First Day of BJJ

[drop bear]

Thanks for the help. I looked it up. I think if I can accept a neck crank/can opener then I can accept the epithet as well.

I don't think you got caught with a can opener. That generally happens to open your guard.

I stick my fist in their face and frame They want to pull that into them. That is their look out.

 

[drop bear]

I think the question to ask is the douchebag behaviour part of the culture in the academy?
Whilst they are in the minority, there are places where the instructor‘s character/maturity isn’t so great and this gets reflected in the student pool
If that’s the case then go try somewhere else
If it seems like maybe this was an isolated incident or just a student to avoid then probably all good to keep going there

Yeah. Mat enforcers are also common though. Although they theoretically are there to create good culture.

 

[Jimmythebull]

You usually get the 1st class for free.

Yeah I mean paying a full month straight off is a rip off. Like you wrote first class should normally be free. How are you going to see if you like it or not? I wonder how many people had a similar experience & never went back. Win situation for the Club.
My advice is ask for your money back ( the OP). Find another place & most important ask about a trial period, shop around. Regardless what Art you choose.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

Yeah I mean paying a full month straight off is a rip off. Like you wrote first class should normally be free. How are you going to see if you like it or not? I wonder how many people had a similar experience & never went back. Win situation for the Club.

I'm a big advocate of free trial classes, but it's definitely not a win for the club to have people who pay for one month and never come back. A school needs a steady base of students who keep showing up to stay afloat.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I currently have about 40 students right now and never had an instant sign like that. Wish I was that lucky.

Maybe a regional difference? Around here, a lot of schools don't offer the free class (I had never seen one until 10 years or so ago), so maybe folks just don't expect it.

 

[Jimmythebull]

I'm a big advocate of free trial classes, but it's definitely not a win for the club to have people who pay for one month and never come back. A school needs a steady base of students who keep showing up to stay afloat.

Well if he only goes once it's a waste of money. On a positive Note it's not like a year contract or something like that. I don't think BJJ is for him. Maybe something with less ground work or grappling

 

[Wing Woo Gar]

I don't think you got caught with a can opener. That generally happens to open your guard.

I stick my fist in their face and frame They want to pull that into them. That is their look out.

Yeah it didn’t look like that.

 

[jayoliver00]

Yeah it didn’t look like that.

Whew, b/c this is something that you do when you really hate someone & want to teach them a lesson in possible spinal injuries.

Your friendo just went a little hard on you to show you who's boss. You told him your whole resume of MA training beforehand, didn't you?

 

[Wing Woo Gar]

Whew, b/c this is something that you do when you really hate someone & want to teach them a lesson in possible spinal injuries.

Your friendo just went a little hard on you to show you who's boss. You told him your whole resume of MA training beforehand, didn't you?

This is the second time you asked me that. The answer is still NO. is that something you would do to a brand new first day student? Is that something you let your students do to brand new students? I did not tell him my resume. Even if I had done that, it’s inexcusable. I laid down in guard position, then he got on top and put one arm on my head and the other across my neck,
then pushed my head to the side and backwards and up. I tapped and said “I’m tapping you, let me up” I kept tapping after that because he did not release. He waited several seconds after the tapping and kept adding pressure. The more times I explain this stupid encounter the more it is pissing me off. So for the very last time I didn’t say anything to this stupid feck about my extensive background in martial arts, I just said I’ve trained some martial arts before.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

Your friendo just went a little hard on you to show you who's boss. You told him your whole resume of MA training beforehand, didn't you?

This is the second time you asked me that. The answer is still NO. is that something you would do to a brand new first day student?

Speaking as a long time BJJ instructor, deliberately being rough with a newbie or refusing to immediately honor a tap in an effort to show someone "who's boss" is not acceptable behavior in any school I've ever been associated with.

There are probably gyms out there in which it would be acceptable. I recommend against training in any such gyms.

 

[jayoliver00]

Speaking as a long time BJJ instructor, deliberately being rough with a newbie or refusing to immediately honor a tap in an effort to show someone "who's boss" is not acceptable behavior in any school I've ever been associated with.

There are probably gyms out there in which it would be acceptable. I recommend against training in any such gyms.

Oh I agree, it's def. not acceptable. I'm just saying that it happens; which is why Noobs should come in real humble & nice....(not saying this guy wasn't). And nobody can watch everything at all times as Instructors. Often it's just 1 Instructor and he could be rolling if it's odd numbers.

Most people are really nice usually; or maybe he just freaked out or something.

 

[jayoliver00]

This is the second time you asked me that. The answer is still NO.

LOL, I was just making sure. You're cracking me up.

is that something you would do to a brand new first day student? Is that something you let your students do to brand new students?

