Questionable Instructors!!!

[Benjamin Dover]

How many of you have come across questionable instructors? Last week I just wanted to see what this Mixed martial arts place was like since I train at a MMA gym. Well after watching the grappling class for 5 min the instructors asks if I want to join in. I am no great grappler...purple belt going for my brown...but I tap the dude out. We grapple stating from the stand up and I tap him out twice and he taps me out twice. But, overall he wasn't any good.

He tapped me out because on both times I made a beginner mistake. While trying to pass his guard I left an arm him. He tapped me out with a triangle both times. Whenever this happens I just stack and the triangle is released. I had this guys' knees behind his head and touching the mat and he still kept it on?!?!?! So I train for a week not getting leaving an arm in or getting it trapped and I tap this dude out 7 out of 7 rolls. Crucifixed him twice.

Now he's pissed! He wants to do some stand up sparring. Well...this is my domain. He starts with some pretty hard hits so I pick it up and really start to rip into him He starts turning his back whenever I lay it on. It was brutal.

I went to a Kung Fu school and they said if I paid $2000 up front it will pay up to brown sash, LOL!!! They don't spar because it would be too dangerous to use their moves. Well after much cajoling I end up sparring with the instructor. I jabbed him and then shot in for a double leg takedown. I quickly establish side mount and transition to a Kimura. What a joke!

McDojo - I spar the instructor and it was pathetic.

[Szczepankiewicz]

We have a test for new students.

We get them to stand up and deal with an 'attacker' holding a striking bag.

If they have any training they usually 'perform well' in this test. Meaning they move well, strike only when needed and remain calm, cool and collected.

If they 'pass' that test, we move to a grappling test wherein we grab them in basic grabs and see what they do.

If they respond well, i.e. lock us up or escape (as we don't put up much of a fight) we evalutate their performance.

If we are unable to point out ways for them to improve their self-defense skills, my instructor explained what it is we must do after that.

We become their student.

In self-defense the ego should be left behind. If you come to my dojo and kick my ass in sparring, I need to learn from you

Spanky

[Thai Bri]

This is a sad story relating to the ego.

When I learned grappling I learned here www.maxct.co.uk

He is an excellent grappler, and took private lessons to get there. Years ago he told me of how one of his Judo instructors got really shitty with him, and only because Mike had managed to tap him out. How daft, we both agreed. Surely the instructor should be proud of such a good student who is, after all, only developing BECAUSE of the instructor.

Last year I was training with him, and he outlined how, during a private lesson that Mike was giving, someone had dared to try and tap him out. "He nearly had me" says Mike "But I got out. The cheeky git. I punished him for the next hour. How dare he come into my dojo and do that?"

There. Ego. One of the many reasons I no longer train there.

I got a PM a little while ago from Ms. J (Bows deeply woman). She'd trained with him at Inosantos and told him about other posts I'd made about him. The nasty bitch. Lol, that guy can rip me in pieces and knows where I live. I'm glad she's gone.

[Tom Yum]

Originally posted by Szczepankiewicz

We get them to stand up and deal with an 'attacker' holding a striking bag.

If they have any training they usually 'perform well' in this test. Meaning they move well, strike only when needed and remain calm, cool and collected.

If they 'pass' that test, we move to a grappling test wherein we grab them in basic grabs and see what they do.

If they respond well, i.e. lock us up or escape (as we don't put up much of a fight) we evalutate their performance.

In self-defense the ego should be left behind. If you come to my dojo and kick my ass in sparring, I need to learn from you

Spanky

The attacker holding a striking bag is a good one, especially against a 250 lbs Spankmeister. BEEF CAKE!!!

[Tom Yum]

Re: Questionable Instructors!!!

Originally posted by Benjamin Dover

McDojo - I spar the instructor and it was pathetic.

Ever fight in amateur MMA, like Renegades or Toughman? If you're going to make a name for yourself, let us folks know when you compete so we can cheer you on.

[SweepEm]

When the UFC first hit, the popularity of BJJ and other martial arts was really growing. There became a big demand and it seemed schools would pop up everywhere. Everyone was walking into different martial arts schools asking about BJJ and so with demand, came people trying to capitolize on the demand. But many guys were teaching BJJ that didn't have any first hand knowledge.
In a big city here in LA, the frauds will be eventually exposed.

