Is The Mat Enforcer A Hero Or Villain?

Does your Academy have a Mat Enforcer? Have you ever been enforced on visiting a new gym? The role of Mat Enforcer has an important part to play in the hierarchy of most BJJ schools- but is it necessary? Maybe its a really tough Brown Belt or a seasoned Purple Belt who is down to scrap! JT & Joey have seen many instances of the gym's champion stepping forward to battle any would be trouble makers or visitors that needed to be checked.
Could better communication from your instructor with a visitor save the need for a team mate to have to beat up a disrespectful guest. Is a Mat Enforcer a Bully or a Bodyguard for the team? Is this an old School Jiu-Jitsu hangover? Every gym has it's competitors and tough higher belts that really represent the style of their school and sometimes visitors to a gym have come to test their skill. The gym needs a representative and the visitor came for the challenge - this seems like a fair exchange... What do you think?
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[@NextScamdemic]

There was a college wrestler kid who trained for a while in our gym, 19 yr old, jacked, did every drill in "competition" mode. Class was doing "king of the hill" takedown drill and it was my turn to be paired with him. I knew I had no chance (25 years older, white belt, 50 pounds lighter, no wrestling experience prior to BJJ) so before we bumped fist I looked at him and said, "let's go safe, ok?" meaning "I know you can destroy me, I'm trusting not to". He nodded so I thought he got the message. A second later I'm flying, and my neck is getting cranked and I yelled out in fear of getting maimed. I was pissed af, especially considering I asked him to go easy. I left the mat into the change room so I wouldn't say something I would regret. Instructor comes in a few minutes later to check on me as he saw what happened; he's a professional mma fighter. He told me he got him back for me lol

[@bengough6955]

I was rolling with an absolute monster, no chance of sweeping or moving this dude lol I'm new he's new he took my back and slapped on a "choke" so fast and hard but it got over my teeth and I freaked out. I don't think he dod it in purpose but I was terrified my teeth could get broken. Sometimes people who are so strong and competitive need to be told to calm down and if they don't get the message they need to get smashed

[@elrud5964]

I was enforced my first class, nothing crazy, just got pressure tapped twice, realised not to use my weight advantage on smaller guys, lesson learned

[@zampano8217]

That Werdum story 🫡

[@TheYouTubeMechanic]

If someone is going too hard I will just tell them to chill tf out. I'm new to bjj but older than my partners usually. I don't think most people are prepared for that social confrontation.

[@philip796]

I'm now the unspoken enforcer at my gym and that my coach always pairs me with the new guy or drop in first round. It's hard on the body! but does feel good that my coach relies on me to tire them out and calm them down for the others to have easier rounds.

[@etimezz]

Interesting conversation. Your points have been true in my experience. I used to train at a small gym and there were obvious enforcers and it was part of the culture. I now train at a huge gym that has adcc competitors and ibjjf world champions and a lot of people come in and out to train. There seems to be too many high level people and too much going on to have mat enforcers. Also, the different classes have really distinct purposes and levels of participants.

[@Omidion]

So...i trained for two and a half years and suddenly i find out i'm moving to another country, i stop training coz i had like 2-3 months to get my papers and all my possessions in order for the move. I moved and not everything went as smooth as planned so in the end...i haven't trained for 8 months. I felt i had lost strength and stamina, started even dreaming sparing sessions. In the new city i go to a BJJ place to do a trial class and told the coach that i trained for 2.5 years in Gi and No-Gi and haven't trained in a while. I get paired with the biggest guy there, we do some techniques and off to sparring...guy outweighs me by at least 30kg and crushes me, brute forces his way through everything, the knee on belly was especially uncomfortable, round ends i gassed out, head started hurting. Here i am 3 weeks later 2 of my ribs on the right side still hurt and can't take much pressure on my chest, i'm pissed coz i have a feeling i was put VS an enforcer since i wasn't a total newb who injured me and now i can't even go to another gym to a trial class coz i'm not fully healed. Is it worth having an enforcer crush the new guy who came to a trial class ? On one side, an enforcer represents the gym...so this guy showed me how each or every other class would be. Obviously not my cup of tee. One could say that an enforcer is the coaches dog, and as it is with all dogs, their behavior and length of leash is the result of the owner/coach. So it might be a good thing for people to see what they can expect before they sign a one-two year contract to train there.

