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my training partner is strong af, but nearly noone will ever call him out as being the strong dude, because his technique is solid. he's a walking bossfight, but he's nothing but helpful to newer students. gives you time to work, before shutting you down. perfect case for your point.
How do you know what a good technique is if it doesn’t work against someone stronger?
I mean, you kind of made my point for me. Smashing smaller people with strenght will often hamper the development of your technique.
This is more of a big person problem than a small person problem though.
The small person really doesn't have any other choice but to hone their technique, a 5,6" 135 lbs person won't ever be able to outmuscle a 6´4" 235 lbs person.
The big person can get away with sloppy technique against smaller trainingpartners for a long time and then step on the mat to compete and get a realitycheck the size of Gordons ego, I've seen it so many times.
My gym is full of leviathans and I’ve noticed the high belts tend to scale their strength to match their opponents when going against lower ranks and in the blue and white belts some do but some just go full force all the time. The ones who scale to their opponents tend to progress faster than those who don’t from what I’ve seen.
So when some newbie gym rat is going ham on me it just kinda of feels like I’m getting a challenge and a workout and they’re stunting their growth. If that’s what they want to do it’s none of my business.
Is raw strength even something that technique alone can overcome, though? I mean if you're trying to bind someone up and they're just so damned strong that they can force your limbs apart, or just start slamming you around -- what do you even do as a smaller person in that scenario? Is there a point where raw physicality is king over technique?
I'm asking from a non-grappler's perspective. I see folks complaining about strength mismatches a lot when talking about grappling, so it's made me curious.
I do think their is a limit but every 6 months I see completly new guys walk into the gym, often alot of guys in their 20s that are quite buff and blue belts and up just smash them, even white belts with 1-2 years of training do ok.
That is obviously in a BJJ ruleset and after a few months of training the newbies catch on.
A person that is both bigger/stronger and at your level in grapling? Bring a knife or a gun I'd say, Colt made all men equal not Helio.
I think something that people dont realize, when they hamper on about good technique, is what technique really is. To most people it means efficiency, like the most efficient way to do a move. What it really means is a combination of dexterity, leverage, timing, speed, and strength. Strength is a major component of good technique.
For example lets say, Gordon Ryan vs Mackenzie Dern. Who is more technical? If you say Mackenzie, I think about women mma fighters in general, and I realize that they always look significantly slower and clumsy. Why is that? Because having strong muscles allows you to apply techniques better and smoother. It allows you to become more technical. Faster, more explosive, with just more dexterity.
What technique really refers to is how well someone applies their strength. Obviously you can apply it better if you have more of it since you are capable of doing a lot of moves that a weaker person cant. Just like a more flexible person is capable of applying more moves as well. The issue is when you apply it in the wrong places. People seem to think weaker moves are better technique, but power moves can have great technique as well.
Disagree-ABS-always be smeshing
What are you supposed to do it you don’t have the technique? Just be less strong?
Maybe work on your technique?
Yeah no shit, but while we’re currently rolling I can’t magically get better. So I shouldn’t use the best technique I have and all the strength at my disposal?
Sure, but its a good idea to adjust your rolling to your partners skill level and size, not every roll has to be about having to "win".
I can spend an entire round tapping a 100 lbs green belt dozens of times but that isn't really a worthwhile round for either of us.
I've done this since starting from bjj as a carryover from judo and I think it's really helped my development. I'm a big guy and people know that we'll have fun rounds without the fear that I'm going to smash them. I think it's a really important skill for everyone to develop.
I love rolling with the old judokas at the gym I train at, they can ragdoll you like a rushed videogame NPC if you ask for it but also just put you on your butt with an almost delicate little footsweep that looks completly effortless.
Sure... what does that have to do with strength tho?
He should just what... let the guy submit him without resistance?
He should just what... let the guy submit him without resistance?
I really don't get how that is your takeaway unless you are building a strawman on purpose.
You do realize that you can go at something else than either 100% or 0%, right?
Using control & strength to stackpass a smaller opponent is another thing than deathstacking them only because you can when you would never be able to do it against someone your own size.
Im not saying don't use ANY strength, im saying that in my opinon its a bad habit to use strenght to overpower a much weaker/smaller partner due to a need to compensate for lacking technique.
Like I wrote in another post, why should I go 100% against a 100 lbs green belt, what does that accomplish? What does it prove?
You are setting up a false choice. Somewhere in between 'smesh' and 'lay down' is the sweet spot.
I agree. So why does this post assume that everyone using strength is going full smesh?
As a smaller guy, I just ask the giants in my gym to not injure me during rolls. Always communicate well with them and we have some nice flow rolls instead.
