The main objective of any jiu-jitsu fighter is to submit his opponent, or —in other words— make him tap. Winning by submission is the goal of jiu-jitsu fighters. That is why every jiu-jitsu fighter needs an agressive, submission-focused jiu-jitsu game!

When going for submissions —be it armlocks, chokes or any other submission-hold you may want to apply on your opponent— , you may end up giving space and opportunities for your opponent to attack you. But jiu-jitsu is an attack-oriented art —focusing on submission—, and you cannot have a defensive, closed game (at least you shouldn’t, but there are a bunch of people out there with defensive games based on strength, just avoid getting submitted, or swept…).

Don’t worry too much about opening up for attacks, when pursuing submission (although one day you will learn how to attack without giving space). Like my old professor used to tell us, you should not think of tapping as losing, but as part of your jiu-jitsu learning.

In any case, don’t forget: To become a top jiu-jitsu fighter, you need an agressive, submission-focused jiu-jitsu game. Unless you do this, you are not getting the best you can from your training. Remember: Don’t be a defensive-game guy (and don’t waist your practice time rolling with people like that).