If you’ve trained Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for more than a couple of weeks, then the likelihood is that you’ll know the term ‘spaz’ which is commonly used in gyms far and wide. However, what does this mean? Firstly, it’s important to note out that this is a slur, and it’s also quite a politically incorrect one at that. However, BJJ has never been particularly politically correct, to begin with, and there’s a lot of cultural issues that can be found when training BJJ.
Anyway, here’s your guide to spazzing in BJJ. Here, you’ll find what the term means, who it’s aimed at and how to stop it.
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What is spazzing in BJJ?
Spazzing, or being spazzy is a term used in BJJ used to describe people whose movements are clumsy, rough and at times dangerous. A typical example of this phrase being used would be, “Did you roll with that new guy? He elbowed me in the face. He’s such a spaz.” What is meant by this is the person being described is not pleasant to roll with and tries to muscle on moves without the technical knowledge or skill to do things properly.
Typically, these people are unaware of the way in which they train, and as a result, get a negative reputation by the BJJ community and their partners. This may mean people avoiding them during sparring and generally treating them badly. You may not be able to tell who rolls like this until you’ve trained with them. However, within 30 seconds of rolling, you’ll know the score. If they’re rolling like they’re going to kill you and are going super hard, then they can be described as a spaz.
As mentioned, this term may be outdated by modern standards, but it’s commonly used in BJJ culture. Whether you like it or disagree, it’s probably not going anywhere soon either.
How do I stop spazzing in BJJ?
If you’ve been called a spaz by various training partners then the chances are that you’re rolling too hard and need to calm down. So, how do you do this? The idea is to roll slower and more consciously. Although this style will annoy your training partners, it will also slow down your own progression. Imagine rolling with a new white belt and you’re 2 years deep.
Instead of trying to experiment and try out new stuff, you instead try to kill them. You use your A-game and don’t try anything different. This is a problem as you won’t progress or lean. Eventually, you’ll also plateau and hit a level where you can’t do anything new and your mentality may stick like this. If you train in this way, you’re also much more likely to hurt yourself and others which can result in serious injuries.
As mentioned, simply slowing your speed down and trying to really think about what you’re doing is the best strategy. For instance, if you catch someone in an armbar, don’t try and yank it on with pure strength and without giving them time to tap. Instead, try to break their grip slowly with control. This will improve your technique by giving you time to think.
A good example of this is doing a flow roll, which is designed to be a light spar where you’re creative without trying to outwit your opponent. The point of this (and most rolls for this matter) is to learn, and not to win (you can save that for competitions)
What is a spazzy whitebelt?
Sadly, most white belts occupy the spazzy territory. This is somewhat expected and newcomers aren’t very aware both mentally and physically when doing BJJ. As a result, they may roll in a way that is frowned upon. The good news is that as your awareness grows and your ego lessens, you’re more likely to calm down which is a fairly natural process.
Because of this, many people will talk about the spazzy white belt cliche which is when a newcomer spars like it’s for survival. As you can imagine, if two people with this mentality meet, then it can be genuinely dangerous for both of them.
Having said this, it’s not just white belts that are guilty of this behavior. Whilst they may occupy the percentages, they’re also not alone in this behavior. Although less common, you can also find spazzy belts at all levels, even at black belt.
This isn’t as common but still happens, and as you can imagine there are still a few that roll like this at blue belt as well. This means that it can apply to all ranks but is mostly found at white belt. Sadly, if you’re still rolling like this as a higher belt, then you’re probably too stubborn to change your ways.
But can you roll too gently?
Although everyone’s opinion is different, rolling too gently can also be counterproductive for everyone when training. The issue with rolling too soft is that you may not experience someone going hard, which is bad when you need to defend yourself. You may also get injured more if you’re willing to give up positions, especially against those who are going to punish your body for it.
This doesn’t mean you should always roll hard, nor does it mean a 90KG guy should crush a 60KG woman either. However, the best way to roll whilst training is probably to be assertive and stubborn, without being too gentle or crazy.
Conclusion
Overall, spazzing is a derogatory word in BJJ and is used to describe those that often roll as if they’re fighting for their life. In doing this, you’re putting both yourself and your partner in danger when sparring, as well as hampering your learning in the process. Whilst it may be cool to see a black belt pulling off moves quickly, remember you should only add speed once the technique is mastered, which is why it’s best to slow down in the beginning.
