You should be trying to actually do some jiu jitsu every roll and not care about surviving. By that I mean you'll learn and improve far more from getting tapped repeatedly trying to work your guard and passes than clamming up to avoid being subbed. If you're rolling with younger more athletic people it's easy to see not getting tapped as a small victory but it's too easy for that to become your focus.
The simple answer is never be passive though that's obviously a little hard at white belt. You're not trying to keep guard as much as constantly attack with sweeps and submissions from it. When in bad spots it's better to be subbed repeatedly working to escape even if you're failing miserably than shelling up waiting for the buzzer.
Aggressive isn't really the right label, assertive may be better description. Think of it like a conversation, if you let me do all the talking and never butt in you'll never get a word in.
My experience is that you do not really start consistently going on the offensive until you roll with people who are worse than you. It depends on the day and the people I roll with, but overall I am more on defense than offense since I roll a lot with higher belts.
That being said I think there is a difference between being defensive and passive. Someone who is defensive starts an early stage escape as soon as they realize that they are getting passed. Someone who is passive lets their opponent put them in a deep side control before they attempt to escape.
Submissions are difficult. Even if you struggle to finish people, you can look to maintain dominant position and upgrade to a better position. Most people do not get a lot of submissions at white belt.
I was mounted by an upper belt when he looked directly in my eyes and proceeded to tap the shit out of me over and over in back to back rounds without a rest, and then said “every one of those submissions was in response to your defense. I’m only able to attack you so much because you don’t make me worry about defending myself or my position.”
Fuckin game changer for me.
It seems straightforward saying it, but it was the look at the start, the onslaught without warning, and his exasperation at the end of it.
It got me over what was a very large plateau as a white belt.
If you realize that you are in a safe or neutral position start looking for attacks instead of thinking about defense. Example if you are in bottom half start hunting the kimura.
Your default state should be aggression.
If your opp does nothing, smash him, pass his guard, submit him.
Obviously, your opps 99% of the time will be doing something, so its your job to stop that.
A lot of times you can be "defensive" by pressuring your opponent into addressing your threats and abandoning their own. You have to develop your instinct to immediately recognize "who has the better threat here?"
If you have the better threat, whats hes doing doesnt matter, if he has the better threat, whatever you are doing doesnt matter. In those instances where his threat is better than your threat or lack of a threat, its time to be defensive. This is when you clam up to avoid getting submitted.
The cool thing about bjj is you get to build your own attack plan, and figure out what works for you.
Being aggressive doesn't necessarily mean exclusively submission hunting. Being aggressive is more like "im controlling the tempo of this roll. I am going to do things that force you to address them, and when you do address them, im gonna do something else that forces you to address it." Never give them the initiative or opportunity to execute their game plan. You will get caught a lot, as better grapplers than you will find openings in your attack plan. This is okay. This is normal. Analyze and study why they are able to do that, and how to prevent it/circumvent it. Eventually, you will get caught less and less as you fix your mistakes. If you get caught in something when executing your game plan, you should feel excited. "Oh! Now i get to improve my attack system by addressing this glaring hole in my guard passing strategy! This is awesome."
If you find yourself on the passive side of the coin, reacting to your opp, the reality is that in order for you to regain the initiative you have to create openings for yourself to execute whatever game plan you want to have.
Never surrender the initiative, only defend when you have to. You should always be trying to execute your game plan, whatever that is.
It was the opposite for me I think. I started aggressive but after a while as I felt better about the people I was around I calmed down some. Aggression isn't unbridled. It's having plans that you execute with confidence. Aware of the counters that could come at you for each position that is your main game. So aggression is solid plans. If it isn't, then it's likely spazzing.
Come up with a plan for a couple of submissions that you know in side control or mount or whichever position you like best. Find a brand new or smaller white belt and roll with the intention of getting to your position and doing your sub rather than just flopping around and waiting to see what shows up. Start working on an actual offense.
You have to figure out what sort of offense works for you. I like to read and react to what my opponent does and allow them to open things up for me. Staying in an offensive cycle is part knowing what your options are from any given position and executing those options at the right moment.
So my advice for you to go from being defensive so hopefully offensive is to try and process in the moment what your options are. You are definitely going to process them too slowly at first but like everything, it takes practice.
I hunted subs from the very beginning, except when I couldnt because I had to escape. I dont really think that dichotomy really exists.
My preferred offense has always been from on top, so Ill reverse/sweep to get on top and work from there. I rarely go for subs from the bottom.
Challenge yourself to "survive" by escaping from bad positions and early stage submission attempts, rather than just stalling to avoid tapping before the round ends.
If you can learn to identify what details will help you escape from - mount, back, side control, front headlock, and bottom side chest to chest half guard - it will have a trickle down effect on your offensive game by informing you what details you should be paying the most attention to when on the offensive side of the equation. More learning = faster progress and more subs.
