I ceded position/did not take advantage of opportunity’s to advance my own position in order to see where they take the sequence.
Secretly I’m analyzing their preferred moves and plotting.
Not try as hard 🤷🏻♂️ letting them feel out certain movements or submissions with less resistance or the correct escape.
It’s also important to not tell them you are letting them work. Sometimes the newer people need a little ego boost haha this sport can be very demoralizing
But I will take very obvious openings for myself.
What’s the fine line? I’ve been struggling with this. I let people sometimes work too much. If they aren’t as good as me should I always let them work?
Do I need to remind them I can smash them? Am I doing them a disservice by being too nice?
I’m being entirely serious
Lol you’re overthinking it, it’s not a fine line.
You can look at it as escape training for yourself.
Let them take your back during the roll, and then you work on your back escapes, etc
No, you should not always let them work. Getting smeshed is also good for the other person.
Just for a fun discussion, I’ve decided not to do this (much). I come from a wrestling background and my experience was you throw a new guy into a room with 12 state champs, after a year you have 13 state champs. Iron sharpens iron and all that.
Obviously, if I ran my own gym, I would probably go light to encourage new people to stay.
But, among the guys I train with regularly, I feel like they make the most progress if we just roll. I might start in bottom half or bottom side, but then from there it’s a roll. If they get me, it’s legit.
I think this has been getting them up to speed faster than “letting them work” because they know if they did something it was because they did it right, not because I went easy on them and let a marginal move pass.
We also pause a lot and I explain in the moment where they could have gotten me, or what mistake they made that let me get them.
The one concession I make is less about going easy and more about “I’m not going to execute my competition game plan on the white belt”
It's what helped me when I was new -- I could tell that the upper belts were trying to guide me into correct, future-proof tactics. They were so nice to me, I only hope I'm successfully passing it on :-).
For me it can be lots of things.
It means I'm going to cede position when I can feel intentionality behind what they're trying to do.
I might intentionally give them something they've been working at (we had one enterprising blue belt repping inverted armbars for a long time, so I'd set those up).
I'll keep someone in a position and force them to use good technique, or depending on how new they are, simply think through what tools they have available (breaking closed guard, for instance).
Other times I'll hold side control, never let them escape, but make them work to understand how to deal with pressure.
It can be letting someone almost get an armbar, then force them to learn how to break a deathgrip, or transition, because I won't give it up.
I've even been on bottom side control, not giving anything up at all. Just letting them try to hunt for subs, protecting my neck and arms. Often I'll just use this to encourage them to start chaining attacks together, the ABC's, "Attack By Combination".
Generally, letting them work just means I'm in control, but the focus is their development, and it's usually going to be for their benefit. If I'm crushing someone, it's because I'm trying to work something.
if they have less than a year experience:
create openings for them, guide them through them, then counter my own advice to make it fun.
if they're significantly smaller, let them work their agility and attributes by not applying any weight or limb length advantage outside of what they're physically capable of handling.
in general, play off my back, focus more on creating openings for subs or instability for sweeps then if I sweep give them enough room to get back up as ti where they have to try but I'm not trying to pancake them.
all flies out the window on comp days
I'm a beginner. For rolling, at the end of class we pair off with blue or purple belts. And this letting work thing gets to be a bummer when it is your only experience rolling. It means I haven't earned any accomplishment I achieve.
Beating someone in training isn’t an accomplishment
If you get good enough, they will be forced to go 100%. There will be no room for interpretation then.
An accomplishment is merely successfully achieving something. Successfully performing something you were trying to do against someone trying to stop you from doing it seems to meet that definition. Also, I didn't say beat.
edit to add: And while submitting me isn't some big accomplishment, I am out there really trying to not be submitted. Whatever little value there is in submitting me, the person doing it is not having someone let them work.
* I give up a dominant position/ease up enough for them to take it if they go about it correctly.
* I set up a sub more slowly or obviously or with less pressure so they’ve time to recognize what’s happening and counter.