I always encourages them to use their strength. Then i go on a hunt for their legs, lmao. Seriously, i don't think it's wise to tell them not to use strength as long as it is somewhat controlled. If they become to rough i simply ask to tone down it a little. When i can't make some technique work because someone is stronger, i either try to become better at it or to find a work around. I had some very strong beasts in competition even in my weightclass and i think you'll need a strategy for that.
Not everyone has competition, some of us are casuals that cannot afford to get injured due to work and family. Your point is valid, but it's still fine to ask people to chill
Read again. It's different to not use strength and to chill. If he resists my kimura because hes strong, hes not unchill. He just holds and i may need to reinforce with my leg or something. If i sit in mount trying to seperate his arms and he is to strong for me, hes not unchill. If hes crushing my spine from top and behaves like hes about to win adcc, then he should chill more. But to tell somebody not to use his/hers advantage because you don't know how to deal with it is pretty stupid if you ask me.
You’ll never learn how to deal with it if you don’t put yourself in those positions. When I was a white belt there was large guy with heavy top pressure I caught myself avoiding. So I made myself seek the guy out whenever I saw him and it significantly improved my ability to frame and relieve pressure. The guy was a power lifter to so certain technique were unlikely to work at all, like a kimura, so I learned to strategize with the guy and would generally be looking for his back after letting him waste a bunch of energy trying to smash me. It took a lot of uncomfortable rolls but eventually I started having some success.
As it should be. But on this sub it's mostly shitting on the strong guys. I'll work with stronger guys gladly to become better. Any bjj girl i imagine laughting about guys here complain about heavier stronger opponents.
Or just grapple them as is and get better technique.
When I was first grappling bigger guys I struggled, worked on my own strength and was able to make up for it in most scenarios. Eventually got complements from the guys who were 60-80lbs due to being able to hold them in my guard and fight against them a bit more.
People who complain about strength in any physical sport are a bunch of goofs. Their strength isn't their problem, it's yours. Don't make your problem someone else's, find a way to deal with it.
Now if you have giants who don't understand to not go full send in practice that's another story.
flow rolling all the time with the stronger guys wont do much for you in the long run
can't help it bro, I'm a small dude so most people at the club are at least 5-10kg heavier than me. I am starting to lift for strength but still, it's better to roll with big guys than just pack up and go home after drills no?
I would use extra strength
I know this is petty but I used to do that when people would say I'm being too strong, since I'm already 240+. I wanted to show them how considerate I was already being, lol.
I only bring out the 260lb judo black belt pressure during BJJ classes if someone specifically requests it.
And the way OPs partner was carrying on is a sure fire way to request it.
“260lb judo black belt ”
Having felt pressure from 140–180lb white belts and being very uncomfortable … that legitimately sounds terrifying
Who doesn't like tapping to kesa gatame?
exactly
This guy Bradley martins
this. People have no clue how much we lighten our pressure until they feel the real pressure lol
Yes, I am a smol man who never complains about strength. Please crush the wussiness out of my people.
100%. People always say man you are so strong. What they don’t know is that I’m only giving 50%.
Did some standup today and ragdolled a couple of huge guys not because I could but because I have a comp coming up and need to feel things working and how I’m moving. Many times they just flopped on the floor and I wasn’t even trying to put them there. They both said wow you are strong…seriously though it’s like 50%.
But I’ve always had elite levels of strength. After a couple years of BJJ I think I’m starting to be able to apply it to more and more technique which is good for me. And it is fun being strong. LOL
I’m not saying I’m any good, just that I do hold back so I don’t hurt someone.
Sir that’s gay
Jits is gay 🤙🏻🤙🏻🤙🏻
Strongly agree. I would argue that it’s harder to gain technique than it is strength. Lift weights and eat more if you your precious “technique” can’t overcome someone bigger and stronger. Otherwise quit crying about it
Avoid them. They'll just build up resent and won't release that semi skilled heel hook or spazz out and injure you.
I had to read that title multiple times and concluded the main text body was only going to get worse from there onwards 🤣
I thought it was a copy pasta
I thought I was having a stroke.
I mean I'm not dogging on op, I'm the whiniest person in the world, but I don't understand why anyone would ever get mad at jits class, and come to whine on reddit. Like does that somehow make you feel better. Tbf everyone at my gym hated me , so maybe it is.
Is using strength like Voldemort to these people?
If you have it, use it when possible and make a part of your technique.
