What Makes a Good Training Partner?

Jiu jitsu is not something you can practice very well by yourself.

You need someone to work with.

Someone to hold a position. Someone to move. Someone to defend. Someone to give you a problem to solve.

That person is your training partner.

A good training partner does not just help you practice a move.

A good training partner helps you get better.

That does not mean they should let you win every time.

If your partner never moves, never defends, and lets every move work, you might learn the steps.

But you will not learn how to use the move when someone is trying to stop you.

A good training partner gives you the right amount of resistance.

During drilling, they might stay still at first so you can learn where your hands and feet should go.

Once you understand the movement, they might start to move a little more.

They might make you work for the position. They might defend. They might give you a new problem to solve.

But a good training partner is not trying to make every rep impossible either.

If your partner uses all of their strength, moves too fast, or tries to win while you are still learning the steps, neither of you gets very much practice.

One person does not get to learn the move, while the other person only learns that they can stop someone who is still figuring it out.

That is not very impressive.

A good training partner knows that practice is not always about winning.

Sometimes your job is to attack.

Sometimes your job is to defend.

Sometimes your job is to move slowly.

Sometimes your job is to give your partner just enough resistance to help them improve.

A good training partner also keeps you safe.

They listen when you tap.

They control their body.

They do not yank, twist, or throw their weight around carelessly.

They understand that being stronger or faster does not mean they have to use all of that strength and speed every second.

Being a good training partner also means paying attention.

You listen to the coach. You try to do the drill the way it was shown. You take turns. You help your partner when they forget a step. You give them time to learn.

You might even encourage them when something is difficult.

Your training partner is not your enemy.

They are the person helping you solve a problem.

You are helping them solve it too.

That means both of you have an important job.

You are there to challenge each other. You are there to protect each other. You are there to help each other improve.

A good training partner does not just ask:

“Did I win?”

They also ask:

“Did we both get better?”

Glossary

Training partner - The person you practice with during class.

Resistance - When your partner moves or defends instead of letting the move happen easily.

Drilling - Practicing a move with a partner, usually more than once.

Control - Using your body carefully so you can hold a position without hurting your partner.

Cooperation - Working together to help both people learn.

Parent Note

Jiu jitsu gives kids the unusual job of helping another person improve while that person is also trying to improve against them.

That requires more than athletic ability.

It requires patience, self-control, communication, and awareness.

A good training partner learns when to cooperate, when to resist, and how to challenge someone without being careless. Kids also learn that they do not have to dominate every interaction for it to be valuable.

Their partner’s progress matters too.

That lesson can carry into school, sports, friendships, and any situation where two

people are trying to learn together.