Have you trained BJJ before?

If you've ever asked a new student if they've trained jiu jitsu before, you going to get three kind of answers.

The answer you get from them will determine what kind of person they will be on the mats.

Answer one:

They will straight up say "yes, I've trained for x months or years" this is a good answer. It's honest and it just tells you that they've trained a bit and they might remember some stuff years ago. You should cover your face and protect yourself at all times.

Answer two:

If they answer with a no, it's also a good answer. Very honest and humble answer. It shows they're will to learn and they're ready to start training. Still you should protect yourself at all times.

Answer three:

This is by far the worse answer you can get from them. If they answer with a "yes, I've trained kickboxing" or "yes, I've done muay thai for a few years". This is a scary answer. Not only do they think striking martial arts has transferable skills to grappling. So they think they have a head start in jiu jitsu.

This is the craziest thing, they might have some competitiveness in them and a lot of ego that they can't just say "no". They have to tell people that they're not a push over and they can get you on the mats. But they probably can't.

Anyways if you encounter someone like this. Just be sure to wear a mouth guard, headgear and anything protective gear you have because they will come at you guns blazing.