If you’re a bigger grappler, you’ve probably heard the advice: “Work on your guard. You won’t always be on top.”

That’s true… and also not true.

Most of the time, you’ll be on top. Bigger athletes can often escape bad spots with less effort, which means they naturally spend less time stuck on their back. The downside is obvious. When they do end up on bottom, they might not have the skills to handle it.

So should you try to balance your training 50/50—half top, half bottom? Not necessarily.

Here’s the reality: we all have limited time on the mats. Limited time on earth. If you’re not a competitor, you don’t need to be world-class everywhere. You need to be good enough everywhere, and very good where your strengths already lie.

Instead, think 80/20:

• Spend the bulk of your training, maybe 80%, leaning into your natural game.
• Spend the rest on the weaker areas you still need.

For a bigger grappler, that might mean four rounds from top for every one round from bottom. You can’t go 100/0. You have to know how to survive and escape on your back, but you also don’t need to split things evenly.

One more tip: you don’t need to announce what you’re working on. If you want to test your defense and escapes from bottom side control, just do it. Let your partner play their game so you can practice defending against their best. (The only time you should tell them is if there’s a safety issue.)

You can’t master every position, submission, and escape. But you can train smart. Play to your strengths, cover your weaknesses just enough, and remember that your time is limited.

But have fun. For me, I don’t have a body built for triangles. But I like them, so I go for them anyway, even if it means getting my guard passed. Why? Because triangles are cool. And I don’t care if I lose a round. It doesn’t matter. Just do your own thing.