So my room mate used to wrestle...

[KnifeHand]

My room mate here in college wrestled in high school. I started martial arts about 6 months ago, i'm an 8th kyu orange belt studying kempo and jujitsu. Anyway, he thinks it's pretty funny to poke at me and sometimes pick me up because I am small (I hate that). He's also put me in a few wrestling locks and says he pins me, which is great. He's not understanding that my arts aren't for pins or points. I don't want to hurt the kid with strikes or horrible joint locks. Any ideas?

[Shorin Ryuu]

I roomed with a wrestler for a year back in college. Now, I had just a little more experience than you do, but my advice would still remain the same. Simply take all of his jibes in stride, and ask him to teach you some things. You can take what you want, discard what you don't want, but he may introduce a few principles that you may or may not get in your training elsewhere. It will also give you an opportunity to point out weaknesses in his methods just as he is trying to do to you. I would recommend that you try to make it as complementary as possible, rather than pure criticism. If you offer to "learn" some stuff from him, maybe he'll be receptive if you show him some things as well.

 

I for one was able to win the respect of my roommate, since we would often wrestle around, and even if he got me in a hold or something, I'd ask him if I could cheat (i.e., use my karate) and would show him a thing or two. Either way, I would learn things and he would learn things.

[SevenStar]

I don't buy the "my style isn't for pins or points" thing. If you understand the principles of your style, then it's used for whatever you want to use it for. Anyway, give him what he wants - spar with him. It will be good experience for you both. He will eventually begin to respect TMA, and you will learn that it's a lot harder than you may think to hurt a wrestler.

[White Warlock]

i had a friend in high school, back in the Jurassic period, who once challenged me to a friendly wrestling bit. He repeatedly beat me soundly, and i thought i was pretty good before then.

 

Anyway, he was a CIF champ for his weight division and encouraged me to join the high school wrestling team, where my passion for the martial arts escalated exponentially.

[Red J]

Learn all you can from him. It is a great opportunity. I don't think that you will "hurt" him if you use control.

[Rich67]

Learn some pressure points. If he pins you, jab him with a good pressure point (behind the ear/mandible, inside knees, top of sternum, etc). You won't hurt him, but you'll make him think twice about screwing with you. If that's not your bag, then do what the others advise-learn from him, and use the wrestling techniques as training for you. What would happen if a wrestler attacked you in the street? Are you gonna tell him that your art isn't for pins? He doesn't care-he just wants to thrash you. And he will, too, if that is your attitude. Learn as much as you can, and learn how to counter his moves. He's gotta get you down on the ground first, right? So learn how to sprawl and defend against his takedowns. Wrestlers (like jiu jitsu) practicioners like to bring the fight to their level- the mat/ground. Just don't give them the opportunity, so you can fight in your element. But if you do end up on the ground, you had better know how to fight back from there, too. It doesn't take a wrestling/grappling expert to do that, either. Just learn to kick him as you're down and learn to get back to your feet quickly. The longer you are down there, the easier it is to fall into his game.

[Shane]

Get him in your guard and when he counts to 3 and starts bragging about getting the pin, place a choke on him and then you count and see how long until he's out!

 

When he comes to, remind him that he would have won in his style, but that you won in yours. If you really want to get at him you can ask him who his daddy is after you've choked him out.

 

Just Kidding

 

Release the choke right before total blackout

[Goju 4 Life]

You say you don't want to hurt him. IMO you should not seriously. But, if you act like a carpet he will feel compelled to walk on you. That reminds me. if you guys ar eon the ground drag him and give him carpet burn.

[White Warlock]

The point i was attempting to make with my earlier post was that you have the 'opportunity' to learn a very effective set of ground skills. You should run with that opportunity, and put your ego aside. Ask him to teach you, whilst giving him a partner to practice with. In time, he might gain respect and start asking you to teach him. But there's no need to force him to gain respect, or force him to want to learn. It's his obstacle. Don't make it yours.

[KnifeHand]

Thank you for all of the posts. Sevenstar, what I meant by the "my art isn't for pins or points" thing was that in a real situation, I would be using anything I could to defend myself, such as chokes, joint locks, biting, grabbing of the testicles, strikes, or finding something to use as a weapon. It's fine and dandy if he can pin me on the ground, but that won't kill me. I am not trying to be egocentric, just saying that he doesn't understand, and I was wondering if anyone knew how to help him understand. Anyway - I really like the "learn from him" advice. Next time he messes with me I will probably just ask how he did whatever he did to me and maybe get some free lessons.