BJJ Rolling Guide for Beginners

[Goldenhand]

Heel hooks/twisting leg locks (grabbing the foot and twisting it)
Slamming (picking your partner up off the ground and throwing him hard back to the ground)
Small joint manipulation (grabbing individual fingers and toes)


I will admit I haven't read the whole thread yet, but my school allows all these. (Small joint depends on the roll) Are they really that uncommon?

[Tiger Uppercut]

i've always dig my elbows into the thighs and people try it on me. Doesn't even hurt anymore

[KneeOnSkull]

Originally Posted by Frodo

You didn't lose. WTF Rolling isn't about winning or losing. Even if you tap out, you didn't lose. You just roll again or take a break. Stopping from being tired is the same as a verbal tap, so what's the problem. Do you really NEED your partner tapping your body with his hand?

I agree with you....rolling isn't about winning or losing.....obviously......while in the gym we are in training of course.....but at the same time a roll is a roll and i think that people that say "sorry man lets take a minute break im tired" is really annoying......especially when this could be motivated by a eminent tap.

Like I said in my previous post.....I think you should respect your partner you are in the roll with by tapping out if you can no longer continue.....

Ive read your posts for a few years on this forum and know you have been training a while......have you really not ran into one of these people?

and i want to reinforce......i don't roll in the gym for an ego boost from getting tap outs....or WINNING........i roll to train for competition and to get better....like most of my training partners.

[Frodo]

Originally Posted by Goldenhand

Heel hooks/twisting leg locks (grabbing the foot and twisting it)
Slamming (picking your partner up off the ground and throwing him hard back to the ground)
Small joint manipulation (grabbing individual fingers and toes)


I will admit I haven't read the whole thread yet, but my school allows all these. (Small joint depends on the roll) Are they really that uncommon?

Yes. Remember: we are training in a sport that includes dangerous moves, which can cause unconsciousness, broken bones, torn muscles, or sprained ligaments. The number one rule is to stay safe.

I've seen people end up needing surgery because someone cranked a heel hook in training. Catch and release is ok, controlled cranking it is sometimes ok if you know who you are rolling with, but in general it is a bad idea. Those kind of leg locks are also illegal in the gi for BJJ tournaments, so they are not in the scope of this article.

Slamming is also a bad idea for obvious reasons. It is illegal and counter-productive to good training. If that is allowed at your gym, find a new gym. You aren't training safely.

Small joint manipulation, besides being illegal, can hurt your fingers very easily. I was choking someone in judo. He grabbed just my middle finger and pulled. It was swollen for 2 months and I could not grip well with that hand. However, I still finished the choke. In general, small join manipulation like that can easily hurt your partner. You can't tap fast enough to a "finger" lock to prevent injury, but it still won't not stop the submission or move and simply makes your opponent more angry. Finger locks like that is a dick move.

Originally Posted by KneeOnSkull

I agree with you....rolling isn't about winning or losing.....obviously......while in the gym we are in training of course.....but at the same time a roll is a roll and i think that people that say "sorry man lets take a minute break im tired" is really annoying......especially when this could be motivated by a eminent tap.

Like I said in my previous post.....I think you should respect your partner you are in the roll with by tapping out if you can no longer continue.....

Ive read your posts for a few years on this forum and know you have been training a while......have you really not ran into one of these people?

and i want to reinforce......i don't roll in the gym for an ego boost from getting tap outs....or WINNING........i roll to train for competition and to get better....like most of my training partners.

I've run into them. I don't care either way, though. In fact, I usually just feel bad and give them some words of encouragement.

Originally Posted by Tiger Uppercut

i've always dig my elbows into the thighs and people try it on me. Doesn't even hurt anymore

That's why you're just a cockroach.

[Ryukyu Damashi]

Nice list, lets post it at the gym!

[anten]

Great post!

I should print out the list and post it where i train, i dont think anyone in the club follows a single one of the rules posted above... well except for me.

[Jagcorps_esq]

Originally Posted by Balto

If enough people agree that crossfacing should be in the always allowed section, I will put it in there. I appreciate the input guys.

I would disagree about digging elbows into the thigh being a part of opening the guard. It is one way to open the guard, but quite a few people consider digging the elbows to be an annoying beginner move.

It is a way to open the guard of someone that doesn't know anything.

So, you opened the guard of a rookie with an unsophisticated "technique" when you should have used that opportunity (with a rookie) to work on various more complex guard openers.

Nice.

[hoog]

Did anyone mention hygine? I hate rolling with a stinky guy. Also, don't roll sick, pleeease. If you have HIV, TB, HEP or any other really bad stuff don't roll! Finaly, trim your toe and finger nails both.

[Balto]

Originally Posted by Jagcorps_esq

It is a way to open the guard of someone that doesn't know anything.

So, you opened the guard of a rookie with an unsophisticated "technique" when you should have used that opportunity (with a rookie) to work on various more complex guard openers.

Nice.

I updated the guide to split the sometimes allowed section into two parts now to differentiate between legitimate techniques that are sometimes restricted by belt rank (e.g. leg locks) and the dick moves that are technically legal in competition at all levels but should be avoided anyway (e.g. digging elbows into the thigh).

[Balto]

Originally Posted by hoog

Did anyone mention hygine? I hate rolling with a stinky guy. Also, don't roll sick, pleeease. If you have HIV, TB, HEP or any other really bad stuff don't roll! Finaly, trim your toe and finger nails both.

Hygiene is definitely important, but I'm not sure it's a common issue with beginners. Most of the new guys I roll with are pretty clean. In fact, unfortunately I think a lot of them are cleaner than a few experienced guys I've met.

I tried to just cover the common issues for beginners that aren't intuitive. For example, there are a lot more things that you can't do in BJJ than I listed, such as biting your partner or stabbing people with a knife, but even most beginners realize these automatically.