in a real situation. There are obvious exceptions to this...for example, as others have said, if you're flow rolling to warm up. Otherwise, I'm with Uchi Mata. Use positional sparring and situational rolls to practice certain techniques or positions. Go hard up until the submission and then ease up. Your game will improve.

 

[TSO]

TS, you're a whitebelt. Roll hard and learn what your body can handle.

 

[Title Fight Productions]

Couldn't disagree more. Is improving your balance and learning how to not get swept important? Is it not important for the guy executing the sweep to work on finishing? You'll spend enough time on your back as a white belt working on escapes, no reason to give it up without a fight. You're cheating both you and your partner out of valuable experience if you just give stuff up without any effort.

So much, this

Disagree, never accept the sweep. If you train yourself this way you will do it in competition. If someone tried to sweep me in practice I will sure as hell backstep, post, float, whatever to stay on top. I just don't increase the speed to do it. Never accept anything, it will make you better and your partners better for making them earn every point even when rolling light

Interesting take for sure and something to think about.

I feel if I'm flow rolling with someone (say 65-70%) and we are working at a comfortable speed, both using technique and I secure a nice technical sweep and then my opponent suddenly turns it up to 100% to not get swept, that is weak!!!

Or say we are again rolling at 65-70%, flowing and my partner see a path to my back and and decides to amp it up and spin for it and latch onto it my back at 100%, just isn't right.

 

[Alex88]

Disagree, never accept the sweep. If you train yourself this way you will do it in competition. If someone tried to sweep me in practice I will sure as hell backstep, post, float, whatever to stay on top. I just don't increase the speed to do it. Never accept anything, it will make you better and your partners better for making them earn every point even when rolling light.

Boom. So much this.

 

[Dirty Holt]

I see lower belts make this mistake ALL THE TIME. Yes, higher belts will roll lighter and under control against you. This is because compared to them, you arent very good. I also dont go hard on my highschool wrestlers. Why? Because I dont have to.

For the people saying you shouldnt explode, go hard, or put some horsepower into it, look at these "chumps" not knowing how to be technical and just putting the hammer down.

 

[Higher Learning]

the more technical i get, the harder i go.. against good purples and up i am at 100% as much as possible