I get paired by the instructor. What he does seems random at times. Sometimes I’ll go with the white belt who is my size, other times I’ll go with the blue belt who is twice my size.
There aren’t many people smaller than me in class. The ones that are, are blue belts. Except for 2 girls and a 14 year old kid.
If I had a choice, I’d roll mainly with bigger/better people than me. I mean, blue belts+ the whole time. Every now and then rolling with a white belt to gauge my abilities. Blue belts tend to give me tips while rolling. They’ll get me in something a few times, then tell me how to escape and things like that. Really beneficial. MUCH better than getting caught in a sloppy submission and not being told how to defend it, because the guy doesn’t even know what he just did.
Evenly matched - these are my favorite, like 6 mo. to one year guys who are a size / strength match. I have a couple guys that it’s brutal to roll with because we can’t submit one another and these are the rolls that keep me pumped up about this sport.
Less skilled, my size or smaller / weaker, preferably smalller / weaker. I just relax and take it easy on these people, try to give them some good looks to try stuff, try to be a good guy and not use strength or practice my pins on someone I have 30 lbs. on.
Less skilled, larger - I’m in my late 30s and these are the fucking clowns that going to have me limping after my kids for the rest of my life. I avoid these fuckers like the plague since the first 240 pounder with 3 weeks who tried to kneebar me because he “saw it on UFC” (I’m 185 and skinny). Leg locks and rear naked face cranks galore.
I roll with whoever is free at the moment, we only get about 30 seconds to get a rolling partner. I usually will try to work in a blue belt and a purple belt (if there are any around and if they arent taken yet).
I always like to go with someone who is much better for the first round, as having to defend things from the get go seems to improve my whole game, rather than going with someone who I can coast with.
That’s my only trick. After that I tend to go with whoever is opposite me in the rotation (we go in a circle).
virtually identical to my situation. except i don’t normally have anyone my size. consequently, when i can get them, my favorite partners are a few students who are smaller than i am, and a few that are larger but less experienced. the former let me work on being more technical, the latter are simply fair fights.
my favorite partner (on the rare times we’re at the same class) is a 14 year old kid who has just passed me in weight (but not height). given his age, i can’t use a lot of my more effective subs - cervical attacks. he gets slightly confused when i guillotine him and just let go, rather than crank it. i try out things that i’ve been taught but can’t possibly use on anybody else. it’s also a time when i practice not muscling techniques.
got another guy who just recently came back after like four months… he’s several inches shorter than i am and about 30lbs lighter; prototypical high school/college wrestler, now around 30 i’d guess. he’s a match for me strength wise, and he’s faster, but i have more reach and experience.
most of my partners are a couple inches taller and 30-50lbs heavier than i am. a lot of these guys have several years more experience than i do, so i end up just focusing on defense. when i get a submission, it’s generally ugly.
lately (well, before i got injured), my regular classes had shrunk to just me and the instructor… so twice a week, i’d roll with the black belt for 45 minutes. it usually devolved into him tying me up with my own belt, but it’s a hell of a work out…