High Returns:
Every part of your game has a role — your defense, your escapes, your passing, your submissions — each with its own characteristics, risks, and returns. The goal isn’t to chase what catches your eye in the moment, but to build a balanced structure that holds up over time.
Most beginners take a speculative approach. They get excited about a new position, technique, or submission, and they throw all their energy into it. But this is like trying to time the stock market — it can work once in a while, but it’s not a reliable way to build something that lasts.
A better approach is to think strategically — to build your foundation first, your “core allocation.” In Jiu-Jitsu, that means investing heavily in survival, base, posture, and connection. These are your defensive assets. They don’t always give you the thrill of immediate success, but they protect your position, preserve your energy, and create the stability you need to grow.
Once your core allocation is strong, you can then make small tactical adjustments that are thoughtful deviations from your main plan, rather than emotional reactions to the ups and downs of training.
If someone asks whether they should focus on offense or defense right now, that’s really a secondary question. The primary one is whether your foundation — your “strategic allocation” of time and energy — is balanced and sustainable. Without that, every tactical decision is fragile.
There are moments, of course, when you should “overweight” certain aspects of your game — for example, during a competition camp, when you might sharpen specific positions or reactions under pressure. But in the long run, you return to balance, because chasing one side of the game too much leaves you exposed in others.
The point is this: don’t treat progress as speculation. Treat it as wealth building. Build your foundation with patience and discipline, invest consistently in your fundamentals, and protect your base no matter what. Most people never do — but those who do, they end up with a game that compounds for a lifetime.