I come from a wrestling and judo background, so it might surprise you that I emphasize properly pulling guard, but I came to two realizations over time. First, it's great to understand what people are doing when they sit to guard, so you can pass, or at least not get caught in closed guard (or submitted or swept!). This is reason enough to understand any "modern" or "sport" BJJ concepts you think you might never use. Second, I also decided that when I was competing in jiu jitsu, I was going to use jiu jitsu as much as I could and try to win that way. Of course, takedowns are a huge part of the game, but I also had a strong competitive advantage over most people I competed against initially (predominantly at white and blue belt) due to my background. It's up to you whether you want to become "one of those butt floppers", but the knowledge is useful, and it's here for you! As always, let me know if everything makes sense, and if you have some success with these techniques.