Im currently bulking just to gain strength. Obviously i use less strength on people i outweigh a ton but if the weight difference is just around 10 lbs then you’ll experience my whole flabby weight
I'm bulking too, I'm the lightest 6 footer by almost 30lbs at my gym and i really feel it. Hoping to gain 10lbs or so
Totally off topic but how have you been balancing bulking and bjj? I lift 3 days a week but with all the cardio/conditioning I do for martial arts I’m barely gaining weight.
Eat more food.
Drink more calories is de whey.
MWF - full body TTHS - jiu jutsu
I track calories so if i am not gaining weight i just add 200cal more
How would you even see 5kg weight differential?
It’s like telling a bendy guy to be less flexible lol
As long as it is done in a controlled and safe manner, by all means use as much strength as you want. Technique is an application of strength, and some things require a certain amount of force and speed to work. You can usually tell if someone is going too hard by how tired they get.
I guess it depends on the context. But I'm currently recovering from broken ribs from a knee on belly from a bigger stronger guy who was a white belt. Happened real quick too. I believe it is something both parties need to be considerate about especially if it's just practice.
Like most situations with newer people, I promise you were using a lot more strength than you think you were and making the roll dangerous. And it isn't "strength" that's the issue -- it's uncontrolled strength -- which I almost guarantee is the issue here.
Also, this is supposed to be fun. I'm one of the bigger guys at my gym. I'll roll with people who I'm way stronger than, and it's boring to just hold them down the whole time, so I'll let them move around a lot and work on my technique. I'll straight up give them my back sometimes and work on escaping. You have to match the energy of your partner.
wow someone reasonable. shocking that everyone here is just defending overpowering smaller training opponents like is that just a fun ego boost for them or what? i seriously don’t understand how it’s helpful in any way like your partner can’t do anything and you’re just crushing them? weird like i get if it’s a comp training roll but other than that…OP was probably going a little crazy but couldn’t see it
I know right! I’m a small girl 58kg and 5’3 and guys seem to use too much strength against me all the time. I can’t do things like arm bar, defend forever while someone has my back or even choke someone because they can strength out of it. Of course some people use technique but often people use way too much strength against me. It’s got to the point when someone bigger gets side control on me I cannot move because of all their weight, and the whole round is just me staying in the same place because they don’t move. It sucks.
Does any martial art bitch as much as bjj lmao. Never in my life could I imagine telling someone I’m wrestling with to use less strength because I’m too weak to deal with it. If you’re technique can’t beat strength you’re either not as technically skilled as you think you are or you’ve got the strength of a girl and should work on it.
I think this mentality plays in advanced levels. But if you got someone with 5 months experience and a guy with 8 months and one is significantly stronger — that isn’t helpful for either of them.
Obviously in competition - use whatever you got.
Bro the guy was on top and whining that the guy on bottom was using strength. It's not an injury issue it's a bitchmade loser on top issue. I'd tap that idiot with neon belly over and over so he has contrast to what it actually feels like when a big boy stops being so gentle.
To be fair I will argue that getting them to use a little more strength each roll will help both parties. The smaller guy will learn how to keep the bigger guy from overpowering them. The bigger guy will learn how to keep the smaller guy down.
If random dude was a white belt or blue belt, sounds like standard new guy mansplaining and you can ignore.
If random dude was a lot more experienced and you were, in fact, spazzing out, then…
OP is a no stripe white belt rolling against a much more experienced smaller grappler, I can 100% guarantee that he was spazzing out lmao
The biggest spazz I ever rolled with was around 40 years old. He was downright terrifying to roll with. He also took muay thai classes, and everyone joked that he did it to learn how to knee and elbow people during rolling.
40 year olds can’t spaz? Lol.
Yes. Yes you can. And specifically, based on that view - yes you, and I specifically mean you, do. :)
All I was doing was just controlling his arms from the bottom bruh.
What does this mean? You don't have to be doing backflips to spazz. Definitely know plenty of 40+ year old white belts that I avoid because all they do is hold deathgrips or spazz and it's not worth my time or health to roll with them.
Death grip in nogi
I was referring to the people I tend to avoid at my gym... I'm not sure why you're being so combative, I think everyone here is probably trying to help you.
Still confused as to what you mean by "controlling his arms from the bottom".
Oh, my bad. I got dudes making the wrong assumptions so I'm being quite defensive. My apologies for misreading your response.