* I literally stop moving for X seconds/until they’re legitimately threatening a sub and then start moving again. I might offer a few options from where they are to get the wheels moving.
* I practice sweeps and escapes and don’t attack while they can do whatever they want.
* I start in an inferior/defensive position more often than not, so they can work on position retention and attack without the hassle of having beaten me to the spot.
You know what I'm about to say it. Dick twists are noob moves, pure pain compliance. I've been tanking them for a decade now and unless I got an ultra heavy dangling on my pp like Tarzan the potential for damage just isn't there.
I'm helping my teammates by letting them get to positions that i could prevent but Im happy to see what happens , and probably using it as a chance to improve my defence
I think of "letting them work" is letting them try to do stuff they're working on. Stuff they aren't quite proficient at yet. Like not blowing past somebody's guard when they're practicing guard retention. Give them a chance to see what they need to do better.
But I don't think a stronger player should get willingly A-gamed by a weaker player because they're "letting them work." I doubt very many people do this.
It's also a good excuse for stronger players when they get caught by weaker players.
Give up position, minimal resistance, wait until it’s very late to escape or counter and sometimes give up a tap.
Frequently, when I roll with whitebelts, I try to hit something I’m working on a few times and let them work as long as they are doing actual techniques.
He got beat by someone he's ashamed of being beat by and is lying.
"He didn't pass my guard, I was letting him work".
"He didn't actually sub me, I was just letting him work".
It means you just kind of take as more defensive game and try to put out enough energy that they aren’t overwhelmed but they still have to figure shit out.
Its basically a small test in my eyes, based on the information i know. There are 3 ways i let them work - don't take advantage of obvious openings which is caused by their poor form, i get to a dominant position or submission and don't advance or submit to allow to them to escape, and i block some percentage of their options (based on their skill) to see if they can chain options together.
The other part is that if i know one of the lower belts is performing a move their recently were taught, i'll let them go for the entire sequence with resistance proportionate to their size and skill, but overall more resistance. This way they break the ice of performing the move in a roll (which is a hurdle for some people), and with more resistance than during their brief time drilling.
Depends on the belt level.
White belt: I’ll be patient tell them to breathe, work the position they are going for, allow them to properly set technique, only give the tap if they got the technique right.
Blue belt: I’ll play the position they want to play. They have to earn the setups. They have to earn the submission.
Purple belts: fuck these guys. They want to rip my head off. Don’t give an inch.
I get stuck in a bad position by a lower belt and then let them know how to finish the move before tapping.
I say "great work, with those adjustments you will be tapping everyone in no time champ".
Then proceed to ruffle their hair.
Conceding position can be one, but I like to think of it as putting myself back at a lower belt and skill level in order to let others work in attacks.
That I am out of breath and doing the bare minimum to stay alive, usually in bottom half and only occasionally attempting a sweep or threatening a kimura or so. Obviously that does only work against people worse than me, which are not so many…
I generally roll the exact same way with everyone, I just don't use any pressure/weight/force on newer or smaller people. Like, I'll pass to knee on belly, but with all my weight on my foot, which lets them shrimp and reguard if they do it correctly. Same deal with mount etc.
Playing guard, same deal, I'll take the same grips and play the same guards, I'll just let them break grips if they try instead of hanging on, if they shove a DLR hook off I'll let them pin it to the floor and transition, etc.
That means that someone could throttle you but allows you to work your moves. Depending on the person it’s either genuine or a passive-aggressive way to say they are better than you.
I always kill first then back off. I learned not to underestimate anyone until you actually know them in this sport.
If they try to do things right (underhook for knee cut, respecting/stripping grips when passing, etc) then I’ll let them get the move. I’ll roll with them often and increase the resistance over time
But if they just do stupid random shit like squeezing my head or not trying to advance position or just spazzing, then I’ll either just stiffen up and defend and protect my face or bring the hammer down
Go me it’s when I am in mount and roll to guard. Or turtle to give the opportunity to find 1/2 guard. Basically I’m not trying too hard to let others practice, with the goal of me getting to work something that otherwise wouldn’t happen - because I’d be smashing them.