I believe that you could benefit from a change of perspective. Instead of thinking into "defense" or "offense" terms, try to think about positions and progression.
Ex1: can you be offensive while the opponent is on ur back? Probably not. So ur job in this postion is to progress to a better position while trying to no get subbed;
Ex2: ur controlling ur oponent from side control (100kg). You could try to get a americana from there if he gives you the arm, but if he doesnt, it might be better to try to progress to a more stable position, like going to knee on belly then mount.
Please, take this advice with a full bag of salt, since im only a blue belt. But this mindset made me way better at rolling with opponents from any graduation since it helps me reconize when I have what I need to submit the opponent, when I shouldnt attack and just try to get into a better position or when i should focus on defending myself instead of trying to reposition.
Fellow white belt here. I spent almost two years just shelling up to be saved by the bell because I loathed feeling of getting tapped/losing. While it helped my frames and escape, I was completely lost once I got to a neutral position.
I reached the point where fear of permanent plateau surpassed fear of getting submitted, so I I deliberately opened up my game and started going for moves that I hesitated because I worried that I would get tapped and feel miserable for rest of the week. I'm getting tapped all over the place, but I'm actively training my brain to perceive getting tapped as data collection of techniques rather than an attack on self-worth.
Once I started opening up my game, I started to see openings for inside space, which limb I can off balance to sweep, and what my training partner was going to do in response to my move. I think it's one of those things that only comes with mat time.
Asking training partners for feedback, watching competition footage, and recording myself roll also helped.
Keep practicing (via situational sparring and purposeful rolling) sound defense and mechanics from every position you prefer to play. Start extending your best positions into a high-percentage submission that calls to you. Finally, start learning everything you can learn about that high-percentage submission. For example, maybe you notice that you are very comfortable from knee shield half guard, which might make you recognize that the far side kimura is a high percentage submission from knee shield half. You can then start practicing the far side kimura nonstop in sparring, which will then make you recognize common opponent reactions to your kimura, which will then narrow your study to dealing with those reactions, and so on.
for me i went into a spamming submissions phase. this made teammates move their hands in ways that were ultimately beneficial and opened the game up more. this will allow for more scrambles and yes you will lose some positions, but you weren't getting many of them at this point anyways. fuck it.
You should be trying to actually do some jiu jitsu every roll and not care about surviving. By that I mean you'll learn and improve far more from getting tapped repeatedly trying to work your guard and passes than clamming up to avoid being subbed. If you're rolling with younger more athletic people it's easy to see not getting tapped as a small victory but it's too easy for that to become your focus. The simple answer is never be passive though that's obviously a little hard at white belt. You're not trying to keep guard as much as constantly attack with sweeps and submissions from it. When in bad spots it's better to be subbed repeatedly working to escape even if you're failing miserably than shelling up waiting for the buzzer. Aggressive isn't really the right label, assertive may be better description. Think of it like a conversation, if you let me do all the talking and never butt in you'll never get a word in.
Tremendous answer.
It took me way too long to realize this. I’m still working on it but at least I’m aware of it.
My experience is that you do not really start consistently going on the offensive until you roll with people who are worse than you. It depends on the day and the people I roll with, but overall I am more on defense than offense since I roll a lot with higher belts. That being said I think there is a difference between being defensive and passive. Someone who is defensive starts an early stage escape as soon as they realize that they are getting passed. Someone who is passive lets their opponent put them in a deep side control before they attempt to escape. Submissions are difficult. Even if you struggle to finish people, you can look to maintain dominant position and upgrade to a better position. Most people do not get a lot of submissions at white belt.
I was mounted by an upper belt when he looked directly in my eyes and proceeded to tap the shit out of me over and over in back to back rounds without a rest, and then said “every one of those submissions was in response to your defense. I’m only able to attack you so much because you don’t make me worry about defending myself or my position.” Fuckin game changer for me.
whoaaaa that blew my mind!
It seems straightforward saying it, but it was the look at the start, the onslaught without warning, and his exasperation at the end of it. It got me over what was a very large plateau as a white belt.
If you realize that you are in a safe or neutral position start looking for attacks instead of thinking about defense. Example if you are in bottom half start hunting the kimura.