[@Gimmeabreak460]

You can just tap bro, if something hurts just tap

[@Omidion]

@@Gimmeabreak460 I tapped like 7 times during that one roll, i have no problem with tapping, and i didn't feel pain, actual sharp pain until i cooled down at home.

[@jaredslater1459]

Looking back on my days as I white belt, I was definitely enforced upon. As a purple seeing some big fellas walk into our gym, I've done some enforcing. The cheeky little nod the coach gives when he says roll with "X" So much fun. But even still, I tend to just use pressure and hold them in position rather than try take their arm home

[@TC-nh4uh]

I think they are good to have but the best set-up is having multiple mat enforcers, at various skill levels, aggression, etc. I’ve seen a few but my fave was at a gym, we had a “D1” wrestler as a “guest.” Owner is a retired mma fighter (ufc, pride) and though he rarely was at the BJJ classes he brought this guy in one day and gave a 20 minute lecture, pre class on how much of a freak this kid was and how we could all learn from him. Anyway, my professor gave me the nod and paired us up first roll. I was a white belt but trained like a banshee. This kid told me how screwed I was and what I was in for. Ya, that guy. Anyway, it was my first experience with that level of ego but I tapped him at least 20 times in 5 minutes. He was not stoked. Next he goes with our world champion purple belt enforcer who barely spoke English and the kid did the same smack talking! It was almost criminal what happened to him. That was his last roll and we never saw him again 😂

[@joesmxthh]

Can't wait to be blackbelt... Sheeeeeeeeeeeeyyyt 🤣🤣

[@shaftsburry1773]

I do think some people, like me tbh, need to learn things by getting demolished on the mat. It’s not like they hate you, it’s that you need a bit of a check sometimes. Especially if you’re a big strong guy who has no idea what’s going on, but you’re actually there to learn.

[@MoshJunkie426]

Itd be nuts if you went to Joeys gym and started acting a fool and someone says "youre lucky our mat enforcer isnt here mate"

[@JohnKing-yr7xn]

Sometimes a mat enforcer is needed to save the mat bully. I'm at this gym and this obnoxious blue belt who was a 24yo D2 wrestler and signed MMA fighter at 190lbs. He was the MOST sub cranking/ripping dickhead there. I'm older at the time I wasn't 40 years old but I rolled and kinda kept to the 40+ guys. So dickhead during live rounds pairs up with a nice older restaurant chef and he arm drags him hard to a body lock, stacks him hard and passes and literally rips an Americana. *Instantly* Chef jumps to his feet holding his arm he bends down and says something that made dickhead turn white and look rattled. I later ask chef what he said to scare that kid... He tells me "I told that little shit that if he ever rips a sub on me like that again. I'll go straight to my car and shoot him in both shoulders and both knees. Then there won't be anymore wrestling period." Our top Brown belt enforcer heard that jumped right in and mediated between Chef and Dickhead. What I learned is everyone isn't going to get abused on the mat and take it. 🥋 don't rip and don't crank!

[@thefoamingbrain2469]

we had a ADCC guy come in and kick everyone's butt which just made us want to get better lol no need for the mat Enforce he was out that day lol

[@isthatjake]

I was "enforced" my first time visiting my current gym, MMA fighter guy who teaches the Thai boxing classes. I used to avoid rolling with him, but since I started competing he's my favorite partner 😂

[@techniquejiujitsu8832]

I’ve been around a minute. The “mat enforcer” is a thing from a bygone era. If we have not yet moved past it, we should. If you feel that it’s necessary, your coach is derelict in their duty.