FWIW, this right here is why people are skeptical of your assessment of the situation at hand. If you can't have a basic conversation without becoming emotional based upon false assumptions it's not unreasonable to assume that you're similarly confused about what happened at the gym
Almost none of us were wrong with our assumptions. You just don't know what you're doing yet
Acting as if purple+ belts don’t have egos and lash out when they find out they aren’t as good as they thought
I am a small guy, 130lbs… I have never asked for less power/ strength. What I will do, is compliment you on your strength and pressure, but it’s not a dig at anyone’s technique. If you let off pressure and guy was still mad, it’s his problem
OP you need to chill. Using you’re ‘strength’ heavily against someone who’s 50 lbs lighter than you won’t help you get better at jiu jitsu. And fyi, it’s not that smaller guys have a problem with heavier/stronger opponents, they have a problem with uncontrolled heavier/stronger opponents only in the sense that it greatly increases the risk of INJURY.
Don’t understand why this is so hard to understand. Try to match their strength if not for being a good training partner, than do it because it will help you way more than just spazzing out. The technique you develop against a smaller guy will work much better than whatever gorilla shit you think will work when you matchup with someone your strength and size.
To be fair most of us white belts are pretty incompetent. Being more skillful is the goal. Don’t get involved in a pissing contest with this guy.
Just a frustrated guy. I think it's a white belt question in the sense that statistically the more time you train, the most chances are you cross with some random weirdo. Don't give him more importance than deserved.
Think you misread this situation. The guy may have been giving you indications he was uncomfortable and worried. The inexperienced movements and the request to use less strength. I know that seems an odd way for him to communicate but it could have simply been repeating what he had heard others say. Bit hard as a beginner to navigate all of this.
Also if your not that experienced yourself you may be a lot rougher than you think and a real challenge, and danger to lighter newbies
If your experienced using less strength and more skill would have been an option, one that many senior grades use to make their training more productive.
We take a lot of other people's knowledge for granted on the mat (and frankly everywhere else). Once you realise that people aren't approaching the situation in the same way this kind of stuff is more predictable, if not exactly easy to navigate.
Eh since you are new is it possible even toned down you were potentially going to injure the smaller guy? If you are confident you literally wet fished and did 0 then just ignore him. A great strategy against people who you hate rolling with is literally let them tap you every 15 seconds til the point they literally get nothing from it. Has worked every time for me.
I always tell people to tone down their flexibility.
Firstly, *citing.
Using 100% of your strength to not get your grip broken, or arm taken or whatever is absolutely okay. If the positions were reserved, it's a different story, because you're the aggressor risking injuring the smaller person. You can't injure them by not giving them your limbs to tap. So you didn't deserve to be lectured imo.
It can however lead to a boring roll, buuut, you don't owe him excitement. If he can't break your grips etc., that's on him - especially as the more experienced one. 40lbs is a pretty significant weight difference. It sounds like the dude was just bitching, but for your own sake you should ask yourself what you want to get out of your rounds. I doubt the answer is just holding on to survive. So maybe try to open up your game a bit and let go of that fear you clearly have of losing.
You'll learn more and you won't get bitched at by higher belts that can't deal with the fact their belt doesn't make them defy physics.
In your comments you admit this guy is not a white belt. It sounds like you should probably try to focus on some humility and listen to the guy rather than raging all over this forum.
I´ve told larger white belts the same thing he said to you many times. I can definitely smoke them even if they use all their strength, but then they are not learning as much as they should and I am wasting more energy than I would like to.
I´d prefer to spend my energy doing 2 rolls with technical training partners rather than 1 roll with someone who is just trying to muscle it.
Use your strength, but combine it with technique. When you´re a white belt you have no idea what that even means, so focus on technique first.
Yes, that's correct. Everything the person said above you is exactly what you should be doing. This guy chose not to beat you to help you out, and you spazzed without knowing it. Simple stuff.
The first two, yes. The last one, no - don´t be silly.
Start taking Tren and then challenge him every class.
In 6’2 and 230, mostly not fat. I’ve gotten people that have said I’m too strong to roll with in the past (I’m not). I’ve rolled with guys that look like Conan and are super juicy, and get rolled up. I have no problem with it.
For most people, it’s either a reaction to someone they may perceive as spazzy, or it’s an ego defense mechanism. I can understand the former to a degree. But ego defense isn’t a valid reason to not roll with bigger people. It makes you better in the long run.
You're right, this is more of an Open Mat Friday question. Imagine what would happen if you used the same communication skills with this guy as the ones you used for the Mod comment!
I’m a pretty heavy man in my 40s. If someone uses speed against me (my kryptonite) I’m most def gonna use strength. I agree that strength isn’t the essence of jiu-jitsu, but just like you said, neither is speed and nobody ever frowns upon someone being too fast
Man, it's just that the big guys, even the white belts, tend to use a lot of strength and little technique.
