Do you allow new people to roll with you?

[Art "ART OF WAR" Belarde]

Yea they are checking your credibility. You need to roll with people that come to your gym. If they just whoop you they are not going to want to pay there hard earned money to you. Also if you don't roll with your students what does that say about you??? I have been teaching here at Ramstein BJJ for the last year and I make it a point to roll with every new guy. It also builds good rep with you and your students. Hope that helps.... Oh and are you really a white belt??? What are you teaching?

[Alan Smith]

nope
assholes are always kneeing me in the nuts, or choking me with the forearm to the throat

why does everybody have a problem with forearm chokes? my instructer alway forearm chokes me and covers my mouth and trys to makes you feel as uncomfotable as possable i really appreciate it, it simulates a real fight better nobodys gunna pussy foot around you in a real MMA fight.

[James Steele]

nope
assholes are always kneeing me in the nuts, or choking me with the forearm to the throat

I love rolling with new guys who turn up with no gum shield or groin guard. After 5 minutes of passing his guard by posting my knee through, they quickly realise the importance of protecting their crown jewels!

[ifreez]

What are your takes on allowing someone to come in to your gym to "check it out" and allowing them to roll with you? I just opened up a new MMA gym and I have had a couple of instances where someone who has trained in other local MMA gyms wants to come check me out and roll with me. Should I allow this or no?? Any policies from other gym owners would be greatly appreciated! Thanks

If you have a gym, you should roll with anyone who tries your gym, unless you're injured. If you don't want to roll with new people you'll be suspected as a beginner pretending to know JJ, and afraid of being exposed when a white belt taps you repeatedly.

[Brent Smith]

Yeah you gotta let guys roll. Even if you don't roll sick one of your top guys on him

[Chris Herzog]

I roll with everyone that comes in my Academy unless I'm sick or injured. However I don't give out free "trial" lessons, and new students (with no experinece) do not get to roll the first couple of classes, I see it as throwing a baby into a lake and then yelling "Now swim back to shore or you'll drown".

[Scott Philips]

We do 1 free class at my gym and my instructor will tell the new people to watch us for a little while before they jump in. I will roll new people, you just really have to be ready to ride and then tame a bull sometimes. Spazzzzzzzs, pretty sure all my black eyes have come from rolling new people. I agree about your not rolling someone looking bad on your part because you have to be the one to prove jiu jitsus legitimacy, especially if your the "instructor." You choosing not to roll someone makes you appear "pussyish" for lack of a better word. I personally wanna know that the guy I'm shelling out my cash to can at least wupp my ass.

[derrick ikwueme]

one of the reasons i started teaching was to just have more bodies to roll with, a instructor that doesn't roll is just wierd too me, & the best way to get students respect is to tap them a few times. but don't break there spirit. then they will hang on your every word & pay close attention. & getting called out is a part of the game, & it's fun because you don't have to go easy & you just make quick & short work of the dude. & any student will wonder how long they can last with you until you show them

[NickKellermeyer]

Good deal guys, I appreciate all the opinions. I roll with just about anyone but I have had 2 instances now where people have come in from other gyms to test me out and then went back to their gyms. It didnt work out so well for them but it made me wonder what everyone else does in those circumstances. Oh yeah, and I am a white belt in 10th Planet, I opened my gym under my Blackbelt in Sogo Goshin Do!! It is a mix of stand up, takedowns and ground stuff but the ground game is weak there so I am trying to get my learn on in 10th Planet and I love it so far!! Thanks again.

[John Alighieri]

Yup we give people a week to try out (nobody as ever made it to every classes) our fitness, jiu jitsu and wrestling classes. If they are not brand new to it they are more than welcome to roll. I roll with everybody unless I'm injured then I let some of my OGs do the talking for me
So far we've gained a few people from other gyms