At Elite Training Center (Redondo Beach, CA), we stress the importance of being a good training partner, but what does that specifically entail? How do we ensure that we are not “that guy” or “that girl” with whom no one wants to train?
The basics for all classes, from Muay Thai kickboxing to Kali Silat, are simple: Always change shirts before and between classes. If you tend to sweat more heavily, bring a towel. Keep your skin clean…if you can, showering before class is a great idea. Replace your equipment before it begins to smell horrible…and speaking of smells, a little gum before class can go a long way towards freshening up your breath!
When it comes to classes that involve ground techniques and fighting, such as Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, MMA, and Krav Maga, in addition to the above “good partner basics,” it’s especially important to keep your fingernails short (and I’ve always found that filing them to round the cut edge helps even more). If you have long hair, do your best to keep it back and out of the way when training. But guys, be patient if your partner has to pause to re-tie her hair…chances are you’re sweating more than she is and she’s being cool about it, so give her and her hair a break!
Beyond those basic courtesies and hygiene, to be a good partner you have to communicate and work at your partner’s level. This means you must slow down if warranted, and it also means that you need to let your partner know if he or she is going too fast or training too hard. If the training is too one-sided, with one person dominating the other, then no one learns anything of positive value. The “conversation” and cooperation back and forth between partners are crucial to both parties’ advancement.
This brings up a comment that I hear a lot. “As a beginner student, I don’t want to partner with more advanced students because I’m afraid to ‘hold them back.’” You must not worry about it!! In martial arts, it is the duty of the senior student to work with junior students and help them along their paths. To deny more advanced students this aspect of their training is to rob them of some very important lessons with regards to teaching and character development. Every black belt was a white belt at one time, struggling to put together the mechanics that make a proper jab or a basic arm bar. Everyone should remember that struggle, and as students we shouldn’t forget how great it felt to have a more advanced student work with us and share their experiences with us. So don’t be afraid to partner with someone with more experience than you…it’s a good thing for both of you!
Practicing with many people is crucial to your martial arts training. Working with different body types and skill levels helps you learn to adapt your technique to your partner, which better prepares you for a hypothetical future opponent or attacker. So branch out! Don’t always pair up with the same person. And always make sure you’re someone that others want to train with by having a positive attitude, communicating well, and keeping those basic rules of partner courtesy and hygiene.
See you in class!
Katie
