How do *you* grapple with a newbie?

[jaykay]

Every now and again newbies come along to my club. Some have trained in martial arts before, some haven't, some are strong with big egos, some are weak.

When it comes time to have a roll, how do you treat them?

I tend to play nice with them, showing them a few techniques and positions while not completely walking all over them. I do not, however, let them submit me if I can help it.

Of course that all changes if they show they know how to grapple.

[MrPoopy]

Some of the so called "newbies" at my Judo club were anything but new. One guy tried to come across as a newbie even tho he'd been wrestling for years and was even a wrestling instructor.

I don't go light with people I think are new.

[Apoth]

The point of a class, especially the first one, isn't to hand someone's ass to them. It's to let them get in their, try their techniques, and allow the new person to learn something. Going hard on a guy who's never done your style before is, IMO, unnecessary showing off. Start out light, judge their ability, and adjust accordingly.

[falcon3624]

I have been through this before when I started doing BJJ my first instructor injured me the first time we rolled so he could show me that he was the "man". Something like that is pointless and just makes people not want to come back. There is no place for a big ego when it comes to rolling with a newbie.

[Tom Yum]

I Agree with Jaykay. It depends. If the newbie has experience in judo and karate, then you can probably grapple a little more actively. Otherwise you go kind of easy.

I've seen newbies with big @ss egos and no experience that think they are going to take your head off and swing for the fences. You can't help but make them fall a little so as to humble them.

They might be managers in the office, but they are your training partner on the mats. I guess they have a fear of looking unsuccesfull in front of others after spending the last 8 hrs trying to be intimidating.

[jules]

I really don't see the point in "tapping out the new guy".. How is that going to improve your game? If it is clear that you are better than him then you should let him get in dominant positions and work on gettingout of them. Beating up a guy who sucks is not going to improve your game... At least IMHO.

[Benjamin Dover]

Rip the newbies head off. You can also turn him into a positioning seminar. Choke him into unconsciousness. Give him a book and tell him that he can be a BB after reading it. Seriously, it is a time for him to learn and good time for the experienced to teach. Check the egos at the door.

[MrPoopy]

my first instructor injured me the first time we rolled so he could show me that he was the "man".

That instructor is an ass. Although my old BJJ instructor proved to have less than expected character, he never rolled hard with anyone that he thought couldn't keep up.

There's been a few times that I've rolled way too hard with people. Not long ago at Judo there was this guy that was a black belt in Shotokan Karate, in the Air Force, and had past wrestling and Judo experience. So when I grappled him, I wasn't holding anything back. I figured this guy knew what was going on, and I don't go easy on wrestlers because they usually get the best of me. I got him into my guard after a little bit of struggling, he went for a keylock so I followed his keylock with an armbar and ended up armbarring him waaaay too hard. His arm popped a couple of times and he had to sit and hold it for a while before he could continue. I felt pretty bad about it after I did it.

[NWPTrainer]

I think the best thing to do is ASK! If they cop to having some experience, ask 'em what it's in. If they want to go straight to rolling and they have experience, go for it. SHow them how your "style," "system," "way," etc can improve what they already have. If they say they don;t have any experience, show them some basic body positioning moves...maybe a couple variations of excape the mount and pass the guard, then work on the individual techniques until they can do them smoothly. Then move onto some other body positioning moves, and repeat the process. Once they have some basic knowledge of bdy positioning moves, you can start rolling a little, keping it fun and friendly, with a focus on positioning grappling as opposed to submision grappling. Once tthey gat pretty good at the positioning, you can add submissions one or two at a time until they get better. Or, if you are looking at Self-DEfense/COmbatives type stuff, you can start pointing out places in the positioning moves where they can access a weapon or add in an eye gouge, strike, bite, etc.....

If they say they have no experience but you think otherwise, start them rolling sooner, before they learn too many of your positioning moves, and if they are making shit up and it's working, you know they lied to you...or they are a naturally skillwed grappler.....

RLTW

[Mr. Heel Hook]

The first thing I do is pop some Tums into my mouth and start screaming wildly while opening and closing my hands.

" I SWEAR TO GOD I AM GOING TO KILL YOU AND YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY!!!!!!!!!!"

It's a good way to break the ice


....Trust me....

[Szczepankiewicz]

To crush the newbie, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of Mr.Poopy!

[smith&wesson]

A good teacher never hurts you.
If it is a grabbling course and someone with judo or karate input comes to you, you can begin the fight when both fighters are on the ground (not in a standing position); just an idea. (He will be helpless in this position and learn how he helpless he is.

[IPON]

I agree with NWP, any newbie I would ask their background and how hard they want to go. Myself, I always like starting hard, but remeber people even with ranking are in MA for different reasons. IMHO there are alot of soft high ranking people so they may never want to go hard. For the hot heads, usually talking to them is enough, just explaining that if they try to rush they are missing the techniques. Also, I do think it can be a challenge to you as tori/uke to make sure your technique is correct since you must teach somone else.

[spiderchoke]

I like to tell the person that I will let them execute a technique if they will speak up and tell me when they think they are in position to try one. This promotes the awareness of position and when to attack. They get excited when they realize they have some options and have remebered them. They usually progress faster when they are allowed to see the opportunity then practice the move. This creates a muscle memory for positioning as well as technique.

"Everyday spent training is one day closer to learning something."
....Spiderchoke

[gagi]

Well, not all newbies are the same. Although highly inexperienced grappler myself, I rolled with total newcomers as well as some very experienced people. Now I myself am very hard to submit,i.e. very slippery, but I do not have any great submission skills either (although it seems that leglocks/anklelocks may be my thing).
Now, about other people. Some of them (ex mz brother) will give you hell on a basis of a sheer will and fighting spirit, even without one day of training. Others are sitting ducks for applying/practising your techniques on them. I had a sessions with people that sucked at it so much that it looked like a movie fight to the people watching, but simply because the guy was really, really bad. Still, I have never hurt anyone in a grappling practise.