wanted to get the UG's thoughts on loyalty when it comes to training.
What do you think of guys who are your training partners, going and training and the other gyms in town.
Personally I am kind of OK with it, but recently some of our guys are hitting the mats at other gyms on nights that we have class. Instead of having some higher level guys to roll with, we end up having a couple blues and a lot of whites, while our purples and other blues are off training at other gyms.
I think cross training is great...if you are hitting the mats at other schools on Sundays or another day that you don't have class at your gym.
Perhaps I am being a little too old school about this, but when these guys show back up at our school, after posting all over facebook about how they are training at other gyms, it kind of pisses me off.
I want to be pushed by the best guys at my school, and when a bunch of our higher level guys are training with other people and all i have to roll with is the 250 lb monster white belt who tries to rip your head off, I dont get better...
What say you?
Imho. It's usually a phase that a lot of the more competitive types go through. They know where they are in the pecking order in their gym and when they go and roll with others it's exciting. There are usually new folks to tap and new people to get tapped by. It's kind of like going to a friendly tournament you get the excitement of hitting your moves against people who don't know they are coming but you don't get the bitterness of defeat when you get tapped. I don't think they should be training on days when they would normally come to class because I believe in building a team and putting in the hours as a team. In the end though I understand that we are all individuals and our Jiu-jitsu is ours and ours alone. So they think they are doing what's good for them. Also they may see it as an opportunity to get better and bring that ability and knowledge back to the gym. In the end we are all ultimately responsible for ourselves and ourselves only.
agreed with art. if the higher belts are all going elsewhere then it sounds like the instruction is sub par & they are thirsty for something they are not getting. are you training under a blackbelt? are lower belts reguarly teaching? is there too much emphasis on being nice and not "scaring" off new people by "not rolling too rough"? I moved from a school where the above things were true no blackbelt instructor the brown and purples who "taught" and owned the school rarely actually taught (in fact I taught a lot!!) etc to a school run and taught EVERY night by world champion Daniel Beleza. the difference is one of night and day! so many things so much better I can hardly even do it justice. the man is an amazing competitor, amazing teacher and knows bjj inside and out. my former school? what was "taught" was often seen on a dvd or youtube the night before. anyway, you get my drift. think about why the higher belts are training away so much. I wonder if there are parallels... 
No biggie, it promotes friendships between schools.
I train at other schools as often as possible, due to that I have met tons of cool people. The point is to enjoy the ride.
its fine, stop w the TMA crap of loyalty. As long as they come back to share w you and others as well there is no problem with it.
Art Corvelay - If all of your purples are leaving, something is rotten.
More importantly the school that has a problem with people training at other school probably isn't that great. I think schools should be very open to their students training at different places and even encourage it.
Who cares its their training? Loyalty to your progress and being true to yourself comes before friends getting butt hurt.
Where I train,they not only don't want/allow you to go anywhere else,you can't even roll in your own garage....Fuck that.
Myself and a few of the guys who wont drink the kool aid dont abide.
I agree with what you said 100%
^^^ sebastard...don't you think it is a two way street? I don't think it is enough to just "get the person to a certain level". the "team"should support the individual just as the individual supports the team. if this is not happening I say loyalty be damned...go find that support.
agreed!!
very well said.
Thanks for opinions guys. We certainly don't have subpar teaching. We have a 4 stripe brown under Relson who is getting his black belt next time Relson comes. Most of the higher belts are not leaving...the ones who do most of the cross training are blues who do indeed get tapped plenty of times at our school, so its not a "there just isnt any competition at my school" type of thing.
It is disapointing to hear so many people voice their opinion on the side of its ok to train at other schools while missing your home schools regular practices. Some even put forth the notion that you shoud put your own personal growth before the school etc etc.<br /><br />Loyalty is a huge part of any combat sport. I agree with training at any school, garage, what ever, if it helps ur game. That being said, your school needs to come first. IF u are a purple you need to be at your school on training nights helping the newer guys out. The BJJ school should be an extension of your family. THese are your brothers that bleed and sweat and sacrifice the same way you do. No one in the "real" world can ever understand what we go through for this sport we love. If you cant be loyal and put ur school first, even above your personal wants and needs, I think you are missing a very critical aspect of what makes this sport so great. I am 53 and have trained some form of combat sport for 40 years so yes I am old school. AND dont ever compete for another school other than the school that gave you your belt! P
well said Chris. I tend to feel the same way as you...but wanted to see what the larger community had to say about. Wasn't sure if I was out of line in my thinking.
This kind of thinking will hold you back even in life. I don't worry about what others are doing. 
Chris Toher - It is disapointing to hear so many people voice their opinion on the side of its ok to train at other schools while missing your home schools regular practices. Some even put forth the notion that you shoud put your own personal growth before the school etc etc.
Loyalty is a huge part of any combat sport. I agree with training at any school, garage, what ever, if it helps ur game. That being said, your school needs to come first. IF u are a purple you need to be at your school on training nights helping the newer guys out. The BJJ school should be an extension of your family. THese are your brothers that bleed and sweat and sacrifice the same way you do. No one in the "real" world can ever understand what we go through for this sport we love. If you cant be loyal and put ur school first, even above your personal wants and needs, I think you are missing a very critical aspect of what makes this sport so great. I am 53 and have trained some form of combat sport for 40 years so yes I am old school. AND dont ever compete for another school other than the school that gave you your belt! P
This!
Brazilian made word, creonte. Its their art and word
I think its okay to test the waters here and there, but if it is occurring regularly the two things you need to look at are
1.) Ask what's going on with these guys.
2.)Is there something wrong with the instruction at your gym.
Also one thing you'll see the more you train is that guys come and go all the time, personal BS, moving, work, it all happens, but if you know they are training other places, yeah ask what up.
Art Corvelay - Your opinion is certainly a good one, in the context of non-profit gyms run like judo clubs or real boxing gyms.
In the modern BJJ/MMA context, many gyms are charging huge fees while providing lower levels of instruction, with the closest thing to 2-way loyalty being guys getting to train for free in exchange for teaching classes or having their coattails ridden with competition results.
End of thread.