Agressive n00bs

[The MMA kid!]

i notice that noobs are overly agressive in sparring,they use all muscle, and almost always attack the neck. I have only take BJJ for about 3 months, and I am getting into becoming more relaxed and flow. but these guys practically spar with teeth and nails. also, they tend to over crank any submission they believe they have. what is the best way to deal with these adrenaline/anxiety filled grapplers?

 

[Eternal Beginner]

Tell them to calm down. I think it is a universal that new people to grappling will try to muscle through everything and it is just something you have to learn to deal with.

I make it a policy to avoid the really big newbies as I can't afford to get injured. Luckily for me we have a great group of highly skilled, large guys in our club that make sure that the new guys don't hurt anyone.

Newbie spazzing is a grappling fact.

 

[Lisa]

i notice that noobs are overly agressive in sparring,they use all muscle, and almost always attack the neck. I have only take BJJ for about 3 months, and I am getting into becoming more relaxed and flow. but these guys practically spar with teeth and nails. also, they tend to over crank any submission they believe they have. what is the best way to deal with these adrenaline/anxiety filled grapplers?

They always will be. Everyone was when they started. They rely on strength as opposed to skill because...well... they lack the skill. The teeth and nail sparring is a bit much, if it continues speak with your instructor about it and have him remind everyone what is and isn't allowed. Maybe get your instructor to spar with the new person to kinda show them a few things and give them pointers along the way so that when they spar with the other classmates they don't feel quite as uncomfortable in their surroundings and by that time can relax a little.

 

[Andrew Green]

Pin them down, give them enough room to flop around and let them burn out, then ask them if they would like to try and learn something or continue their fish impression

Apart from that, talk, tell them what to do, when to do it and help them through it. They don't know what they should do, don't have a clue, so just go all out with nothing. Walk them through things.

 

[MJS]

i notice that noobs are overly agressive in sparring,they use all muscle, and almost always attack the neck. I have only take BJJ for about 3 months, and I am getting into becoming more relaxed and flow. but these guys practically spar with teeth and nails. also, they tend to over crank any submission they believe they have. what is the best way to deal with these adrenaline/anxiety filled grapplers?

This is very typical of beginners. If you talking to them, telling them to relax and learn the material, rather than always trying to go all out, then I'd have your instructor speak to them. Its good to pick up the pace, but when someone is first learning and has little to no control, the potential for injuries is very high.

Mike

 

[Danny T]

i notice that noobs are overly agressive in sparring,they use all muscle, and almost always attack the neck. I have only take BJJ for about 3 months, and I am getting into becoming more relaxed and flow. but these guys practically spar with teeth and nails. also, they tend to over crank any submission they believe they have. what is the best way to deal with these adrenaline/anxiety filled grapplers?

First off I don't feel someone just beginning should be sparring unless they have been training everyday for 3-4 weeks. They should be working some drills and techniques with a higher level who slowly adds more and more resistance but not sparring. Something I do with them is to start off with a simple rolling drill from the mount/guard position. The person mounted does an upa and rolls over he is now in the other's guard. The person in guard now does a sweep and rolls them over back into the mount. They will do this until they can simply roll continuously back and forth. They usually quickly realize it is very simple if both relax and work together they can roll very easily. From there it is stressed we use the same cooperation to learn the movements and positions and transitions slowly adding resistance. If they start fighting or using strength it is back to doing the basic rolling. After a couple times of that they usually calm down and work at a relax pace. Either that or they get so dizzy they can't work at all.

Something else I find works also is to tap, relax completely, and become completely limp. They usually stop then wondering what happened. Everytime they start to muscle the technique tap and go limp. I then explain the movement again and start off very slow and soft. I strongly believe in sparring but not until they can control the amt of pressure they are applying and when to apply it. They should be learning about proper leverage and not strength.

Danny

 

[MJS]

Danny brings up some great points! I agree, a beginners first focus, IMHO, should be working on position, being able to maintain position, and flow. All of the submissions, locks, etc., won't amount to anything if they can't hold position.

Not sure how long these students have been in the class, but sparring should not, at least right now, be on the list of important things to learn.

Mike

 

[jujutsu_indonesia]

i notice that noobs are overly agressive in sparring,they use all muscle, and almost always attack the neck. I have only take BJJ for about 3 months, and I am getting into becoming more relaxed and flow. but these guys practically spar with teeth and nails. also, they tend to over crank any submission they believe they have. what is the best way to deal with these adrenaline/anxiety filled grapplers?

Well my grappling experience is the other way around the more experienced grapplers were always eager to kick me around because I had previous Karate training and they want to show "superiority of grappling over striking"

With that being said, the problem of newbies trying too hard to prove their toughness is not peculiar to grappling arts. We have the same problem in the striking arts as well.

I think it's all depend on the sensei/teacher. If he is a good teacher, he will be able to keep these incidents on check.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

I would just talk to them and tell them to relax a little bit.
New people in any martial training tend to rely on their
attributes and particularly their strength. They do not know
enough to relax so just let them burn out and then show
them that if you are relaxed you do not burn out and
then you can put yourself in a position of control.

Brian R. VanCise
www.instinctiveresponsetraining.com