To become a more enjoyable sparring partner with less risk of injury, you must balance your strength according to who you are training. I weigh 190lbs, if I used my brute strength against 130lb guys it would be tiring and boring for both of us, and not very technical. (Speaking of people who train as a hobby, not high-performance athletes)
I believe that it's "citing" not "sighting" in this context
These situations occur almost regularly in classes. Best method is to communicate with your partners that you’re not there to hurt each other and to develop additional signals besides just tapping out (usually verbal cues) that can be used if someone is at risk of being hurt. Pretty much just use common sense and keep it friendly. If the person remains aggressive and can’t do that, then you simply tell them that you refuse to roll with them and avoid a potential injury to yourself. It’s good to be friends with everybody, but it’s not always possible when dealing with a sport that can cause serious bodily injury if someone is reckless or thinks they have something to prove.
You should adjust how you roll to each partner. You should have an internal dial that goes from 1 to 11. Pick the right setting for each roll. (Hint: 11 is for competition)
IT’S NOT A COMPETITION. ITS JUST PRACTICE.
Each roll should allow both partners to learn.
I hate to say it, but IT DOESN’T MATTER IF YOU “WIN” A ROLL.
The goal is skill improvement, not “winning”.
If he wants to roll light then you should respect that. He probably could have phrased it better. I’m a big guy. When people ask me to use less strength I say cool and I flow for a bit. Make people enjoy training with you.
I find it really annoying when I'm rolling with someone who is using a ton of strength and poor technique. If someone is using strength and good technique, it doesn't bother me as much because I notice their technique working and I don't even notice their strength. But if someone is just trying to muscle me it feels (and I know this is kinda cringy) disrespectful to the art.
It bothers me because I want my training partner to get better. When someone uses strength it pisses me off if they get a false positive.
Ultimately it means that I just need to get better, so that I can show them, with better superior technique, why relying on strength and poor technique is wrong.
"Awh, man, I couldn't pass his guard, let me see if there are any excuses that apply here since my skillset is clearly far superior to that of any white belt anywhere!"
I would actually use all my strength for a shitty wrestle up, then stack him, pressure pass, and try to tap him with side control and/or mount pressure/smother (think that Judoka black belt side control pressure). That way next time I'm playing defense and effortlessly retain guard he'll know he's just shit!
One reason is because of the incorrect notion that if your JiuJitsu is perfect you wouldn’t need to use any strength. Another reason is because people forget JiuJitsu is fighting you are literally trying to break and strangle them. Of course using different degrees of restraint depending on who you are rolling with can be necessary. But JiuJitsu is definitely violent.
Just turn down requests from fragile ego little dudes.
I cant remember where the concept came from (think it might be bernardo faria/fabio gurgel) but basically if you can keep the same pace/physicality for all rounds in a session and not have to skip rounds then you're not going too hard.
It's just bitterness, his complaint against strength is really complaining about his lack of it.
Op is a no stripe white belt… opponent was probably trying to keep him from injuring him and other people
That's what I thought too. OP is 190 not 290. Sounds like his opponent was looking for a reason to bitch about something because of his own deficiencies. I very very regularly roll with guys that have 50+ on me, and I don't bitch their size or strength advantage. I also try damn hard to not spend much time on bottom, my side control escapes have improved, and I've gotten better at shifting my partners weight to load and unload.
That dude is mad that he thought he was going to eat the white belt for lunch and get the title for the most taps in a 5 minute round. I'll bet that guy has been there a few years and is mad that he still can't handle wrestlers and people that lift weights because he doesn't work on his weaknesses and only plays his A game.
Ignore it and move on. I'm 170 and will constantly challenge myself by going against a D1 state wrestling champ who is 240. Personally, I try to match my strength to smaller people and women. Be more technical, and I'll usually pull guard on them.
You dont even know the guy and you made up an entire narrative about him
I used to be the smaller guy in my gym and I never once told someone not to use strength. I understood almost immediately getting into bjj that strength is just as, if not more important than other aspects. Now 5 years later I weigh 40lbs more than I used to and you're God damn right that I use my strength now. Also side note I think is relevant. When certain people are training for a fight and in a fight camp. I will deny rolling/sparring with them because they try to fight me instead of train.
I used to get it a lot from bigger guys, I’ve worked heavy construction jobs my whole life so I get a really good low drive from back and legs and it’s like I might use that power on a TD or a scramble but when I’m bottom or top it’s just technique and working.
This is why I try my hardest to just roll with people who are my weight or heavier
lol squeeze as hard as u can next time and tell him this aint chess its a martial art
Mount -> mothers milk
Tell that mf to hit the gym and stop bitching.