Relax man, I'm just saying that this does happen; and I can't watch every student at all times.

Myself, I'm pretty chill. Once in a while I do clobber other people's students though. But prob. b/c they threw some hard at me. But for my class, I do want to know their full resume of training. Most people lie and divide their years trained by 2-4, so they wouldn't look dumb if they got whooped. The worse are the ones who say they have ZERO training, but can clearly bang. But I'm used to it now.

I did not tell him my resume. Even if I had done that, it’s inexcusable. I laid down in guard position, then he got on top and put one arm on my head and the other across my neck,
then pushed my head to the side and backwards and up. I tapped and said “I’m tapping you, let me up” I kept tapping after that because he did not release. He waited several seconds after the tapping and kept adding pressure. The more times I explain this stupid encounter the more it is pissing me off. So for the very last time I didn’t say anything to this stupid feck about my extensive background in martial arts, I just said I’ve trained some martial arts before.

I'm sorry man, I believe you now. But I may ask you again, due to my old age and forgetting things. This is a pretty mean move though, sounds like a cross face.

 

[Damien]

On a more positive note, I too have just started BJJ. Finally given in The place I train Muay Thai also does it, and one of the coaches had been on at me for ages to give it a go. I already pay for the membership, and I tore up my toe on the mats doing kicks, so thought I'd try it out to keep training. I was trying to train as much as possible that week to keep me busy whilst the wife was away.

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it to be honest. Very different, and I was a little confused at the end of my first lesson; the guy I was paired with was pretty new too and didn't know the technique we were practicing. Second lesson was much better though, and the little bit of escapes and qinna knowledge I have has helped ease into it.

I was informed yesterday that I will "absolutely kill people in BJJ" because of my very flexible shoulders. My partner was slightly weirded out when he accidentally put me in a position he didn't think should be possible

Now I just have to work out how to fit in all of my different training and teaching, whilst still working to grow my business! Luckily there's a BJJ class right before a Muay Thai class on Tuesdays, so I'll use that as a warm up and flow straight through without having to travel back and forth.

 

[dunc]

This

Speaking as a long time BJJ instructor, deliberately being rough with a newbie or refusing to immediately honor a tap in an effort to show someone "who's boss" is not acceptable behavior in any school I've ever been associated with.

There are probably gyms out there in which it would be acceptable. I recommend against training in any such gyms.

FWIW I started BJJ at an academy which happened to be the nearest one to me. It was rough training, which initially I liked (I was only 35 at the time). The focus was on being aggressive and tough, higher belts were expected to dominate lower belts and it was kinda a survival of the fittest mentality. After a series of totally unnecessary injuries from rolling with overly aggressive higher belts I switched academies to my current place

The culture at my current place is totally different. Folk train hard but in a safe, respectful and supportive way and as a result the technical skill is way higher. In 12 years of training there I've only had one injury that's kept me off the mats for more than a couple of weeks (sprained ankle from trying to take down a 110kg black belt). I think fostering aggression and speed, whilst useful at times, tends to gloss over technical gaps

The first place is run by someone no one has heard of and the second place is run by Roger Gracie

 

[Jimmythebull]

The focus was on being aggressive and tough, higher belts were expected to dominate lower belts and it was kinda a survival of the fittest mentality.

Absolutely absurd. These sorts think BJJ is invincible against everyone.

 

[dunc]

Absolutely absurd. These sorts think BJJ is invincible against everyone.

I don’t know if that’s necessarily the case
I tend to find that there’s a fairly big percentage of folks in every art that think their style is invincible

 

[Jimmythebull]

I don’t know if that’s necessarily the case
I tend to find that there’s a fairly big percentage of folks in every art that think their style is invincible

Yeah... but I've met quite a few who rant on about how superior their ground work is against bigger guys. Gets very tiresome

 

[Buka]

Yeah... but I've met quite a few who rant on about how superior their ground work is against bigger guys. Gets very tiresome

Jimmy, do you actively train, or have you trained in the past, if so, what Arts?

 

[Jimmythebull]

Jimmy, do you actively train, or have you trained in the past, if so, what Arts?

Judo, WT, Aikido,Boxing. I am looking to get into escrima.

 

[ardimo77]

That's ok, if not just take it as a lesson because this is what will happen if someone ever takes you to the ground and you are not prepared. Like a good friend of mine told me eight years ago when I began my BJJ Journey, its better that it happens in the mats than out in the streets. As for being embarrassed to go back, don't be. Those things are perfectly understandable. Speak to your coach, tell them to place you with a higher belt that can go slower and make you more comfortable.