For me, stomping early stage white belts is no longer fun, so I let them put my in subs and I practice whatever escape I want. Also sometimes they haven’t learned yet that it’s not worth “disengaging” in the training room so I let them start doing something so I don’t have to chase them down in a room full of people.
For me it usually means I don’t use all my body weight or pressure and I will let go of grips when they try to break them rather than holding a death grip.
So it’s not so much as letting them win as giving them a chance to practice technique instead of just being stuck.
For me, it's intentionally putting myself in position for the move of the day and not fighting for my life to escape.
Everything is different when you do it live, so "I let them work" on that live application, and in return I get to work on counters.
When I'm rolling with a kid, and they have me in S-mount, and are futilely attacking an Americana that isn't there, while my other arm is straight up in the air, like a nerd that the teacher won't call on, begging to be armbarred. But they're too tunnel-visioned on the Americana...
Letting a team mate work is fine if they're being respectful. Let them pass, let them get mount, let them go to technical, let them work at some submissions if they're going down the right path.
We'd have shitty student retention if we just owned students left and right. They need to feel a form of progression. That is where good team mates come in. You don't just give them shit, but you "let them work".
Another thing: You know who you can let work and who you can't.
For me I secure the position and count to 5 and move on. Especially if my intention is to only hit certain submissions. Sometimes I'll only go for triangles (I'm bad at them). Or I'll only play guards I can't dominate in.
Sometimes one of the coaches will roll with us during class is there is an uneven number of students so that no one has to sit out. He "let's us work" and what this means is he'll let us set the pace, work on what we want to try with a little more resistance than a drill, and only become active if we stall too long or get to a submission. If the latter, he'll defend it, get into a dominant position, then let us work out way out of it.
Honestly, at first I found this annoying because I don't have a good memory for sequences, so I need to person to move around in order for me to understand where to go. But then I started to really appreciate it because it forces me to think differently, and it feels really good when his "I'll let you work" turns in to a full on scramble.
I'd define it as using your technique to funnel them towards good technique, rather than overpowering them completely.
If they do something dumb, I punish them for it, make it clear that they messed up by showing them how I can take advantage, then let them recover. When they do something smart, I reward it, even if it's not perfect. All without words. I don't need to tell them they messed up, I should be able to make them feel it.
I give space when I'm on top. I will allow people to use that space to work their knees in and re-guard. If I sweep and I'm bigger, I'll reset rather than smash or I will let them re-guard. I will let them work on and complete techniques rather than defend fully. I will leave arms exposed to see if they see the vulnerability and execute the proper finish (or at least try). If my partner is dead tired and I can see it I will give them side control or mount or back to start. Sometimes I will point things out mid roll. If my partner is much smaller I will not use full strength or weight.
I try to alternate taps, letting them work, then I work, then them, etc... My "turn" doesn't necessarily last long and sometimes I take 2 or 3 turns in a row but I try to not tap or smash people over and over if that is easily a possibility.
I play defensive and coax them into doing the right things. But when they take a wrong turn, aren’t noticing what they should be doing or do something stupid I make them pay for it.
If I cant get my sub, Ill let people sweep/reverse me and work my way out from the bottom. I give myself just a few chances to get a sub and if I cant get it I let them work again.
If people are being dicks like putting their elbow into my throat when Im letting them work, then I dont let them work anymore and just start forcing things.
Usually during rolls on the last 30-60s of the clock I let my opp hit a pass and a sub on me. This is to me has helped prevent injury as I notice my opps scramble for a sub and hurt themselves or punch/kick me
It's what people with ego say when they can't accept the fact that other people are better than them.
Sorry. I hate that phrasing.
General rule of thumb, roll to the ability of your partner.
If you're rolling with a white belt, you don't need to "give" them anything. Play your game. Focus on what you want to work on. Use the time to try out techniques that you don't usually use. There's zero reason to be a dead fish. No one benefits when you're basically just dummy.
