Rolling with spazzies.

Found this video which I think adresses some rare concepts. Not only how to roll with spazzies but why you should.

Everybody faces these issues at some time. It is not some sort of aberration to be ignored it is a scenario to adapt to and overcome.

Most importanly it improves you as a martial artist.

 

As a bigger guy, I think I'm more inclined to roll with the spazzies. I don't have as much fear of accidentally getting hurt... although it can still happen. I can understand the reluctance of someone who is 50 lbs lighter than me... or a female who might literally be half my size/100 lbs lighter than me.

I agree with what he says. You'll get some new guy who you take mount on and they just buck like a bronco. I've never rolled with a blue+ who does that but, if they catch you off guard, you're going to get bucked off. If you're adaptable, you can use it to easily take high mount and then they're left with their arms shoved up by their head with a look of "what am I supposed to do now?" And an easy tap for you.

 

For me they tend to hug. Which is really irritating. Just latch on to something and stay there for the whole round.

 

Yeah, that was just one example I've seen. People wind up doing all kinds of things when they don't really know what to do.

 

I'd like to think I'm a pretty good blue but I still occasionally wind up in compromising positions from white belts who are aggressive. That white belt sometimes has a few years experience in wrestling. Do I have tools to deal with it? Yeah but it's a completely different training experience compared to me rolling with another blue. Also, all blues are not created equal. You might be overselling a blue belt necessarily having all the tools and experience to deal with everything. A blue still has a lot of holes in their game... these should be getting closed up around purple. At least they shouldn't be so gaping anymore.

 

I agree with his thinking but... you are more susceptible to getting injured. Which is maybe why people don't want to work with spazzy unpredictable people.
I am going to start working on my ground skills again and I have been thinking about this exact problem. Back in 1999 I was rolling with the exact example he gives, my partner was young 19, outweighed me by 50 pounds, super spazzy and he decided to try that crucifix move he read in a book. I thought we were working a positioning drill when he went full throttle. I never did go for X-rays but he really damaged my neck. On top of that a few months later the same guy cranked on my neck again with something different re injuring my neck. It has never been the same since. I have a lot of problems now with my neck. So beware. I will not do any kind of free roll now with someone like that. I am hesitant to work at all. I cannot afford to be injured like that now. my family depends on my ability to go to work everyday.

 

It depends what ruleset you are using.

 

It depends what ruleset you are using.

In theory isnt reality. You can get handled by noobs who are more athletic, more agressive or just lucky.

Especially if you are used to a certain kind of response.

 

Yeah you would need to limit yourselves to straight wrestling or straight rolling.

 

My girlfriend just recently started and she had the same fear of spazzies that most do. My advice to her was...get them to their back and keep your head MASHED to theirs. But I'm a heavyweight. Wasted energy is wasted movement for them and really good for me.


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"The offensiveness of this term and of spastic differs considerably between the US and the UK. In the United States, the terms are inoffensive; in the UK, they are very offensive; see spastic for more"
spaz - Wiktionary

 

Yeah shooting for the back was the advice I got for the bigger stronger guys.

 

It’s funny, I’ve always thought “if you’re afraid of getting hurt by a newbie, then you’re not as good as you think.” I figured you should be able to dominate a total newbie at will.

The last two nights in the dojo have proven otherwise to me...

We have a new guy, about 17-18 years old. He was there for a few years when he was younger, but he’s been away for about 5-6 years. So not a pure newbie, but not exactly a seasoned veteran either.

This isn’t an insult by any means, it’s just the truth: He’s autistic. His movements are just so unorthodox and awkward. He comes in very hard and tries to throw everything about 75% power. He leans awkwardly, moves forward and backward awkwardly, and does this odd head down but face forward thing when you attack. He doesn’t pull his hands back to generate power, but rather punches straight forward from wherever they are. He tries to kick rib and head height, but most of them land at my knees or lower.

It would be easy to knock him out if it was a real fight. One or two well placed hard shots would do it, and he’s leaves several targets. But within the confines of the dojo and life in general, I won’t do it. There’s obviously nothing to be gained nor learned on either of our parts from that.

What do I do? Play defense and keep my knees from intentionally being blown out. Keep my hands up and guard from being unintentionally being punched in the mouth. Not hit or kick while he’s charging in so he doesn’t run into something full force. Create some distance and tap the open targets hard enough to make him realize they’re open.

I wrestled newbies quite a bit. I sparred (karate) with quite a few white belts. I thought people who complained about the possibility of getting seriously hurt by a newbie needed to practice more.

Now I get it. You could take them out whenever you want to, but you shouldn’t and don’t. You’ve got to play their game, not yours.

 

I never play the I could,a game. I get manhandled by a noob i have been manhandled and that is my job to overcome.

 

In the US, calling someone spazzy or spastic is a little derogatory. It’s not something you call someone as a means of endearment, but after reading how you all use the word, holy crap is it a world of difference. It’s good to know so I don’t drop into a UK school and call someone spastic.