fat guys.

Heavier opponents... etc...

I know Jiu Jitsu is meant to be defeating a larger man and i have no problem getting the technique on the larger gentleman.. but does anyone find it hard sparring with larger opponents? :-p

My rib cage is killing me today.

no, it is easier

It's only hard when you let them smother you and crush you, like it sounds you have, don't let em anywhere near that sort of position.

yeah your right robsco, andy... he did indeed smother me oh well suppose ill learn!!! :-D

I already AM a really fat guy so i dont have anything to worry about :-))

There is a 23 stone guy in my Judo class. He is very lazy, so we don't get to practise as much as everyone else as he takes his time, really slow to take his turn throwing and takes forever to stand up. He's scared of being thrown, so even when he's supposed to be being helpful whilst you have your first go at a new throw he is still really awkward and defensive. When we are sparring, he just stands still, is really hard to get moving, and never attacks. It's the equivilent to someone running away from you all the time in boxing sparring, it's of little benifit to either of our training.

Luckily I'm 6'3" and 18 stone, so I still get plenty of chances to throw him so hard he bounces. Hopefully if I keep slamming him he will eventually stop coming. Oh and he is like a beached whale on the floor, and while he defends his neck like mad I can pull his arm out for juji gatame (straight arm bar).

My favourite time fighting him was when I got really frustrated with him locking his arms out, stopping me getting my hips in to throw him, I shot my arm inside then around his for a standing arm bar and he screamed like a girl. :-D

hahaha.

Is he only a whitebelt then? I still wanna do some judobut havent found a club.

He's orange, I'm on yellow. It varies though doesn't it. He might be an orange belt that goes every week to judo, but I sometimes go as rarely as once a fortnight due to work. The difference is that I go home from judo and read judo books, shadow uchikomi, practise and study counters and combinations. I was offered a double grading, sometimes I think I should've taken it.

How did your grading to yellow work? Did you have to attend like an area grading or can it be done within the club?

I'm not sure how it works, but I have the impression I will always have to travel, as I have to again in august. For yellow I had to drive two hours to a place near Peebles. There I attended a course, and as people practised and were taught, they were plucked out for their gradings and then rejoined. I was examined and tested by someone from the Peebles club that I didn't know, but later when I checked my book it was my instructor from half an hour away that had signed my grading in it?

what did they test you on technique? Did you have to spar or take part in a line up or is that later on in the belts?

I'm not familiar with the BJA grading, I'm with the BJC. The only difference I know is that gradings in the BJC, some of the grades like blue and up, you need to know as much kata as a BJA black belt.
For yellow, you've got three throws, three hold downs, an armlock, a strangle and your breakfalls to perform. You have to demonstrate that you know how to grip both right and left handed, and you're ability to move about properly with a partner (keeping your feet close to the ground and where you want them to be for balance at all times). Show the different stances, show you breaking a partners balance in eight directions and some randori. You'll have been expected to know some Japanese phrases too, and might be asked some questions, but the questions are nothing to worry about, and are aimed at children (i.e. you know not to run and shout in the dojo).
For yellow it's randori, and a demonstration that you know how to be both tori and uke. For orange and green its a competition with no effect to your grading win or lose, just show that you know how to be in a competition.
For blue and higher, it's win to get your belt. You have to win three fights against your own grade, in pools of four. If there are not enough of your own grade present, one of the opponents can be represented by two fights, against people of only one grade below. With no rest this can get knackering. If you win your fights but the people fighting you were rubbish, the examiner can say that there was not a good enough standard of competition, and you can still not recieve your grade. The examiner has a lot of scope, and you can get graders that will allow you to try against a much higher grade instead. For example, 'you've lost two of your fights, but if you can topple that black belt I'll give you your blue' stories have been heard.

Stop thinking about gradings if you've not got yor ass to a class?

Each belt has it's own moves to demonstrate, but also it has demonstration of technique elements. Orange I'll have to perform 2 throws into holds, 2 moves from one hold to another, 2 turnovers with partner on all fours, and 2 escapes from hold downs. Green has to perform escapes to strangles, attacks on opponents between legs, standing combintations, counters and more.

nice one spider very good post.....

and i would get my arse to class if i could find one to fit round my life:-D