Work On Your Strengths, Not Your Weaknesses

Work on your weaknesses!

Well, that’s what they say isn’t it? In Jiu Jitsu, in life. Work on your weaknesses!

Or, and maybe this is a new concept to you, maybe spend time reinforcing your strengths?

When you start to train Jiu Jitsu, as in our Foundations Jiu Jitsu course, you’ll learn the whole game. You’ll learn different things to do from different positions. And then once you know the basics of BJJ, you’ll really begin to learn as you start to train properly, and develop your own way of doing things.

Some will be inclined to be “Top Players”, preferring to use pressure and guard passing to beat an opponent. Others will be attracted to guard position, using technique and movement on their back to set up attacks. It’s funny, but I think what you’re going to be good at sort of finds you.

As a white belt, I played around with everything, but one day I watched Marcelo Garcia doing butterfly and X-Guard. I tried it the next few sessions, and lo, I could use it. Not very well at first, but progressively better over time. Still today, 20 years later, it’s the position I’d describe myself as most expert in. Still works!

Why did I start to become good at that guard? It could be that it was chance- I just saw it and tried it. It could be that it suited my body type (I don’t think it does, necessarily), or, and this is what I actually think happened, I liked it because the first day I used it, it worked. I enjoyed the success and kept that ball rolling.

Now I’ll give away my Jiu Jitsu secret. All roads lead to the Butterfly Sweep. Whenever you and I get on the mat to train seriously, and I’m on my back, I am only really ever trying to sweep you using a variation of 1 sweep. The hook sweep, to my right (your left). Whenever I try to do anything else, they are gambits, fakes, and opportunistic moves to get you to fall for that one sweep eventually. For when the rubber hits the road in competition, I built an entire game that works on a few of my personal strengths- 1) guard retention, 2) patience and calmness, 3) a fairly decent hook sweep to my right (your left, make sure to pass guard to your right side).

And now I invite you to look at the great fighters. Marvin Hagler became one of the greatest boxers of all time by using his bobbing, weaving style to get inside and wear his opponents down with short shots. He didn’t say “Oh you know I need to become more like Tommy Hearns and fight on the outside when I go to fight Tommy Hearns”. He stuck to his strengths (as did Hearns, one of my favourite boxers). Pick a fighter, they’ve got a strength that they utilise, even if that strength is durability or even just a high level of physical conditioning.

Okay, but that’s not all. If you can’t do the other things after you use your favourite move, like pass the guard, or keep the top position, or make your opponent tap, you’re not going to be much good either. That’s not my point. My point is that you will have a favourite or more successful move. Don’t be afraid to build on that as your foundation, and let the rest of your game build around that strength.

So let’s change the common phrase-

Work on Your Strengths, and Only Work on Your Weaknesses When They’re Holding You Back.

Or maybe-

Work on Your Weaknesses, But Build on Your Strengths.

See you on the mat,

Barry