Marcelo allots time aside during a hot summer class for the purpose of feeding his students some valuable food-for-thought in the hopes of raising the level of training and promoting team cohesiveness. Suwariwaza is a waste of time for Sport-Jiujitsu; wrestling with an opponent while both are kneeling on the mat is an impractical scenario. However, it does have value in self-defense where you may be focused on disarming a weapon from an attacker on the ground. You should tap during training to tap others at competition; you must risk more when it doesn't count. If you play conservatively, and only look to counterattack, you decrease your opportunity to learn and grow from making mistakes by fixing them. It is proper etiquette for at least on partner during sparring to pull/play guard (seated or lying back vs standing or kneeling); guard-work is the cornerstone of what separates bjj from other grappling arts and should be trained by those who even don't plan on needing it. A larger stronger partner should concede the bottom and earn the top position, whilst giving the smaller partner a chance to work from the top where he or she seldom has an opportunity to work without first starting from the bottom and gaining the top through sweep. Playing double guard pull has it's merits, but exposes weak-footed grapplers to the threat of leglocks if they cannot prevail in the battle for knee-line dominance. The core of sport jiu-jitsu is the interplay between pass and sweep; respectively, top and bottom. One shouldn't waste time by not immediately initiating into either of these roles. Tachiwaza has an important place in terms of how the martial art can remain relevant in self-defense and fighting. However, strategically, this form of study is of little importance when the primary concern is submission on the ground. Marcelo's exercise of placing a line of tape on the mat which is to be avoided during sparring is a great tool for assessing risk and developing the sensitivity for multi-tasking as well as adaptation. We must all strive to strike a balance between training hard and pushing each other while still remaining friends without animosity. One helpful rule is to refrain from conversation while sparring. Emotions can run high and it is best to avoid saying something in the heat of battle that you may regret later. You should also know when to stop attacking and take action to move your partner out of danger from a nearby group, even if it means losing position.