Strengths part of the sport brah. Tell him to rethink his game plan
That’s wild..sounds like a Cobra Kai character
I go against crazy strong people. One dude benches like 400 pounds and I can still beat him. At the end of the day if you are losing to strength then your skill set isn't good enough. He sounds like an egotistical baby.
I would point the difference between weight and mass. Your weight depends of gravity, while your mass is fixed (in the moment). So, since he complained about weight, it would be a nice learning opportunity
Just ignore him and do what you want. He can just be one of the people who avoid eye contact it’s fine
Just ignore him, he wont last long. You roll how you want to roll as long as its safe and you take care of your partner.
I would talk to him to correct it.
The only courtesy i do if im larger is play bottom. I think thats a good rule to follow, larger guy starts on bottom.
He sounds jealous/insecure or perhaps just ignorant. Just avoid him and keep doing you. If someone uses all strength at the expense of learning good technique , sure that’s bad, but if you’re applying your strength to solid technique, that’s more than fine. He needs to focus on his own jj and figure out how to work around your advantages. I have a training partner that’s the same rank as me and is half my size that pulls off sneaky shit that catches me.
I weigh 135lbs. I roll with people 200+lbs all the time. Whatever attributes they use is up to them. As long as they're not ripping joint based submissions with 100% power and speed, anything goes. It's my responsibility to figure out how to overcome your attributes and vice versa.
Sounds like your teammate is just a whiner and can't stand losing. From your story, it doesn't sound like you were being unreasonable. Either don't roll with him again or next time just crush him even worse. There are countless examples of elite bjj guys overcoming huge strength and weight advantages. Marcelo Garcia in his ADCC runs, Geo Martinez against Haisam Rida at Quintet and Garry Tonon vs Rousimar Palhares at Polaris. They'll never get better with that attitude.
I am 120 lbs and can kind of agree though I do see the frustration when your opponent just grabs a limb and holds on and does nothing much else.
I've had big guys in the Gi keep grips with literal death grips to try to prevent me transitioning through entire 5 minute rolls. The one thing I hate with stronger opponents is when they don't want to move and they tighten up and stall because that's when I feel like "damn what do I do now?" The best time to catch stronger bigger guys is when they are on the offence it's very hard to catch a bigger guy when they are defending and if they stay put and are patient nigh on impossible.
Isn’t the whole reason BJJ started so smaller guys can beat bigger and stronger opponents?
No... that's just cult propaganda and marketing.
He should probably spend more time figuring out how to deal with stronger opponents instead of crying about it
When I am drilling techniques with the same or lower belt, I just match their strength. Or not use much at all and rely on technique instead.
Rolled with a girl today and she's definitely smaller than me but has a single stripe so I let her work on techniques and coach her on how to take me down certain concepts like balance etc. when I am on side control. I wasn't even putting pressure but I just have a strong base so she was still struggling so I tried to teach her to find other opportunities to take me down.
Just chill mate. Not worth the aggravation. Move on. In jiujitsu there's winning and learning.
smash the shit out of him next time. When he says blah blah strength, say use technique not to get caught in these things.
I think it’s just bitterness, I’ve got smoked by plenty of upper belts who weren’t as strong as me. His technique is s*** and that’s it.
Next time he complains overpower him and make him your bitch😂
Don't even let him move next time
I'm around 150 and I usually just stay away from the fat guys in class. That's what your partner should have done.
I'm a zero stripe white belt, asshole, are you proud of yourself for being able to smash me if I don't fight back?
Hell yeah, brother!
(Sorry, there was a Hulk Hogan reference yesterday and I still haven't moved beyond it)
As a 140lb dude, I specifically pick the bigger guys because I want someone stronger than me. Dude just sounds soft and bitter.
Bigger isn’t the problem, it’s bigger and inexperienced. Given enough time you could be injured from this.
You should have responded, "you just got beat by someone with zero jiu jitsu IQ, LOL!"
Also this.
That’s annoying. Here’s my opinion in regards, I’m not strong for no reason.
I’ve spent thousands of hours lifting weights over the last decade and eating like a horse at times to get big and strong. Spent thousands of dollars on gym memberships, supplements, weights (home gym) and extra food as well as working through injuries and making sacrifices in other areas of life to pursue strength which happens to help a LOT with grappling. Not to mention the thousands of hours consuming content in regards to getting big and strong.
