Some people say, “But competitive fighters need to be pushed, so why would they waste their time with some non-competitive student who isn’t as good/strong/big as them?” “Why ‘go light’ when in competition we go as hard as possible?” Opposing opinions will say, “Do you get paid to go hard in the gym? Do you like getting knocked out in training? Then why not save the big blows for when you are actually getting paid!?” For grappling, “Why push your joints to the breaking point just to see if you could get out of the submission rather than tapping? Do you like going to the hospital?!” Sure it would be great to be able to train with people our exact level and size all the time but that is just not how most gyms work.
The truth is, “rank” or “experience” often blinds people into thinking they are better in some way than someone else or someone else is better than them. “This guy just started, there is no way he is going to get the better of me.” In comes our good old friend “The Ego.” People don’t want to admit someone else is better than them or that they “caught” them in a submission/hit them in sparring, especially if they are outranked. “Oh I was going light . . . (or insert endless excuses here).” Well for those of you who are ready to be honest and admit when you get caught even if it is by someone lower ranked or less experienced than you, I’ve got the last excuse you will ever have to use, and it is an honest one. ATTRIBUTES!
If you keep in mind the Attribute Equation you will always be honest in your training. What is the Attribute Equation? Easy, acknowledging all of the physical and technical attributes that go into you and your training partner. “Hey listen, I’m a 110 pound female. Most men, if they went 100% against me, have the physical attributes to beat me.” “I’m a 365 pound male. If I used my weight and strength against everyone, people would hate me and I wouldn’t have any training partners.” Let’s take those two examples and pin them against each other but add technical ability into the mix for fun.
Let’s say there is a lightweight female black belt, for example, going against a heavyweight male purple belt or any other variation of such a dichotomy for that matter. Should the heavyweight male go harder in hopes of nullifying the technical abilities of the female black belt? Should they expect the black belt to be able to deal with their weight and strength advantage? Moreover, should the black belt assume that their technique will always get them through tough rolls with people who possess more physical attributes than them? My answer? “Train WITH your Partner not ON Your Partner.”