There were times when I’d be sparring with someone, be it in MMA, Boxing, or Brazilian Jujitsu, and some days the dudes would go super hard.
My philosophy when it came to sparring was that I give what you give. If we are having a friendly sparring session, we should be going light and taking it easy. No one is looking to get hurt.
However, there were times when the opponent would be going hard. I remember once that this Judo black belt threw me really hard on the mat. That hit knocked the wind out of me, and really frustrated me.
He was a Judo guy, so I didn’t stand a chance standing with him, so I started to focus on keeping the fight on the floor. Once on the floor, I started to roll really hard, I was using elbows, my head, and simply trying to give as good as I got. I applied the techniques with great force and showed no mercy.
At one point, he got frustrated and jumped up, “Hey man, you are going too hard. What’s your problem?” I said, “You threw me like a sack of potatoes, I thought it was understood that you could take what you dish out?” He was pacing back and forth, “Nah man, you are going too hard.” Again, I replied, “I’m giving you what you give me, that’s the way this goes.”
The instructor came over to check what was up, and I explained that this guy likes to go hard, but he doesn’t like it when we go hard back. If you can dish it, you can take it. They said okay guys, let’s move on, switch partners. When the guy moved on, the instructor smiled and winked at me, he whispered, “I don’t like bullies, good job. His face is red all over, I love it.”
It’s cool to train hard, but when it is a friendly roll, don’t be a bully and try to play to kill! If you do, then don’t get upset when we give you back the same medicine! I sure do miss training!
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