Welcome to the get better mat, not the see who is better mat! At High Altitude Martial Arts, we take pride in providing a competitive yet welcoming atmosphere. We want everyone to feel like they are part of our big family. A family where we provide excellent instruction from high level coaches, a family that encourages you to train harder, and a family that supports your goals both on and off the mat. Read on for some do’s and don’ts on how to be a good training partner in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
As class begins, we line up on the mat according to rank and responsibility with the higher belts on one end (to the right of the coaches when facing the coaches). The higher belts will file off and choose a lower ranking partner.
Do leave your ego at the door if you want anyone to want to train with you. Some days you will be the hammer and some days you will be the nail, that’s all a part of the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu journey — and it’s ok.
Don’t be a jerk. Size and flexibility are big ways you will prevent your partner from learning. Don’t use your size and weight against your partner. Don’t make your partner think they are not doing the move correctly if you have extremely flexible joints. Let them tweak their game to find what’s right for the situation.
Do partner up with someone your same size. It is easier to drill on someone about your same height and weight. Of course this is not always possible but try not to pair up with your BJJ BFF and leave the 200lb guy to partner up with the 5 foot tall girl. The coach will try to fix this at the beginning of class, but this act of caring can go a long way.
Don’t worry if you are not on the same skill level as your partner. Higher belts make good coaches and they learn a great deal from teaching lower belts. Although it can be hard, try not to think that you are “holding them back” or “wasting their time”. Everyone needs to brush up on the basics and they will enjoy sharing tips and tricks with you. Don’t beat yourself up if you are the Mr./Mrs. Blue Belt who can’t catch the black belt… you’re not supposed to be able to.
Do be prepared to match your partner’s level. If they are ahead of you, be prepared to push yourself. If you are the advanced one, be patient and go a little slower. Focus more on mastering the technique and less on learning new techniques. Do feel your partner’s energy out. Some people like to go really hard and get a live roll in and some people like to take it easy and practice their techniques – both are ok. Maybe your partner is working on something in their game, maybe your partner is injured, maybe your partner just had a long week and doesn’t have the energy to go really hard. If you notice you are out of breath and your partner is barely breathing hard, take a moment to take some deep breaths, and focus on skill rather than strength.
Don’t overly resist. You want to give your partner enough resistance to drill the move but not too much where they can’t even practice it correctly. For example, if you are drilling an arm bar escape, don’t channel your inner UFC fighter and latch on to their arm for dear life and start cranking. This is the time to perfect the technique. The time to make technical adjustments. At the same time, don’t lay there like a sack of potatoes. Move around and resist so they know what the move really feels like on a person. Don’t flop around like a dead fish.
Do welcome tips, tricks, advice, and criticism. Imagine drilling something wrong 100 times before someone corrects you. That is more frustrating than receiving constructive criticism and learning the correct way. We’re all here to learn.
Don’t over coach your partner. If the choke or arm bar isn’t quite there, pointers and little adjustments are great. Over coaching can cause confusion especially if it doesn’t match what the instructor just showed. Leave the coaching to the staff. High Altitude Martial Arts has weekly curriculums that flow into the next week, showing your partner a new move that doesn’t align with our curriculum can be detrimental to their progress.
Do ask for help… from instructors and more senior students. No one is judging you and there is no such thing as a stupid question.
Don’t go too hard. No one wants to roll with the guy who is huffing and puffing and spazzing out. Flow. Advance. If you’re clearly bigger than your partner, no need to prove you can lay on top of them for the entire 3 minute round. No one is learning. Keep moving and keep it playful.
Do be ready to tap. Tap and live to roll another day. You don’t want to get injured and be sidelined for something that could have easily been prevented. Tap when you start to feel the pressure and know that you’re caught. Waiting too late to tap can result in lingering injuries down the road.
Men – this one can be tricky but don’t treat your female partners like they are made of glass. They are there to learn and welcome the challenge. At the same time, don’t man handle them and be blacklisted as the “guy who can’t roll with women”.
Do shower before class, wear deodorant, and wash your gi or rashguard regularly. No one wants to be partnered up with the stinky one.
Don’t train too much and burn yourself out. It’s ok to take some time off to recover, but be careful, too much time sometimes results in never coming back. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a lifelong journey and sometimes life happens and you’ll need some time off, that’s ok, the mat will always be here for you.
And last but certainly not least…
Do have fun!
Being a good partner ensures the safety and well being of the students. You don’t want to hurt your partner. And you don’t want to discourage them from attending class. Courtesy and sportsmanship go a long way and are the defining aspects of the culture here at High Altitude Martial Arts.
