Sandbaggers

[Brent Smith]

Is sandbagging a problem everywhere? There's a few schools here in Oregon that most definately do it. I mean if your boy goes down to the pan ams as a blue belt and wins it 3 years in a row he's obviously not a blue belt anymore. Has this turned into how many medals a school can collect? I know jiu jitsu is suppose to be a journey and not a race but sandbagging doesn't make much sense to me.
Thoughts?

[Dustin Lou]

When i won my division at NAGA in chicago back in september, i was instantly accused of being a sandbagger. The division was 0-6 months...i had exactly 6 months of experience. Albeit i trained 5-6 days a week for 3-4 hours a day for the last three months, but it was still 6 months of training. I knew going in that i could have done well in the next division up but it was my first tournament and i felt like it was ok for me to still compete in that division. nothing like winning the pan ams 3 years in a row as a blue belt haha. thats a little ridiculous.

[Jason_C]

im about to enter my first official tourney next sat. ive done quite a bit of grappling and training over the last couple of years on and off mainly with guys who are on avg 30 lbs more then me. im worried that i might smash and rep tenth planet and be looked at as a sandbagger.

i was advised since ive never competed before that i should enter beginner and if i do steamroll the competition then i know im not a beginner.

i guess ill find out

[Josh Passini]

I have seen tons of sandbaggers. Doesnt prove anything. Winning against people your skill or higher is much better. But I have seen a shit load.

[Dustin C.]

my first tourny in the 0-6 months division i beat two guys then lost to a guy via RNC, then found out he was a blue belt.......
I was pissed but then found out its comon also. later I felt good I got beat by a blue belt and he had to work for it, just seems like there should be a way to keep track of what belt people are in tounaments.....

[Jason_C]

why the hell is a blue belt in 0-6? thats horseshit.

well it sounds like i might just be in good comp if i run into some sandbaggers

[Conner MACHINE Gibbons]

My thought is throw all the sandbaggers you want at me, It force's me to improve at warp speed. Sandbaggers I ran into 6 months ago that smashed me, now get smashed. One day they will be looking at all there trophies that they cheated to win, and I will be wearing my blackbelt that I earned thru every ounce of blood sweat and tears that I shed. Jiu Jitsu is about learning and growth, somthing someone who sandbags would not understand, thats why they won't have what it takes to make it to blackbelt.

[Jeff V]

^^^^ THIS... truth. I would rather compete against complete studs and get schooled than smash through a bunch of newbs and win a medal. You really cannot simulate the pace and aggressiveness of a tourney match in class and the only way to really bump your game up a level is to compete and compete against grapplers who are better and be humble enough to realize you learn more from a loss than you do from a victory sometimes.

[Dennis Martinez]

I mostly always compete a level up because ill get real comp and not have to have 3 or 4 sandbaggers trying to look good, I usually smash them anyway but I prefer comp that's trying at their real level

[Josh Passini]

My thought is throw all the sandbaggers you want at me, It force's me to improve at warp speed. Sandbaggers I ran into 6 months ago that smashed me, now get smashed. One day they will be looking at all there trophies that they cheated to win, and I will be wearing my blackbelt that I earned thru every ounce of blood sweat and tears that I shed. Jiu Jitsu is about learning and growth, somthing someone who sandbags would not understand, thats why they won't have what it takes to make it to blackbelt.

Preach Future