The problem really isn’t my problem per say, but it is my friends problem that is effecting me.
We are both blue belts who have been training for a relatively short period of time, just over a year, he slightly longer then. We were only recently promoted, and are currently the lowest ranked blue belts in the school. Yet, my friend thinks is just as good as some of our 5 year blue belts, and regularly brags to me after class about how he caught so-and-so blue belt in this submission, or got into a dominate position on so-and-so purple belt. It has now gotten so out of control that he is claiming to catch brown belts in submissions and lets them go because he doesn’t want to upset the brown belts.
I know that all of this is complete garbage. I know that people are letting him work, and he assumes that is just him being amazing. I have tried to explain it to him many times, but he writes me off.
Last night he rolled with a totally new person, and ended up hurting him. He busted his lip pretty horrifically. Thankfully, it wasn’t a joint injury, but that isn’t far off at this point. I didn’t see it happen, but I think I can safely assume he was trying to show the new guy just how awesome he is.
I am concerned for a few reasons. The main ones being injury to the people he grapples as he tries to show them his ‘amazing’ ability, and I am concerned for him own safety if the other blue belts catch wind of the things he has said. I am pretty positive they would not be too happy with him, and any grapples they would have in the future would no doubt be heated.
I am also concerned that since everyone knows we are good friends outside of class and we car pool to class every night that they will assume I have the same attitude. Not to mention the fact that I am getting really irritated with his bragging in general.
So, my question is… What do I do? Do I tell the blue belts the things he says? Should I tell my instructors about his poor attitude? Does that make me a bad friend? Would I be throwing him under the bus? Do I let everything play its self out to whatever end? Nothing I have said to him thus far has helped at all.
--aa
