Managing Weaknesses

In BJJ, as in life, weaknesses are not hidden for long. The mat has a way of exposing them—quickly, relentlessly, and without mercy. How you respond to those moments will shape your development in the art and the trajectory of your character beyond it.

You have a few options when you encounter your limitations.

You can deny them. You can flinch from the truth, tell yourself stories, blame bad luck, a slippery mat, or your training partner’s “advantage.” This is the path of stagnation. To deny weakness is to retreat from reality, and nothing good grows in unreality. This is the most destructive path.

You can face them directly and commit to transforming them into strengths. Perhaps your guard retention is porous, or your pressure game is nonexistent. You roll with intention, study with discipline, and forge new patterns through repetition. This path is honest, noble, and sometimes fruitful. But not all weaknesses can be turned into strengths—some are simply constraints, genetic or temperamental, that resist your best efforts.

You can accept and strategically maneuver around them. If you’re not explosively athletic, perhaps you build a methodical, control-oriented game. If you’re not flexible, you emphasize structure and timing over contortion. This is not surrender—it is adaptation. Many of the most sophisticated grapplers in the world have walked this path, converting constraints into creativity.

You can change your target. If a particular approach continually leads you into disadvantage, perhaps reframe your goal entirely. Maybe you abandon the pursuit of top position in favor of developing an impassable guard. This isn’t quitting—it’s evolving.

Each choice reflects something deeper than tactical thinking. They reveal your relationship with discomfort, honesty, and growth. The path you choose matters—not just for your Jiu-Jitsu, but for the kind of person you become through it.

The worst choice is denial. Because to deny weakness is to deny the very process that makes Jiu-Jitsu such a powerful teacher. It is only through confronting the truth of who you are that you can begin the journey toward who you might become.