Now, people have different interests and that’s all fine and dandy. But if someone spent the last decade playing call of duty and eating like shit, but I spent it eating boring chicken and rice and benching heavy that’s THEIR problem and not mine. It’s like asking the marathon runner not to use their gas tank/stamina. They earned it through hard work, they should probably use it and if you’re the disadvantaged one you should probably figure out how to work on that and get better. The real world has plenty of people that are strong and lift weights, it’s a good idea to either get stronger or figure out how to deal with it.
It’s no different then whining to your professor that it’s not fair that they use all of their skill/knowledge in BJJ that they’ve earned and learned over the last decade or more and let you win.
Bro, you a white belt that clearly knows a lot of technique so use it. 😂
With equal skill level the stronger guy is « supposed » to dominate the roll . But strength only, Unless it is super human strength won’t compensate the skill gap of a white belt compared to a purple belt for example.
So idk the rank of this guy but that’s an excuse you hear a lot by people in ju jutsu
Don’t worry too much tho, don’t let little events like that control your emotions. It’s not the first and won’t be the last annoying person you’re going to meet
As a blue belt who weighs 82kg who will happily spar our resident 120kg powerlifter brown belt with 0 complaints even as he tries to knee on belly my dinner out of whichever end of me he feels like. Fuck this guy for complaining about weight difference 🤣
190 isn’t big.
Use extra strength next time.
Grab his wrist and make him slap himself. From bottom mount.
Based solely on your side of the story and if this guy is a white belt-he's not going to last long with that type of attitude. If his technique can't counteract a 40lb difference he is going to have a tough go of it-part of training with people of different sizes is learning how to adapt what you do to accommodate for strength, speed, technique, etc.
And why do they react like this? They don't like "losing" or getting frustrated in training. Try not to take it personally, just know this dude didn't want a challenging roll and he is not most "smaller dudes". There are plenty of men and women under 150lbs that like a good roll and wouldn't complain.
Usually when I roll with little guys or women I let them do whatever they want. Want to sweep me? Go ahead. Want to try and submit me? Go ahead but I’m going to technically escape. You aren’t going to get any work in rolling with somebody that much weaker and lighter than you so you might as well let them work, and then never roll with them again.
That's my mindset when I roll with someone smaller than me.
It's a terrible mindset and will make you worse at the sport if you keep treating smaller people like they are a waste of time.
It’s like a dad wrestling with his kids, should he give them what he has?
They aren’t getting anything out of you dominating them besides maybe a workout and you aren’t getting anything out of rolling with them in general. It’s why I usually avoid rolling with little guys unless they’re high level Black Belts and I never roll with women unless explicitly asked by them.
You were rolling not sparring I read this and thought you were throwing hands I imagined you guys in Mma gear. Also rolling use of strength doesn’t matter you’re just grappling ideally you should both be going 100% unless you both agreed not to because of reasons.
lil bitch
The only time you use less strength is if its a woman you are sparring. You use or train your technique to overcome that lol
I feel like most use whatever strength advantage they have to “win” the roll but not more than this. Like a big guy ain’t going to go so easy that you actually can get a sub. Nice to have those training partners that you can trade subs with but there ain’t many of them heh.
People are pussies these days. I never had the luxury to pick and choose my partners coming up and everyone was bigger than me. Just train man.
You're a White-Belt....and the person you rolled with is likely also a White-Belt and it's no huge secret that you guys are learning like EVERYONE else, but more so because this is relatively new to you. So in that sense, you are going to use what you have, period, end of story! You're LEARNING technique so for him to expect that you rely solely on technique over strength is purely ignorant. That is something that takes a LONG time to learn! IT's one of the nuances of BJJ that comes with practice and consistency. Just like learning how to not be spazzy or how to stay calm and breathe. NOBODY, even experienced Wrestlers, will get this concept as a white-belt and mostly starts to happen after spending time as a Bluebelt or even Purple! I'm still working on not relying on my size (220 lbs) to pass guard with more finesse and not letting gravity help me smash through....which against folks with great technique, lands me in bad spots! This dude's a fool. If he was a White Belt, he should keep his goddamned mouth SHUT and worry about his own issues and if he was a higher belt, he's even MORE of an asshole for not knowing any better! Next time, smash his ass HARDER and tell him he needs to learn better technique in order to deal with bigger/stronger opponents! Douche-nozzle! LOL
You could just tell that dork to stop talking to you lol.
I appreciate bigger stronger guys using their assets as best they can, it's a challenge to overcome. It's a sport ffs
I posted about this a while ago and the general consensus was the dude was just pissed that you were stronger than him and he couldn't do what he wanted to you, especially if you were on bottom. If you're in an actual fight you're not gonna as your opponent who's probably 3 beers and a line of coke deep to "not use strength" so I think people who say that should really just stop complaining and hit the gym. Unless there's a massive size difference when the bigger guy is just laying there not really doing anything, then it might present a problem.