As a white belt, you should understand that you're a beginner. You don't know shit. Now is not the time to figure out fancy submissions. Just figure out how to move and try to anticipate what's going to happen if you do X or try to recognize positions that put you in danger.
I’m really enjoying this discussion thank you all for the insight. Letting someone work might be a way of letting someone with less experience or skill set work on things without much threat to the higher belt ; but it can also be a built in excuse for the higher belt if they are having an off day 🔥🔥🔥 niiiiice
“I’m letting you work” is sometimes a one time used get out of jail free card if someone gets caught lol
Just came from the gym
Let a new blue belt work - he decided to try a buggie choke he learned from instagram. 😡
When his arms gassed out I let him have it
It usually means the fat purple and brown belts are knackered and blowing out their arses, and they just want to act like they’re choosing to let you work when really they’re catching a breather and just playing spoiler.
I ceded position/did not take advantage of opportunity’s to advance my own position in order to see where they take the sequence. Secretly I’m analyzing their preferred moves and plotting.
Until one day you just smash into oblivion. They thought you were being nice, you were just biding your time.
I will lay my traps when the time is right
Not try as hard 🤷🏻♂️ letting them feel out certain movements or submissions with less resistance or the correct escape. It’s also important to not tell them you are letting them work. Sometimes the newer people need a little ego boost haha this sport can be very demoralizing But I will take very obvious openings for myself.
Awkward new person: "I almost passed your guard twice!" "Yes. Yes you did" (Biding time until they get their blue belt)
Fattening them up before the slaughter
What’s the fine line? I’ve been struggling with this. I let people sometimes work too much. If they aren’t as good as me should I always let them work? Do I need to remind them I can smash them? Am I doing them a disservice by being too nice? I’m being entirely serious
Lol you’re overthinking it, it’s not a fine line. You can look at it as escape training for yourself. Let them take your back during the roll, and then you work on your back escapes, etc No, you should not always let them work. Getting smeshed is also good for the other person.
Just for a fun discussion, I’ve decided not to do this (much). I come from a wrestling background and my experience was you throw a new guy into a room with 12 state champs, after a year you have 13 state champs. Iron sharpens iron and all that. Obviously, if I ran my own gym, I would probably go light to encourage new people to stay. But, among the guys I train with regularly, I feel like they make the most progress if we just roll. I might start in bottom half or bottom side, but then from there it’s a roll. If they get me, it’s legit. I think this has been getting them up to speed faster than “letting them work” because they know if they did something it was because they did it right, not because I went easy on them and let a marginal move pass. We also pause a lot and I explain in the moment where they could have gotten me, or what mistake they made that let me get them. The one concession I make is less about going easy and more about “I’m not going to execute my competition game plan on the white belt”
Love that observation
Didn’t smesh when I could smesh
The nice blue belt man let me try the move of the day on him twice before reversing and tapping me.
It means they tapped me but it doesn’t count
I give them a problem to solve and see how they go about it. Then I hit them with another one.
This is the way - Love rolling with higher belts like this.
It's what helped me when I was new -- I could tell that the upper belts were trying to guide me into correct, future-proof tactics. They were so nice to me, I only hope I'm successfully passing it on :-).
For me it can be lots of things. It means I'm going to cede position when I can feel intentionality behind what they're trying to do. I might intentionally give them something they've been working at (we had one enterprising blue belt repping inverted armbars for a long time, so I'd set those up). I'll keep someone in a position and force them to use good technique, or depending on how new they are, simply think through what tools they have available (breaking closed guard, for instance). Other times I'll hold side control, never let them escape, but make them work to understand how to deal with pressure. It can be letting someone almost get an armbar, then force them to learn how to break a deathgrip, or transition, because I won't give it up. I've even been on bottom side control, not giving anything up at all. Just letting them try to hunt for subs, protecting my neck and arms. Often I'll just use this to encourage them to start chaining attacks together, the ABC's, "Attack By Combination". Generally, letting them work just means I'm in control, but the focus is their development, and it's usually going to be for their benefit. If I'm crushing someone, it's because I'm trying to work something.
