Sometimes the best strategy is to lose on purpose.

If you’re rolling with someone newer, bigger, stronger, maybe reckless, don’t fight them head-on. You can’t win a force-for-force battle. If you resist too much, you’ll gas out first. And when a spazzy partner meets resistance, they usually just double down. That only makes things worse.

Instead, give a little. After the bump and slap, let them have the early advantage. Play safe hands, stay aware, and protect yourself, but don’t scramble too hard. Know where the danger is, be ready to tap, and keep moving. And you don’t have to make it obvious.

If you let them mount you, you can still stop the head hug, block underhooks, and avoid the high mount. But if you don’t fight to escape, eventually you’ll lose, and that’s fine. By letting it happen, you calm both of you down. The roll stops being a test of strength and turns into something more useful.

Don’t worry about being the higher belt who tapped to the athletic lower belt. It’s better to lose early and have a productive round than to fight to the end, learn nothing, and call it a cardio round.