[JoeU1741]

Do you BJJ practitioners find that a lot of the mental game in BJJ is about playing an aggressive game? There was a post previously about having the killer instinct and another about naturally talented white belts (which mentioned this), so it got me thinking.

I've been training BJJ for a while and really enjoy it. I'm a big (for my height) strong guy, but am a very passive guy to roll with in that I don't try and kill the other guy. I aim not to use my strength and work on technique. From day one I wasn't overly concerned about getting tapped or seeing how many people I could tap, but I'm wondering now if that is a mistake.

There are guys in the club who haven't been training as long as me or attending as often, who seem to win on pure aggression. Sometimes when we're rolling I feel like they're treating each roll like a competition, but afterwards, they're always very cool and relaxed, so it's not hostility as such. I work on technique a lot both in class and at home, but I'm wondering if more of the benefit comes from just overwhelming your opponent with everything you have.

I know a lot of BJJ is not just gaining position and being passive, it's always moving, thinking a step ahead etc, but just wondering if having a more passive attitude is not a good thing. I see it a lot in the higher belts, they seem very calm and relaxed when rolling (unless it's someone who is really testing them) - perhaps I am not experienced enough to be taking this approach?