The Hand You’re Dealt

One of the most important lessons is to play the hand you’re dealt, not the one you wish you had. Every roll offers a unique situation: your opponent’s posture, their grips, your position, even your own physical and mental state. The best response isn’t forcing an ideal scenario, but working with what exists in the moment.

Consider holding closed guard while your opponent maintains strong posture, tight elbows, and heavy pressure. You might envision a textbook armbar, but the setup isn’t there. Your instinct may be to try to muscle the setup, forcing a move that simply isn’t there.

Playing the hand you’re dealt means observing and adapting. Rather than forcing the armbar, you might shift to collar-and-sleeve control to break posture, transition to a triangle, or threaten a sweep. The “win” isn’t the technique you imagined, but the positional advantage and control gained by responding intelligently to reality.

This philosophy extends beyond technical adjustments. Emotionally and mentally, it’s about accepting constraints: fatigue, injury, or mismatched size and strength. A smaller practitioner may not lift or force a pass, but leverage, timing, and angles create openings that brute force cannot. In every situation, the most effective path is to maximize the potential of the position you occupy, rather than lamenting the one you wish you had.

The mindset can be trained by deliberately placing yourself in suboptimal positions—under side control, facing a heavily posting opponent, or caught in awkward grips. Notice how responses shift when you accept the situation instead of resisting it. Small adjustments, transitions, and patient setups often reveal unexpected opportunities, reinforcing that skill is measured not by ideal circumstances, but by how effectively you navigate imperfection.

Ultimately, it is an exchange with another human being, with constraints that constantly shift. By playing the hand you’re dealt, you cultivate adaptability, presence, and creativity; qualities that elevate your game.