FULL OUT

Some folks say that you have to roll full out or you aren't keeping things real.

Seriously? I think that's nuts.

If you want to fight in a realistic fashion, I have a few suggestions.

First; how do you justify not hitting one another? If we're keeping it real, we'll have to hit. Real fights have hitting.

OK, maybe you don't want to hit. Very few Jiu-Jitsu people are interested in that, and justify its exclusion due to “safety concerns.”

Second; forget the nogi/gi controversy. In a real fight, nobody will be wearing a gi, but it's just as certain that there will be no board shorts or rashguards either. If you want realism, roll in an assortment of street clothes.

Have you ever done that? If not, why not?

Third; change the surface that you train on. Not only will a “real” attacker come at you throwing punches and wearing jeans and a hoodie, you won't be taking them down onto a nice, soft, padded, floor-mat.

Maybe start slow and practice take-downs onto a hardwood floor. Grind around on your knees submitting one another. After warming up this way, take it outside to train on dirt, concrete, and gravel.

Guess how long it took me to come up with these three little suggestions for realistic training. I type about 60 words a minute, and I typed this in less time than it took me to come up with the list.

More thoughts? Train in pitch dark, in the rain, over logs on the beach, or surrounded by tables and chairs.

If all this seems kind of ridiculous, it is, but so is insisting that rolling full power is any more realistic other variations.

Personally, I prefer flow rolling over going full out. More things happens, you can try goofy shit, and not get hurt so much.

Our school sometimes does rolling against punching opponents who wear boxing gloves. This helps us anticipate where strikes can come from and how to shut them down.

I don't know why we don't do this out in the parking lot, wearing hoodies.