If you were to ask just about anyone for advice about rolling with bigger and stronger training partners, you’d probably hear something along the lines of: “Just try to use your agility and speed against them!” Or: “That’s a great opportunity to work on your defense.”
And, even though both of these tips are great, it might be the case that it would be wiser for you to actually stop rolling with bigger and stronger training partners. Here’s why.
WHY YOU SHOULD STOP ROLLING WITH BIGGER & STRONGER TRAINING PARTNERS
The number one reason why you should do this is to evade injuries. This is particularly true if you’re a much lighter person than these training partners are; for that’s when there’s a quite high probability of getting injured in the process.
Also, if you’re just getting started with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and you’re not that young anymore, it might be wise for you to choose to roll with training partners who you trust. Roll only with them for now and, while you gain self-confidence, go for an occasional roll against those bigger and stronger people.
For, rolling hard isn’t the most important of training anyway. If you want to truly progress, your best bet will always be focused drilling and a variation of flow rolling.
Professor Ryan Young, from Kama Jiu-Jitsu, explains more on the video below:
Sloth Jiu-Jitsu: you can be slow and unathletic and still kick butt in Jiu-Jitsu.