skribs
Grandmaster
- Joined
- Nov 14, 2013
- Messages
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Had a new guy last week. I got partnered with him on his second day. A general rule of thumb I've seen is "tap them 3 times, then let them work." This may have been a bad rule for me to follow that day, because we were doing lightning rounds. A purple belt told me to teach him something. Unfortunately time was over.
My understanding is that 3x rule comes from the idea that if you don't at least let someone know that you are capable of smashing them, they might assume the gym has crappy fighters. Who wants to go to a gym where a day 1 student can easily go toe-to-toe with someone who's been training for a few years?
Today, we have another new guy. This guy is older, in Dad Bod shape, but said he did wrestling in high school. I saw him working with a friend of mine (4-stripe white belt that's probably close to blue). My friend had him in closed guard and was explaining how to posture up and avoid certain attacks he could do. I roll with the guy next. I'm thinking about last week's "Teach him something" moment, and that my friend had been working with him. I go over the basic sleeve-and-collar grip in standup, and I'm going to pull guard and get into the position we've been working this week. We've been working knee shield passes, so I thought I'll get to knee shield and let him work a bit.
Nope. He grip fights me, blasts a single leg, pins me down, and then gets me with an armbar. By the time I realized he was in fight mode and not learn mode, it was too late (at least for me and my abilities) to escape. We reset, and I got focused. Tapped him two times very easily from guard. (I didn't pull guard either). Round is only half over, he taps out and runs to the bathroom.
After class I talk to my friend. He says he put the guy in guard so he could control him, because they were just rolling at first and the guy kicked him in the face pretty hard. (I'm assuming a spaz moment and not a standing head kick).
I know to go slow with the first guy. I know to be on my a-game with the second. Still not sure how to approach more new guys in the future. Smash first, then teach? Or start slow and then lay down the law if they get rough?
My understanding is that 3x rule comes from the idea that if you don't at least let someone know that you are capable of smashing them, they might assume the gym has crappy fighters. Who wants to go to a gym where a day 1 student can easily go toe-to-toe with someone who's been training for a few years?
Today, we have another new guy. This guy is older, in Dad Bod shape, but said he did wrestling in high school. I saw him working with a friend of mine (4-stripe white belt that's probably close to blue). My friend had him in closed guard and was explaining how to posture up and avoid certain attacks he could do. I roll with the guy next. I'm thinking about last week's "Teach him something" moment, and that my friend had been working with him. I go over the basic sleeve-and-collar grip in standup, and I'm going to pull guard and get into the position we've been working this week. We've been working knee shield passes, so I thought I'll get to knee shield and let him work a bit.
Nope. He grip fights me, blasts a single leg, pins me down, and then gets me with an armbar. By the time I realized he was in fight mode and not learn mode, it was too late (at least for me and my abilities) to escape. We reset, and I got focused. Tapped him two times very easily from guard. (I didn't pull guard either). Round is only half over, he taps out and runs to the bathroom.
After class I talk to my friend. He says he put the guy in guard so he could control him, because they were just rolling at first and the guy kicked him in the face pretty hard. (I'm assuming a spaz moment and not a standing head kick).
I know to go slow with the first guy. I know to be on my a-game with the second. Still not sure how to approach more new guys in the future. Smash first, then teach? Or start slow and then lay down the law if they get rough?