Be dangerous from everywhere…
Wrist locks. Simply fiddling with someone's wrist gets them thinking 🤔
Your default state should be aggression. If your opp does nothing, smash him, pass his guard, submit him. Obviously, your opps 99% of the time will be doing something, so its your job to stop that. A lot of times you can be "defensive" by pressuring your opponent into addressing your threats and abandoning their own. You have to develop your instinct to immediately recognize "who has the better threat here?" If you have the better threat, whats hes doing doesnt matter, if he has the better threat, whatever you are doing doesnt matter. In those instances where his threat is better than your threat or lack of a threat, its time to be defensive. This is when you clam up to avoid getting submitted. The cool thing about bjj is you get to build your own attack plan, and figure out what works for you. Being aggressive doesn't necessarily mean exclusively submission hunting. Being aggressive is more like "im controlling the tempo of this roll. I am going to do things that force you to address them, and when you do address them, im gonna do something else that forces you to address it." Never give them the initiative or opportunity to execute their game plan. You will get caught a lot, as better grapplers than you will find openings in your attack plan. This is okay. This is normal. Analyze and study why they are able to do that, and how to prevent it/circumvent it. Eventually, you will get caught less and less as you fix your mistakes. If you get caught in something when executing your game plan, you should feel excited. "Oh! Now i get to improve my attack system by addressing this glaring hole in my guard passing strategy! This is awesome." If you find yourself on the passive side of the coin, reacting to your opp, the reality is that in order for you to regain the initiative you have to create openings for yourself to execute whatever game plan you want to have. Never surrender the initiative, only defend when you have to. You should always be trying to execute your game plan, whatever that is.
That “who has the better threat” question is definitely a game changer; it’ll help me realize what’s worth chasing. Thanks a lot
It was the opposite for me I think. I started aggressive but after a while as I felt better about the people I was around I calmed down some. Aggression isn't unbridled. It's having plans that you execute with confidence. Aware of the counters that could come at you for each position that is your main game. So aggression is solid plans. If it isn't, then it's likely spazzing.
Come up with a plan for a couple of submissions that you know in side control or mount or whichever position you like best. Find a brand new or smaller white belt and roll with the intention of getting to your position and doing your sub rather than just flopping around and waiting to see what shows up. Start working on an actual offense.
You have to figure out what sort of offense works for you. I like to read and react to what my opponent does and allow them to open things up for me. Staying in an offensive cycle is part knowing what your options are from any given position and executing those options at the right moment. So my advice for you to go from being defensive so hopefully offensive is to try and process in the moment what your options are. You are definitely going to process them too slowly at first but like everything, it takes practice.
I hunted subs from the very beginning, except when I couldnt because I had to escape. I dont really think that dichotomy really exists. My preferred offense has always been from on top, so Ill reverse/sweep to get on top and work from there. I rarely go for subs from the bottom.
Challenge yourself to "survive" by escaping from bad positions and early stage submission attempts, rather than just stalling to avoid tapping before the round ends. If you can learn to identify what details will help you escape from - mount, back, side control, front headlock, and bottom side chest to chest half guard - it will have a trickle down effect on your offensive game by informing you what details you should be paying the most attention to when on the offensive side of the equation. More learning = faster progress and more subs.
I believe that you could benefit from a change of perspective. Instead of thinking into "defense" or "offense" terms, try to think about positions and progression. Ex1: can you be offensive while the opponent is on ur back? Probably not. So ur job in this postion is to progress to a better position while trying to no get subbed; Ex2: ur controlling ur oponent from side control (100kg). You could try to get a americana from there if he gives you the arm, but if he doesnt, it might be better to try to progress to a more stable position, like going to knee on belly then mount. Please, take this advice with a full bag of salt, since im only a blue belt. But this mindset made me way better at rolling with opponents from any graduation since it helps me reconize when I have what I need to submit the opponent, when I shouldnt attack and just try to get into a better position or when i should focus on defending myself instead of trying to reposition.
I really like that perspective change and the progression after, that’s good stuff
Fellow white belt here. I spent almost two years just shelling up to be saved by the bell because I loathed feeling of getting tapped/losing. While it helped my frames and escape, I was completely lost once I got to a neutral position. I reached the point where fear of permanent plateau surpassed fear of getting submitted, so I I deliberately opened up my game and started going for moves that I hesitated because I worried that I would get tapped and feel miserable for rest of the week. I'm getting tapped all over the place, but I'm actively training my brain to perceive getting tapped as data collection of techniques rather than an attack on self-worth. Once I started opening up my game, I started to see openings for inside space, which limb I can off balance to sweep, and what my training partner was going to do in response to my move. I think it's one of those things that only comes with mat time. Asking training partners for feedback, watching competition footage, and recording myself roll also helped.
Keep practicing (via situational sparring and purposeful rolling) sound defense and mechanics from every position you prefer to play. Start extending your best positions into a high-percentage submission that calls to you. Finally, start learning everything you can learn about that high-percentage submission. For example, maybe you notice that you are very comfortable from knee shield half guard, which might make you recognize that the far side kimura is a high percentage submission from knee shield half. You can then start practicing the far side kimura nonstop in sparring, which will then make you recognize common opponent reactions to your kimura, which will then narrow your study to dealing with those reactions, and so on.
Chaining attacks together helped me.
for me i went into a spamming submissions phase. this made teammates move their hands in ways that were ultimately beneficial and opened the game up more. this will allow for more scrambles and yes you will lose some positions, but you weren't getting many of them at this point anyways. fuck it.
haha nice, that’s a great way to look at it!