Dragon Ball Z and Jiu-Jitsu Sparring

For those that aren't familiar with the Dragon Ball Z anime show, I think the main character Goku is very similar to most Jiu-Jitsu practitioners. I've only seen 30 or 40 episodes of the show myself, so I can't consider myself to be the biggest fan of all time, so the bigger DBZ fans have to forgive any analytical errors that I make. In the show, Goku starts out as a kid that loves martial arts. He loves to train, and trains as much and as hard as he can. He seeks out opponents to fight, not out of malicious intents, but simply fights so that he can be better. I think that is the case with many Jiu-Jitsu people as well. We show up day after day to train, and fight each other not to really beat each other, but to simply get better.

The power levels or different forms of Goku

Another dynamic of the show that relates to Jiu-Jitsu sparring, or rolling as we call it, is the power levels that we fight at. In the show, the characters typically start out a fight at their base power level. As the fight progresses, they power up, or go to their next form as their opponents get more challenging. The difficulty of who they fight typically determines the higher the power level that is reached in order to determine who is the better fighter.



This can also be compared to one of the fight scenes in the classic movie "The Princess Bride." The two sword fighters appear to be equally matched until they inform the other that they have been fighting handicapped with their left hand, and switch to their right.




Just like these character fight at different power levels, there are different stages, or energy output levels that most Jiu-Jitsu rolls happen at that often look like the following:


The Slow Roll or Technical Rolling

Goku as a kid

At this stage, the focus is purely on getting better. Both practitioners do their best to not use any of their strength or speed, so that they can focus on technique. Both fighters try to flow through movement and submission attempts. While it might not sound like it, this is actually a very challenging way to roll. It is really difficult at first to reign in all of the typical physical attributes that you have, and it's also tough because you probably won't be good at it when you first try. It is very rewarding though because it will highlight many of the flaws that you have in your game that you need to work on, as well as improve your transitions.



The Typical Roll

Base Goku

I call this the typical roll because most of the sparring that I have had in my experience happen at this level. Both fighters are expanding energy and effort in the middle range levels. They start to bring in a lot of their physical attributes such as size, speed, and strength, but they still aren't going all out. This is where I love to live. You and your opponent are both actively trying to choke each other or break a limb, but you are still focusing on getting better. The pace here can speed up while doing something like passing guard or attempting a submission, but it can also slow down as you try to work your way out of a bad position. Most practitioners can roll like this for hours at a time. It is a ton of fun and what keeps me coming back day after day to be on the mats.


Super Saiyan or All Out Rolling

Super Saiyan Goku

We tease them a lot, because this is where newer white belts love to hang out at. I'll be honest this was me for my first 4-6 months of training. This is an all out level, where every ounce of muscle, size, and physical ability is applied in order to win. More experienced practitioners rarely enter into this form, partially because they don't need to in order to win, but also because the focus here shifts towards winning, rather than on improving fighting ability. This is the level that tournament competition happens, and it's a beautiful thing to see two black belts go into it and have an all out battle on the competition mats.

This is a fun thing to see though during typical rolling. If you are a lower belt and end up catching the higher belt with a submission, it isn't uncommon to see a visible, physical change in them. The first time I submitted a purple belt as a white belt this happened. I internally said awww crap, because I knew I was now in for a whooping session. That purple belt went super saiyan on me and I held on for dear life as I got mopped back and forth across the mats.

White Belts Love to roll at Super Saiyan Levels

The Final Form
I know that I described stage 3 as going all out, but that means going all out to win, not intentionally trying to hurt or injure someone. That is reserved for this form. This is a level that should never be used for training or even competition. This saved for the rare occasions when you or someone else's life or health are on the line. The rules that govern safe training get tossed out, and it's a full on brawl.

I personally have only hit this level once years ago. I was visiting a school years ago and the guy I was rolling with wasn't trying to beat me, but was trying to actually cause me injury. Our roll quickly escalated as he tried harder and harder to hurt me. It hit such a level that I ended up seeing nothing but red and broke into this level. That roll concluded with him walking out of the school, dejected that he had been soundly beaten. Looking back on that experience, I made the wrong decision in the moment. When I realized that he was trying to hurt me, I only escalated to match his aggressiveness. I was too worried about my pride and being "beaten" though. I have never had a similar experience while traveling and I doubt that I ever will. I hope next time though that I will have the maturity to immediately tap out and excuse myself to find another training partner.


I hope that you enjoyed this list and allowing me to indulge a little in my nerdy side! What do you think? Are there different levels that you would add, or are there things that you would take away? I love getting everyone's feedback!

About the Author:

Steven McMahon earned his Kyuki-Do Black Belt in 2011 from Grand Master Kim at Kim's Black Belt Academy and his  BJJ Purple Belt in January 2017 under Professor Charles Nunley. He trains out of Cornerstone BJJ in Fayetteville, NC. He is an active competitor at Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Army Combatives tournaments.