I'm a former wrestler, though that was more than 20 years ago in high school. Since I have grappled since, I figured I would have totally forgot but almost everyone I roll with asks if I wrestled before. I'd say at least 60% of all the new people I roll with, I spar 3-4 times per week with multiple partners, ask if I wrestled before whether they're blue, purple, or brown. (I've never rolled with a black belt.)
At our gym we're usually paired up by size, but sometimes the classes are small so we roll with people of different sizes. As a 3 month white belt, I pretty much get tapped by everyone of all sizes. If the upper belt is bigger than me, then he can tap me fairly easily though now I've been working on defense. However, if the upper belt is smaller than me it's not always easy for him to tap. If it's a purple belt, it's still pretty easy for him even if I'm 40 pounds heavier. The blue belts however, size does make a difference.
For example, today I sparred a 4 stripe blue belt who was about 5'10 150 pounds (I'm 6 ft 205 pounds), and so he pulled guard on me knowing I was bigger. I was able to grab his arm, and get him in a headlock and put all my weight on his head with his own arm over his neck. He didn't tap since I couldn't really submit him, but he couldn't get out and I unsuccessfully tried for an Americana but couldn't since he had me in half guard. I couldn't break his half guard, though I had his arm over his head. Afterwards, he asked me if I was a wrestler and said he could tell by my head control and desire to be on top. I still couldn't submit him, his legs were really strong for a skinny guy and he had a great half guard.
So if you spar with a heavier white belt former high school wrestler you can probably expect:
1. They will probably take you down pretty easily if you're standing up, unless you have lots of experience in standup BJJ.
2. They feel much stronger and heavier than they look, wrestlers know how to apply pressure especially on the head/chest area and can sprawl back.
3. They will probably panic a bit on the bottom, and will most likely use their arms to push off. At least I tend to do this, and I get arm barred very frequently by almost all my purple belt opponents who see it from a mile away.
4. They have strong headlocks and can clamp down and put all their weight on you with their legs sprawled.
I try hard not to act like a wrestler but I can't help it, it just comes out. I'm here to learn BJJ, not to be a wrestler, but I still tend to go on top and try to put top pressure down. It's not a bad strategy for a beginner white belt, but that seems to be just what I do naturally. I need to work on passing guard and other things, but I generally end up trying to go for some kind of side mount when I should probably be working on my defense and hip control.
The only reason I'm even able to spar with some of these purple belts is if 1) if I'm bigger, and 2) if I get lucky and end up on top. If the purple belt is bigger than me, he will throw me around like a rag doll. Most blue belts can submit me fairly easily if they're remotely my size, but even then if I get side mount/top control I can apply head pressure and they're not quite as skilled as the purple belts.
Sometimes you just end up lucky. I have had only one submission out of the 100+ times I've had to tap out, and that was to a purple belt and that was b/c I was lucky when he tried to arm bar me, I was able to somehow flip him over, get on top, and his own arm was over his neck when I applied top pressure in a side mount/head lock of sorts. Either way, I feel wrestling is an big advantage on top, but it can be a disadvantage on bottom at least as a white belt. I'm sure as I get better it won't matter either way.
At our gym we're usually paired up by size, but sometimes the classes are small so we roll with people of different sizes. As a 3 month white belt, I pretty much get tapped by everyone of all sizes. If the upper belt is bigger than me, then he can tap me fairly easily though now I've been working on defense. However, if the upper belt is smaller than me it's not always easy for him to tap. If it's a purple belt, it's still pretty easy for him even if I'm 40 pounds heavier. The blue belts however, size does make a difference.
For example, today I sparred a 4 stripe blue belt who was about 5'10 150 pounds (I'm 6 ft 205 pounds), and so he pulled guard on me knowing I was bigger. I was able to grab his arm, and get him in a headlock and put all my weight on his head with his own arm over his neck. He didn't tap since I couldn't really submit him, but he couldn't get out and I unsuccessfully tried for an Americana but couldn't since he had me in half guard. I couldn't break his half guard, though I had his arm over his head. Afterwards, he asked me if I was a wrestler and said he could tell by my head control and desire to be on top. I still couldn't submit him, his legs were really strong for a skinny guy and he had a great half guard.
So if you spar with a heavier white belt former high school wrestler you can probably expect:
1. They will probably take you down pretty easily if you're standing up, unless you have lots of experience in standup BJJ.
2. They feel much stronger and heavier than they look, wrestlers know how to apply pressure especially on the head/chest area and can sprawl back.
3. They will probably panic a bit on the bottom, and will most likely use their arms to push off. At least I tend to do this, and I get arm barred very frequently by almost all my purple belt opponents who see it from a mile away.
4. They have strong headlocks and can clamp down and put all their weight on you with their legs sprawled.
I try hard not to act like a wrestler but I can't help it, it just comes out. I'm here to learn BJJ, not to be a wrestler, but I still tend to go on top and try to put top pressure down. It's not a bad strategy for a beginner white belt, but that seems to be just what I do naturally. I need to work on passing guard and other things, but I generally end up trying to go for some kind of side mount when I should probably be working on my defense and hip control.
The only reason I'm even able to spar with some of these purple belts is if 1) if I'm bigger, and 2) if I get lucky and end up on top. If the purple belt is bigger than me, he will throw me around like a rag doll. Most blue belts can submit me fairly easily if they're remotely my size, but even then if I get side mount/top control I can apply head pressure and they're not quite as skilled as the purple belts.
Sometimes you just end up lucky. I have had only one submission out of the 100+ times I've had to tap out, and that was to a purple belt and that was b/c I was lucky when he tried to arm bar me, I was able to somehow flip him over, get on top, and his own arm was over his neck when I applied top pressure in a side mount/head lock of sorts. Either way, I feel wrestling is an big advantage on top, but it can be a disadvantage on bottom at least as a white belt. I'm sure as I get better it won't matter either way.
No comments:
Post a Comment