Sooner or later, if there are questionable instructors teaching, their lack of knowledge and skills will be obivious. The problem is the innocent students are victims of these scammers.

Too many guys lie about their credentials and need to be exposed as frauds.

[MrPoopy]

I'm not doubting that Ben is a purple belt. But I can't see a purple belt going on brown making beginner mistakes.

And someone that manages a purple belt and going for a brown, in BJJ atleast, is a damn good grappler.

I've come across some questionable people and instructors. My old BJJ instructor new his stuff, but he had an ego... the kind that could have only been developed thru years of BJJ.

A lot of BJJ guys are cocky with huge egos.

Ben, how experienced was this MMA instructor you rolled with?

[Thai Bri]

You've got to remember and learn from history. Karate, Wing Chun, Full Contact etc etc. They've all been THE thing to do. Then they've been flooded with charlatan instructors, and even good ones have diluted the art to keep the masses in. Numbers soar and quality plummets.

Within 10 years there will be BJJ Black Belts who can barely fight.

[Maxetai]

Couldn't agree more with you Thai Bri.

[Thai Bri]

Then you couldn't be more right!

[Cain]

well, i must say that a blue or purple belt in bjj IS good at grappling, look at guys like jon olav einemo.. he would kick you all from here to the moon, and submit you down again...

[Benjamin Dover]

Mr Poopy,

I received my Blue Belt from Marco Soares (Carlson Gracie 5th degree) in Vancouver. I got my purple from Royce in California. As I stated in my last post I just stack guys when they try a triangle on me. It has worked everytime. I haven't been tapped out by a triangle in 3 years. But, like i said earlier...I had him stacked with his knees behind his ears and he still had a good bite. I usually leave an arm in so that my opponent goes for the triangle and I stack and pass. Since this is my usual strategy I got caught with it. It was no problem adjusting. I just kept on training passing the guard with keeping both arms in our both out.

Since, I am acutely aware of the armbar with this method I was always ready for it. The triangle has, up till now, been very easy for me to pass through. Even when I roll with black belts, in the past, I have stacked them and was able to pass. Combined with pulling down on the knee and gaining space and trying to wrap my crossed over arm under the opponents leg I have always been successful passing through the triangle.

Once I adjusted to this I was able to tap him out 7 out of 7 rolls. As for his experience...when I asked where he learned his stuff he said "here and there". The only position he has well versed in was the closed guard. He was definitely good at submissions from the bottom. But, everything else was piss poor. Horrible mount and X-mount. Didn't have an open guard game.

I think he might have taken classes for 2 years and then learned through videos. His students were horrible. I couldn't even believe that some of them learned how to grapple.

[Sean Dempsey]

As I stated in my last post I just stack guys when they try a triangle on me.

When I am triangling someone and getting stacked, I hook and around around their knee and pull it forward, locking my elbow bend into their knee bend, and that keeps them from being able to stand and stack effectively. Does this happen to you or do you get around that somehow? This has been my counter to getting stacked which has worked for me.

[Benjamin Dover]

It is a good counter. Let's say you are Triangling me with my left arm crossed over. When I start my stack and I simultaneously pull down on the knee with my right arm arm to gain a few more seconds of air. When a person starts the counter I turn with them allowing my arm to at the very least be straight as opposed to crossed over. I do this by putting all my weight onto my left hand side. If the opponent is allowed to extend the hips then it is all over. You must keep the opponents torso bent. As i continue the stack with my left hand I grab behind the head and pull towards their knees.

This usually works because during your counter one hand is hooked around the knee and the other if it is not holding onto the wrist it should be countering the stack. You can momentarily slow it down by placing your arm on your knee.

Also with the left arm crossed over the majority of the time people will stack and pass through the right side. If it is on really hardcore when I stack I go to the left. Once the legs break I will slip my left arm out only until my forearm is through. Then I will roll them over with my shoulder as opposed to taking my whole left arm out and underhooking and then passing.

[FUH-Q]

i also like to give the triangle to pass. my only prob is when i throw my shoulder into it and pass i find that the better opponents roll into the turtle. do you notice this and if you do what do you do?