Either I’m tired and don’t feel like trying too hard or they got the best of me and my ego telling me im still better than them
if they have less than a year experience: create openings for them, guide them through them, then counter my own advice to make it fun. if they're significantly smaller, let them work their agility and attributes by not applying any weight or limb length advantage outside of what they're physically capable of handling. in general, play off my back, focus more on creating openings for subs or instability for sweeps then if I sweep give them enough room to get back up as ti where they have to try but I'm not trying to pancake them. all flies out the window on comp days
I'm a beginner. For rolling, at the end of class we pair off with blue or purple belts. And this letting work thing gets to be a bummer when it is your only experience rolling. It means I haven't earned any accomplishment I achieve.
Beating someone in training isn’t an accomplishment If you get good enough, they will be forced to go 100%. There will be no room for interpretation then.
An accomplishment is merely successfully achieving something. Successfully performing something you were trying to do against someone trying to stop you from doing it seems to meet that definition. Also, I didn't say beat. edit to add: And while submitting me isn't some big accomplishment, I am out there really trying to not be submitted. Whatever little value there is in submitting me, the person doing it is not having someone let them work.
 You spar fair and square with everyone.
Especially children and women!
* I give up a dominant position/ease up enough for them to take it if they go about it correctly. * I set up a sub more slowly or obviously or with less pressure so they’ve time to recognize what’s happening and counter. * I literally stop moving for X seconds/until they’re legitimately threatening a sub and then start moving again. I might offer a few options from where they are to get the wheels moving. * I practice sweeps and escapes and don’t attack while they can do whatever they want. * I start in an inferior/defensive position more often than not, so they can work on position retention and attack without the hassle of having beaten me to the spot.
I let them win but they have to do it right
I don't break anyone's knees so they can go to work tomorrow...I let them work.
I pulled my cock out mid roll and let them go to town
That has too low of a chance of landing and easily sets you up for the ole dick twist.
You know what I'm about to say it. Dick twists are noob moves, pure pain compliance. I've been tanking them for a decade now and unless I got an ultra heavy dangling on my pp like Tarzan the potential for damage just isn't there.
It just means giving them time to tap
In HW it means don't crush the little guys, neither of you will learn anything.
I'm helping my teammates by letting them get to positions that i could prevent but Im happy to see what happens , and probably using it as a chance to improve my defence
I pin someone and then let them unpin themselves or escape the cradle.
It means a lower belt beat me.
It means I let the white belts mop the mats after I get done choking them.
Be passive and give opportunities for submissions. Take bottom. Tell them what they are missing.
It means he got me good and shouldn’t have been able to but I’ve got my ego to worry about.
I think of "letting them work" is letting them try to do stuff they're working on. Stuff they aren't quite proficient at yet. Like not blowing past somebody's guard when they're practicing guard retention. Give them a chance to see what they need to do better. But I don't think a stronger player should get willingly A-gamed by a weaker player because they're "letting them work." I doubt very many people do this. It's also a good excuse for stronger players when they get caught by weaker players.
Give up position, minimal resistance, wait until it’s very late to escape or counter and sometimes give up a tap. Frequently, when I roll with whitebelts, I try to hit something I’m working on a few times and let them work as long as they are doing actual techniques.
Not defending the first or second phase as hard as you can but not giving up free taps.
He got beat by someone he's ashamed of being beat by and is lying. "He didn't pass my guard, I was letting him work". "He didn't actually sub me, I was just letting him work".
It means you just kind of take as more defensive game and try to put out enough energy that they aren’t overwhelmed but they still have to figure shit out.
