I attended an extremely fun and valuable training session a couple of weekends ago. Our school vacated a saturday class schedule and welcomed BJJ players from 5 Rings Jiu Jitsu for a three hour school exchange and mega-roll. Coaches Foster (FBJJ) and Oberhue (5 Rings) taught and drilled the big room on a small suite of techniques focusing on separate "game" areas. Foster taught side control/bottom techniques and Oberhue some interesting standing guard pass concepts. And after drilling we rolled and rolled and rolled.
The vibe was super positive and tracked with a theme Oberhue spoke to: breaking down tribalism in BJJ teaching. Sharing was a key theme and so was the value of rolling with unfamiliar opponents. There was a lot of experience in the room, and many of our upper belts were visibly game for the opportunity. So much so that it took work as a white belt looking to get back-to-back rolls. In one case, one of my own schoolmates (a skilled purple belt with really sweet flexibility attributes), basically blew me off.
Now I know better than to have taken this situation personally, but I did. He reluctantly agreed to go only after I basically pursued him (he's bigger than me, and his flexibility poses an interesting challenge so why not?). But he went through me in an instant, tapped me as though to shed me and get on with 'real' training with an unfamiliar upper belt.
Again, I understand the zeal to train with guys from the other school; but the moment made me uncomfortable. That moment put me in my place in the school. I am hapless, unfit, a hobbyist. There is nothing I can offer such a partner in training, especially in the context of so many other unfamiliar partners available.
But overall it was a great experience, and I was able to meet Dan, another blogger who is now looking to turn his writing into something more serious (as has his BJJ now become). His story is dramatic to me, and his demeanor in view of his experience was so positive and inspiring. And not too ironically, Dan's blog has been known as "My Life as a White Belt. My life indeed.
Hope you can let it roll off you. I'm always hesitant to ask an upper belt to roll. If the only three people left to pick partners are upper belts I let them decide who the odd man/gal out is and take the leftovers. Nothing personal. Just roll with whomever and if an upper belt asks you, great! If not, ok too. I'll just grab a newbie. That's my philosophy anywhoo.
ReplyDeleteIt's too bad you were treated like an 'inconvenience', especially from someone who should remember all the struggles of being a white belt. At my school everyone rolls with every, no exception, unless someone is injured (we have one 15yr old with back problems. He rolls but not with the heavy guys). That includes black belts and we almost always have one in the class.
ReplyDeleteAside from that, it seems the overall experience far outweighed the brush-off and that makes it all worth while.