Joking During Rolling: Okay or Not?

[Uchi Mata]

I will add this to the thread: Marcelo Garcia probably has more recorded rolls than any other human. Watch some. The majority of rounds are silent, but there are plenty of times someone makes an offhand comment during the round and he beams from ear to ear or vice versa. Especially after a sub occurs. No one is offended or thinks they're being robbed of their opportunity to improve.

I don't really have a problem with a comment after a sub. That doesn't disrupt the flow at all, it's a natural breaking point. It's not about being a hardass, it's about creating an environment where both people can fully focus on working on their games.

Though Marcelo's rolls are maybe not the best gauge, since a lot of them are with visiting fanboys and it's more about the experience for them than it is trying to get better during that particular roll. Even I'd probably joke with Marcelo just because I'd be giddy as a schoolgirl to be rolling with him.

 

[Uchi Mata]

People really need to not be purposely ignorant.. everyone who's actually trained knows what Uchi Mata is talking about..

Not the occasional joke or comment.. but the lower belt.. usually a white belt
. Who may or may not.. more often than not look a hipster for some reason. Passive aggressively compensating for losing or being tired by.. instead of just training.. starts trying to start a conversation, tell jokes that have nothing to do with it.. and tell the higher belt "good job". Which is distinctly fucking different from 2 older/higher belts cracking an occasional joke/comment/ or technical advice

No one is talking about taking rolling too seriously.. it's about maximizing your time and getting better and having fun in the meantime, there can be plenty of joking in between. In fact a lot of the hipster type bjj guys would be shocked about how much joking and fun goes on with wrestlers and wrestling coaches. But practice time, even when relaxed is fucking practice time.

Uchi isn't talking about taking training too seriously, he's talking about passive aggressive bitches who don't want to actually put in work, and yes children.. you can put in work to get better understand the fact you know you're not training for mundials.

And final thought.. I've had more issues with spanking and getting tweaked or hurt.. or hulk rolling after saying "let's go light".. from the jokesters than I ever have from the more "serious" guys like Uchi

This is a great comment, spot on. I think a lot of the time people tell jokes because it's a way of demonstrating that they're not taking the roll that seriously, which they do to minimize the fact that they're not performing well. Passive-aggressive is absolutely the right term for it.

 

[jack36767]

This is a great comment, spot on. I think a lot of the time people tell jokes because it's a way of demonstrating that they're not taking the roll that seriously, which they do to minimize the fact that they're not performing well. Passive-aggressive is absolutely the right term for it.

Yeah, passive aggressive people piss me off. It's literally beta, own what you do, who you are, and the work you're putting in

I can deal with training with hobbyists and not always training hard, 5 years of college wrestling. Fucked my body up, so I train smart anyway even though I'm 25. I have no problem dialing back for a hurt or older partner, etc.... I'm doing it for fun.. and because my fiancé kicks me out of the house if I haven't been on the mats for a while.. lol

But the passive aggressive shit like the "joking" sets me off

 

[Ryoto Machida]

This is a great comment, spot on. I think a lot of the time people tell jokes because it's a way of demonstrating that they're not taking the roll that seriously, which they do to minimize the fact that they're not performing well. Passive-aggressive is absolutely the right term for it.

I guess I see what you're saying here. If you're intentionally trying to joke around to limit the intensity of the roll, that is lame. I've only really experienced this a handful of times. But also, if I'm with someone like that, I don't really care either. I'll just start working crazy shit I've never done before, because I know they're no real threat to me in the roll.

 

[sb413197]

Usually not.

I've had training partners do that sort of stuff and I always find it annoying.

 

[TheMood]

It doesn't bother me really if someone jokes around. However, I've never had a beginner/stranger do it yet while rolling or someone joking to make themselves feel better. I think that would be annoying and I would probably tell them to just focus or something like that.

 

[Striderxdj]

Ill joke with the people im close with while rolling, but its people Ive known for years and its usually nothing more than a simple comment or inside joke when it would be least disruptive, like if I overcommit on a sub and get swept I'll smile and say "I walked into that one didnt I?"