Next time just ignore him and smash him. if he doesnt like it he doesnt have to roll with you.
Tell them to slow down then....if you can't use your strength they Shouldn't use their speed...lol
My professor put it really well the other day:
“Why wouldn’t you use your size and strength to your advantage? It’s like telling a smaller guy he’s not allowed to use his flexibility.”
When big guys are always using max strength against smaller people in practice, they stunt themselves developmentally. There are size brackets in combat sports for a reason.
If you're a white belt the other person is an idiot
Call him a bitch and choke him out anyways.
What a lil bitch 😂
Thats like telling a small person to not use their speed.
I wonder if he also asks people to reduce their felixibility if they have it
Some people suck at losing because they have low self esteem, it is what it is. Just smash him with full force and make him quit/duck you.
Weigh does not always equal strength. There is a huge difference between someone who is 170lbs of muscle vs someone 220lbs chubby. When you talk strictly about attributes, you gotta factor in agility, speed, cardio, and flexibility into it as well. When you use your flexibility and speed against me why can't I use strength. I hate when guys do this.
Let's tell all of the juicers in the sport to use less strength and more technique. If strength wasn't part of the sport we wouldn't have these disproportionate monsters at the top of the game. I agree that we should try to make training with our partners a positive experience for everyone. But to act like strength is not a part of the game and technique is all you need...just seems a bit dishonest.
His comments were unkind and clearly intended to insult.
Put him in scarf hold and lean your torso into his ribs. You won't be using power, just bodyweight and gravity. Remind him that you aren't using strength.
Did he pass your guard or submit you? Successfully sweep? Fuck what people SAY, did he actually show you he was better? Sounds like no, and therefore this is just some dude flapping his stupid face and you can ignore it.
They’re not going to turn down their speed and agility are they? Fuck that smesh them
Shame on anyone, especially black belts telling you not to use strength. Use it. Strength is never a weakness. That their ego telling them you are stronger so they need to vocalize their weakness and ask you to taper down. Fk that.
He’s probably a redditor here. Oh my gosh he outweighs me, better tell him to go easy to protect my fragile Reddit karma whoring ego
I would leave a gym where they told me to not use all my strength. That’s just dumb is he gonna tell smaller people not to use their speed?
The point of the gym is not to win the sparring rounds dude, it is to improve. A guy with a significant size advantage doest gain much from overpowering smaller dudes. Plus using going full force is dangerous in the long run for everyone.
God some bjj players are soft, it’s a martial art. The point isn’t to cuddle each other.
You improve partly by training hard, you should be able to wrestle with training partners of different weights.
Says the white belt on PEDs…
Yeah but from the sound of it doesn't seem like he was actually powering through. Smaller guy and was just mad.
Yes.
My coach has many times told lower belts to stop relying on their attributes in training. It makes for a game very dependent on them and slows learning proper technique. I went through this myself when I first started as I had a wrestling background and was fighting in Muay Thai. I was fast, strong, and flexible and could "win" by just using those attributes, but my jiu jitsu was shit. I had to stop using strength and speed to get better.
Think about it this way, if you are just bench pressing someone smaller off of you, are you learning how to frame, make space, and shrimp?
"stop being so fast and nimble".
I am going to try that next time.
Your strength advantage is his issue, not yours.
Go harder 100% go harder if you’re already holding back and he thinks your going full power let that shit go homie show him what full power is then he can accept it the way it was or enjoy full power
This really ticks me off. I'm 6 feet tall and weigh about 250. I've been doing bjj a long time. I get that if you always use strength, you don't learn technique, but I have NEVER, NOT ONCE heard someone to tell a small person not to use speed or a long lanky person not to use their length or a flexible person to stop being flexible. I do moderate my strength for some partners, but there are 150 pounds guys at my school that will absolutely tear your arm if we are rolling hard and you DON'T use strength.
OP, I would crush that guy to powder.
Would you trade 100 pounds for extra flexibility?
To make that trade. He damn near should be yogi status. 6ft 150lb is very light. Probably giving away all his power
No. But I'd trade 50.
I actually do roll easier with people who are much lighter and also new. The point is that we need to tell people HOW to use their natural attributes, whatever they are. We shouldn't tell them to just not use strength. We all know there are different kinds of rolls. I can flow roll and actually prefer it. But, if someone wants a competition roll, then I expect them to go hard, and I respond in kind. That's entirely based on their energy.
Using strength is ok, using it as a crutch for crappy technique when you are rolling with someone much weaker/smaller isn't.