We sell gear. So let us be honest up front: your progress depends far more on who you roll with than on what you are wearing.
The one you learn most from
They match the pace to you instead of proving a point. They use technique where strength would be easier. They let go the second you tap, and ask "are you alright?" if something went bang. In drilling they give you just enough resistance that you have to do it properly — not so much that nobody gets any training done.
The one to avoid
They "win" the warm-up drill. They go full effort against someone who started three weeks ago. They hold on one second too long after the tap. They explain the technique to you while the coach is standing two metres away. And they turn up with a fever, because they do not want to miss a session.
Most people doing this are not unkind. They are keen, and nobody has told them yet.
How to say something
"Can we go a bit lighter?" works surprisingly well, mid-round. If it does not, it is entirely acceptable to end the round and pick someone else next time. If somebody is repeatedly a problem, that is the coach's job — not yours.
And then the hard part
Be that partner yourself. You probably remember who was kind to you in your first week. That is often the entire reason people come back for week two — and your club grows by exactly one person every time it happens.
Rios was started for one reason: to give something back to local athletes. A good share of the profit has gone exactly there — to the people training and competing here at home. Designed in Norway, run out of Bergen by people who are on the mats themselves. And if you need to swap a size there's no customs, no three-week wait, and you can write to us in English or Norwegian.
New on the mats? Read thisSee the gear
Questions about gear, sizing or anything else? Send us a message — there are real people here, and we answer in English.