Sometimes you need to protect yourself from your teammates who have no control while training. Here is how to deal with rough partners in jiu-jitsu.
Jiu-jitsu, like any sport has its ups and downs where people will be looking to win. Ego is a big thing in jiu-jitsu. Sometimes if you know how to control your ego and you’re looking to win all the time, this is where being spazzy or being too rough occurs. We want to be able to train with multiple people with different body types and abilities but when someone is going too rough or has no control over their movements, it makes it dangerous for everyone.
How to Define a "Spazz" in Jiu-Jitsu
Someone who is considered a spazz is someone who makes a lot of jerky and jumpy movements and isn’t conscious about the movements they do. They try to do anything to win instead of using proper techniques to get to a proper submission.
The Risk of Dealing with Rough Partners in Jiu-Jitsu
The biggest risk when dealing with spazzes is injuries. It’s not necessarily injuries to your limbs from jiu-jitsu submissions. It’s more so injuries that happen from not moving in a controlled manner. People who spazz are generally the ones who accidentally kick, punch, and poke their training partners.
People who go too rough are usually the ones that cause the jiu-jitsu injuries because they don’t go slow when they have a submission or if someone has a submission on them, they are too stubborn to tap and don’t recognize that they are caught and try to fight out of it.
Who Usually Goes Rough in BJJ Training?
I would say in my experience that the people that spazz out and go rough the most are white belts who are about 3 months – 6 months into training, blue belts who are starting to want to compete and are trying to find a rhythm, and most people after promotion nights when they want the coach to see them, and know it all men specifically who are white and blue belts.
How to Deal with a Rough Partners in BJJ
1. Warning: "Hey, can you calm it down a little bit?"
If you’re noticing your partner is starting to go a bit rough. You can always ask them to slow down a bit and mention that they are hurting you in the roll. Most people will feel embarrassed about hurting you or being known as the spazz and will take it down a notch.
2. Have a designated partner
If there is someone you know will roll with you safely and productively, you can talk to them before the class. Choosing a good partner who is looking to grow with you on the mats keeps you on the same training path.
3. Disengage as you roll or train
If someone is going too crazy in your roll, just stop responding to their actions. I think that many times we want to defend against a partner that is spazzing by defending ourselves but that might not be a great way to deal with them. This sounds weird when it comes to rolling and being active in jiu-jitsu but sometimes if you disengage and become dead weight, your partner won’t go as hard.
4. Tell your coach or professor
Sometimes you need to have an authority figure jump in and help manage the situation. Your jiu-jitsu coach is there to not only teach but to make sure that the gym is a safe and healthy environment for everyone. Before or after class, mention to your coach that the spazzy person makes you feel unsafe, and you would prefer not to roll with them. Your coach will put measures in place to make sure you don’t roll with that person.
5. Avoid them in the first place
If all else fails, you can always just avoid the spazziest people in your gym. You can have your designated partner, avert your eyes when it comes to choosing partners at the beginning of class or if they come up to you and ask to pair up, just say no thank you.
What to Do if You’re Starting to be the Mat Spazz
Being known as the mat spazz is a title no one wants but some jiu-jitsu people have been before. What we don’t want is to be known as the mat spazz well into your jiu-jitsu journey. Here are some tips that can help you control your spazziness, not be so rough, and have effective training time on the mats.
1. Slow down your rolls
Take time to understand what you’re doing. There’s no need to be aggressive and fast when you roll. By going fast, you end up hurting someone accidentally and making it so they can never train. Try to be more conscious of what you’re doing and take your time to do it.
2. Try a more defensive approach to your rolls
Many times, with someone who is going too rough, they are always trying to attack and most times the attack is wrong and ineffective. Taking some time to be defensive and learn how to escape from bad positions might take some of the panic and aggressiveness out of your game.
3. Find balance in your rolling with 20% hard rolls 80% relaxed and controlled rolls
You don’t have to go hard 100% percent of the time. You don’t learn anything if you’re going hard all the time. Take time to apply the 80-20 rule to your training. 80% of the time, go slow and light to understand the movements. The other 20% go hard (yet controlled) and apply what you learned.
4. Listen to your training partners if they say you’re going too hard
If someone tells you to slow down and take your time as you roll or train, listen to them. You can also ask them if you are going too hard or if they need you to go slower. Communication is always key when training in jiu-jitsu.
Take care of your safety by being careful and mindful in jiu-jitsu
Taking the time to go slow, communicating when someone is going too hard, or being mindful of how you move with different people is essential for making the jiu-jitsu environment safe. So, if someone is being too rough make sure you tell them or you talk to your coach to make sure the gym stays safe.
Question, How do you deal with training partners who are spazzy and rough? Tell me in the comments or on my Instagram @blackgirlwhitegi_bjj
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