When it comes to playing BJJ, there’s no real right or wrong way. Various champions have had various methods over the years and whatever suits them is their particular game. For instance, Roger Gracie was known for the cross collar choke, Braulio Estima the triangle, and Marcelo Garcia with the guillotine.
However, they all had one thing in common which is offensive Jiu Jitsu. Having said that, the debate isn’t that obvious. Although offensive BJJ will win you matches, others argue that defense creates the right framework to attack from. With this said, there’s no wrong or right when it comes to focusing on defense or offense as we shall discuss.
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Advantages of learning to defend
Recently, no gi GOAT, Gordon Ryan stated that the best way to improve your BJJ is to initially focus on defense. After learning how to escape all situations, you can then learn to attack and experiment. The idea behind this was that even if you lose a good position going for a submission, you will have the confidence to re-gain a dominant position. Basically, he was saying that great defense breeds confidence. If he could train again, he would have focused on defense in his earlier years.
His teammate Garry Tonon has a similar philosophy and has admitted he regularly gets tapped in the training room due to experimenting with new positions and working his defense. Of course, this strategy requires no ego and is something that not everyone can comprehend or pull-off.
There is also the defensive mind of Priit Mihkelson who is big on the concept. Basically, Priit specializes in teaching people defense and escapes. His theory is that some people train BJJ inefficiently and joint locks, in particular, can be trained and defended better than they currently are.
If you watch Priit spar, you will often see him give up dominant positions, just to work his defensive game. If you escape and defend with ease, then you won’t be getting tapped anytime soon which puts you at a massive advantage. He even has a website dedicated completely to defensive BJJ.
Advantages of learning to attack
This is something that has been spoken about in-depth by BJJ legend Bernardo Faria. He said that whether on top or bottom, you always need to be attacking and aggressive. The mentality behind this is to never stop moving and never accept your opponent’s goals. This means on top, the idea is to constantly push for submissions and be engaging, rather than stalling and waiting for the clock to count down.
The whole idea of this is to never give in and always make life difficult for the opponent. A similar mindset is had by many black belts who claim that you should always pull guard with an instant sweep in mind. This is to stop the opponent from progressing and giving the option of a quick attack. With this said, the point is to always be pushing and trying to set the tone of the match or roll.
Another idea is that if you’re not attacking, then your opponent isn’t defending. This can create less pressure on the opponent who is more likely to think about escaping rather than defending or submitting rather than stalling. Therefore, being assertive in BJJ isn’t just a mindset, it also has practical uses in terms of strategy. Away from competition and looking towards self defense, nobody starts BJJ to learn how to defend. Instead, almost everyone wants to learn how to submit and restrain opponents.
Combining defensive and offensive principles
If you look at the above, then perhaps it’s best to combine both attack and defense. Whilst Faria’s thoughts are interesting, they apply for all positions and basically emphasize efficient training. As you’re constantly pushing, you’re no longer stalling whatever the position. This is important, especially in the gym where your time should be spent wisely whilst trying to learn as much as possible.
Then, when it comes to competing you can have an offensive game based on attacks, with the assurance of good counters if you mess up. This combines the thinking of both Faria and Gordon Ryan who would both agree that in competition, you should always be the aggressor as opposed to being passive.
Put differently, you can divide your training into two sections, defense and offense. Your defense should help build confidence and understanding, whilst your attack should also be designed to finish matches and control people.
Choosing your own style
After a few years of training, you should start to develop your own unique style of BJJ. For example, lanky grapplers will typically favor triangle and darce chokes. Smaller, stocky builds will typically favor guillotines and guard passing. In brief, this should naturally happen and your subconscious brain will often figure out your path. Because of this, it’s best to let nature take its course instead of over-thinking things.
You may also be influenced by a favorite grappler whose style you find attractive. However, you shouldn’t try and force something if it feels bad. For example, if someone favors heel hooks but you’re bad at them, then maybe it’s just not for you. This doesn’t mean you should give up on this move or that it’s bad. However, it does mean that you should find your own lane instead of trying to copy others.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the philosophies of defense and offense are different but also somewhat similar in BJJ. Ultimately, whether you’re looking to escape or submit, the idea should be to believe in your game and constantly try to learn and also win. With this said, defense actually compliments offense in the long-term and can help your entire game.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a guard player or passer, as long as you put yourself into new, difficult positions in the training room, this should translate in competition too. We’re not just on about defense either, working attacks you’re uncomfortable with will also seem massive gains in your progress. In conclusion, both defense and offense are equally important in BJJ and should be trained and used during the appropriate moments. If this is done, you will see your game improve and develop like never before.