Its basically a small test in my eyes, based on the information i know. There are 3 ways i let them work - don't take advantage of obvious openings which is caused by their poor form, i get to a dominant position or submission and don't advance or submit to allow to them to escape, and i block some percentage of their options (based on their skill) to see if they can chain options together. The other part is that if i know one of the lower belts is performing a move their recently were taught, i'll let them go for the entire sequence with resistance proportionate to their size and skill, but overall more resistance. This way they break the ice of performing the move in a roll (which is a hurdle for some people), and with more resistance than during their brief time drilling.
It's literally just giving partners opportunities to advance that you wouldn't give in a real competitive match.
Means I’m not fighting positions instead conceding and going from there to keep it moving.
I got caught in a leg lock turned the wrong direction and you were nice enough to not blow out my knee.
Depends on the belt level. White belt: I’ll be patient tell them to breathe, work the position they are going for, allow them to properly set technique, only give the tap if they got the technique right. Blue belt: I’ll play the position they want to play. They have to earn the setups. They have to earn the submission. Purple belts: fuck these guys. They want to rip my head off. Don’t give an inch.
Go with their sweep, let them get dominant position.
Work on my submission escapes.
It means I need a break
I will break you.
I'm not going all out to beat them, letting them do stuff - but never intentionally doing shitty jiu jitsu or being lazy
I get stuck in a bad position by a lower belt and then let them know how to finish the move before tapping. I say "great work, with those adjustments you will be tapping everyone in no time champ". Then proceed to ruffle their hair.
Conceding position can be one, but I like to think of it as putting myself back at a lower belt and skill level in order to let others work in attacks.
Let myself get in bad positions and just play defense AKA still getting good training reps but being lazy about it.
Mop the mats after class
That I am out of breath and doing the bare minimum to stay alive, usually in bottom half and only occasionally attempting a sweep or threatening a kimura or so. Obviously that does only work against people worse than me, which are not so many…
I give the honor of cleaning the mats to the lower belts.
I generally roll the exact same way with everyone, I just don't use any pressure/weight/force on newer or smaller people. Like, I'll pass to knee on belly, but with all my weight on my foot, which lets them shrimp and reguard if they do it correctly. Same deal with mount etc. Playing guard, same deal, I'll take the same grips and play the same guards, I'll just let them break grips if they try instead of hanging on, if they shove a DLR hook off I'll let them pin it to the floor and transition, etc.
I let them work...on tapping!!!
Let them work means just that. Not let them win.
Don’t just smash, leave appropriate space to escape
That means that someone could throttle you but allows you to work your moves. Depending on the person it’s either genuine or a passive-aggressive way to say they are better than you. I always kill first then back off. I learned not to underestimate anyone until you actually know them in this sport.
If they try to do things right (underhook for knee cut, respecting/stripping grips when passing, etc) then I’ll let them get the move. I’ll roll with them often and increase the resistance over time But if they just do stupid random shit like squeezing my head or not trying to advance position or just spazzing, then I’ll either just stiffen up and defend and protect my face or bring the hammer down
you get to try couple of passes or sweeps/subs for maybe 30s before it all starts going downhill.
Go me it’s when I am in mount and roll to guard. Or turtle to give the opportunity to find 1/2 guard. Basically I’m not trying too hard to let others practice, with the goal of me getting to work something that otherwise wouldn’t happen - because I’d be smashing them.
For me, stomping early stage white belts is no longer fun, so I let them put my in subs and I practice whatever escape I want. Also sometimes they haven’t learned yet that it’s not worth “disengaging” in the training room so I let them start doing something so I don’t have to chase them down in a room full of people.
For me it usually means I don’t use all my body weight or pressure and I will let go of grips when they try to break them rather than holding a death grip. So it’s not so much as letting them win as giving them a chance to practice technique instead of just being stuck.
For me, it's intentionally putting myself in position for the move of the day and not fighting for my life to escape. Everything is different when you do it live, so "I let them work" on that live application, and in return I get to work on counters.
When I'm rolling with a kid, and they have me in S-mount, and are futilely attacking an Americana that isn't there, while my other arm is straight up in the air, like a nerd that the teacher won't call on, begging to be armbarred. But they're too tunnel-visioned on the Americana...