 

[RedBiird]

I think it's the situation. If I'm rolling with a friend or someone I'm familiar with I tend to joke and have a good time will still rolling legit. However, if it's a stranger or someone I'm not familiar with I wont joke around.

 

[dmwalking]

depends on the situation and the person you are rolling with.

This. I normally follow the vibe of the guys who've been there more. Even my old instructor would have days where he joked a ton and other days when it was all business. It's more case by case. But I say if you're both new white belts, don't joke too much. It's distracting to yourself. If you're rolling with a higher belt, follow their vibe. They joke, joke back. They roll light, roll light. They roll hard, roll hard.

So yes, I love joking on the mats. But I would hate it if we were ALWAYS joking on the mat. Some days you gotta go hard. Otherwise you're losing the opportunity to engage in wonderful catharsis that BJJ offers. But at that same time, some days you gotta keep it playful, no Ryron.

 

[Kirra]

/r/BJJ is probably the gayest place on the Internet. I go to it every once and again just to get annoyed.

A few months ago the highest rated thread that month was about one guy writing about how BJJ is too hard and that he's quitting. Everybody was being super supportive and saying that it's OK if he doesn't like it.

Not ONE fucking person called him a on an anonymous Internet forum. My mind couldn't comprehend it.

 

[RJ Green]

I think a lot of the time people tell jokes because it's a way of demonstrating that they're not taking life that seriously, which they do to minimize the fact that they're not performing well.

FTFY

 

[Uchi Mata]

FTFY

Just breed Dachshunds. I believe in you.

 

[RJ Green]

THEY'RE MINIATURE PINSCHERS

 

[Clinchster]

Depends on the roll. If it's a still new-ish white belt or something, i'll joke a bit. "Here comes the choke, that you just gave to me." or if they're doing the classic pushing on your chest in mount. "So you want me to take that arm?...okay." I try and keep it light, however I don't stop and coach them.
That's about it. I might give real quick props to someone if they legit catch me in something wicked or land a nice throw. But that's about it....I MIGHT joke more during free roll, but only with the guys that i'm real tight with.

 

[Uchi Mata]

THEY'RE MINIATURE PINSCHERS

I don't know shit about dogs.

 

[beeran1]

Don't think I'd ever make a joke with a black belt during a roll, or even another brown belt, unless I knew the person really well. After a submission, perhaps. A lower belt? Depends on the situation. It's rare that a lower belt interrupts a roll with me to crack wise. Still, some people simply take a lighter approach to this, and while I take my jiu-jitsu seriously, I'm fine with that. People who stall/don't move are much more obstructive to my progress than the occasional badly-timed joke.

 

[HtomSirveaux]

I've never noticed the passive aggressive jokes you guys are talking about. It's actually the other way, most of the jokes are actually friendly taunting/shit talking by the guy that's dominating. Either that or a reference or in joke between buddies. But overall mostly no talking

 

[BJ@LW&WW]

typically im happy to be joking around with partners during training. but if its during a sparring session that is not intentionally light, it can be annoying because it causes me to lose focus. especially in bjj, a lot of times when im rolling i kind of enter a 'zen state' where im not really in that much active thought and most of it is just instinct and i really like being in that state of mind sometimes. someone makes a comment, and suddenly im back to reality and social norms of human interaction are instantaneously a burden on my mind again.

tbh, training martial arts is a huge escape for me from the rest of my life and im a somewhat antisocial person. sparring in martial arts lets me forget my daily stresses and allows me to be alone with myself even when rolling with a partner.

until they crack a joke.

 

[RJ Green]

I don't know shit about dogs.

i taught mine systema

 

[The Thrill]

Similar thing here. Sometimes I try something new or something funky, which often ends up in some epic mess up. Which I find hilarious. No reason not to laugh at myself a bit.

this is about the only time i talk,when im trying something different and completely fuck it up, ill say something like that was stupid

what uchi is talking about though i absolutely hate, its like people are scared theyre gonna get their ass kicked and try to talk it down a notch or something, or they talk and joke right through the entire roll because they dont want to train hard

and btw,reddit is like the epitome of the pussification of bjj, how many threads over there are like oh man hes being mean, he rolls too hard, why do i have bruises on me from doing a combat sport? why does bjj hurt so bad?