Training at other gyms?

[Justin W.]

What are your thoughts on training at other gyms? Good? Bad? Especially interested to hear from coaches.

[Tom Carbone]

Do you mean training at other gyms while you're still going to your original gym?

[Gray]

I do it often, probably dropped in at about a dozen or so gyms. My instructor doesn't mind and I don't see why he would. (Unless he is scared that you'll see other schools are far superior or some other ego issue)

[CTGRXB]

As long as you're not chasing a tap. We have a dude at our school who was paying and going to 2 schools just to find ways to beat guys at the other school and doesn't seem to really learn anything and gets handled at both places. But I don't see why dropping in other places should be discouraged, especially if there is a great instructor in the area.

[ern]

I'm not a BJJ expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I do have a keyboard so here is my .02

I go to two different gyms now. One I go to roll at (and do a little standup) and the other I go to do primarily standup and ground and pound, and roll there sometimes. Thanks to Gray, I went to SIMGO in Las Vegas for a couple of days while I was there and Sim showed me some x guard and butterfly stuff that I haven't seen before other than on videos. I got my ass kicked by new people that rolled differently and did different things than I was used to. I tried some butterfly guard against them, having never done it before. I met some really great people. I went to VA to Master Eddie's seminar by myself not knowing anyone there, and having never done a 10th planet move in my life. I rolled with a guy from VA who was great and he showed me some stuff. I got to drill a technique with a 10p guy and learned something. I am trying to get to the East Coast training camp for at least one day this year. I would love to go to a moon sometime and learn as well. If money was no object I would travel the world and train in every discipline.

The people at both gyms seem to understand what I am trying to do, just learn and hopefully get better. No one has ever said a negative thing to me, more often than not they have questions about what it was like and want to see what techniques I was shown. They also like to see the collection of tshirts I am starting to get from different gyms. At the one gym we get several travelling guys, they bounce all over the place, they are great to train with. I can't wait to see what people will show me.

The only reason I would see an instructor telling you not to go to more than one is if they are looking out for you. I don't know your skill level, but if you are just beginning it might be best to stay at one.

[Ryan Brick]

the only reason people should mind is if there product sucks.

Now I have one guy who occasionally trains with me, he lies to us tells us he doesn't train anywhere else but that he did wrestling in school he gets horribly destroyed by my whitebelts.

In truth this guy has been training a year and wrestled in school and he takes every single thing that I show him and gets free membership at another gym because he teaches them 10th planet moves so that they can learn how to "smash" them.

I don't mind that he does this I'm actually flattered that they are afraid of not studying our stuff. But i dont like him for lying about it all.

Moral of the story is be honest about it and no one should mind.

Everyone's game is different no two people know all the same tricks.

[Greg W]

I train at other gyms every chance I get and encourage everybody at our place to do the same! Although the nearest "other gym" is an hour away, and the nearest real BJJ gym in more like 6 hrs away, so nobody does it to often!!

[David Rosado]

I have no choice. But team empire will always be home for me,

[Blake Small]

I train anywhere there's a mat!

[Gray]

Glad that stuff is working for you man. In case you didn't know, I was the creepy white guy who was the dummy in the private.

If you ever have any questions on what sim showed hit him up on Facebook, he is pretty good about giving in depth answers.