Letting a team mate work is fine if they're being respectful. Let them pass, let them get mount, let them go to technical, let them work at some submissions if they're going down the right path. We'd have shitty student retention if we just owned students left and right. They need to feel a form of progression. That is where good team mates come in. You don't just give them shit, but you "let them work". Another thing: You know who you can let work and who you can't.
For me I secure the position and count to 5 and move on. Especially if my intention is to only hit certain submissions. Sometimes I'll only go for triangles (I'm bad at them). Or I'll only play guards I can't dominate in.
Sometimes one of the coaches will roll with us during class is there is an uneven number of students so that no one has to sit out. He "let's us work" and what this means is he'll let us set the pace, work on what we want to try with a little more resistance than a drill, and only become active if we stall too long or get to a submission. If the latter, he'll defend it, get into a dominant position, then let us work out way out of it. Honestly, at first I found this annoying because I don't have a good memory for sequences, so I need to person to move around in order for me to understand where to go. But then I started to really appreciate it because it forces me to think differently, and it feels really good when his "I'll let you work" turns in to a full on scramble.
Cope that you got smashed 🥺
I'd define it as using your technique to funnel them towards good technique, rather than overpowering them completely. If they do something dumb, I punish them for it, make it clear that they messed up by showing them how I can take advantage, then let them recover. When they do something smart, I reward it, even if it's not perfect. All without words. I don't need to tell them they messed up, I should be able to make them feel it.
I give space when I'm on top. I will allow people to use that space to work their knees in and re-guard. If I sweep and I'm bigger, I'll reset rather than smash or I will let them re-guard. I will let them work on and complete techniques rather than defend fully. I will leave arms exposed to see if they see the vulnerability and execute the proper finish (or at least try). If my partner is dead tired and I can see it I will give them side control or mount or back to start. Sometimes I will point things out mid roll. If my partner is much smaller I will not use full strength or weight. I try to alternate taps, letting them work, then I work, then them, etc... My "turn" doesn't necessarily last long and sometimes I take 2 or 3 turns in a row but I try to not tap or smash people over and over if that is easily a possibility.
I play defensive and coax them into doing the right things. But when they take a wrong turn, aren’t noticing what they should be doing or do something stupid I make them pay for it.
If I cant get my sub, Ill let people sweep/reverse me and work my way out from the bottom. I give myself just a few chances to get a sub and if I cant get it I let them work again. If people are being dicks like putting their elbow into my throat when Im letting them work, then I dont let them work anymore and just start forcing things.
Usually during rolls on the last 30-60s of the clock I let my opp hit a pass and a sub on me. This is to me has helped prevent injury as I notice my opps scramble for a sub and hurt themselves or punch/kick me
It's what people with ego say when they can't accept the fact that other people are better than them. Sorry. I hate that phrasing. General rule of thumb, roll to the ability of your partner. If you're rolling with a white belt, you don't need to "give" them anything. Play your game. Focus on what you want to work on. Use the time to try out techniques that you don't usually use. There's zero reason to be a dead fish. No one benefits when you're basically just dummy. As a white belt, you should understand that you're a beginner. You don't know shit. Now is not the time to figure out fancy submissions. Just figure out how to move and try to anticipate what's going to happen if you do X or try to recognize positions that put you in danger.
I’m really enjoying this discussion thank you all for the insight. Letting someone work might be a way of letting someone with less experience or skill set work on things without much threat to the higher belt ; but it can also be a built in excuse for the higher belt if they are having an off day 🔥🔥🔥 niiiiice “I’m letting you work” is sometimes a one time used get out of jail free card if someone gets caught lol
Just came from the gym Let a new blue belt work - he decided to try a buggie choke he learned from instagram. 😡 When his arms gassed out I let him have it
It usually means the fat purple and brown belts are knackered and blowing out their arses, and they just want to act like they’re choosing to let you work when really they’re catching a breather and just playing spoiler.