As a white belt there aren’t many things more terrifying than your first Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournament. You want to do your best, but you’re not sure if you have the skills to compete. Here are a few tips for the beginner practitioner to help make your first tournament all the smoother.
- Trust Your Instructor.
While the process of competition may be daunting. Your coach wouldn’t let you compete if they didn’t think you could get something out of it. Your instructor may believe it is a learning experience or thinks you have what it takes to win. Either way, trust their judgment. This also goes for when they are giving you instructions on the mats. Stay focused on what your coach is saying and try to drown out the noise. You can rely on their knowledge to fill in the gaps and help you do better in competition. Learning this skill can make the difference between a good and great performance. You go to their classes for a reason, let them earn their coaching fee.
- You’re There To Learn,So Learn!
White belt competition is not about finding out who is the best. It is about learning and developing your skills as a BJJ practitioner. It’s important to remember that early competition is not high stakes. Learning from your successes and failures is what matters. Don’t let the results of the tournament blind you from that fact. Learning to deal with the nervousness and the fatigue competition puts you through is an important skill to understand and master. Pay attention to what works, what doesn’t, and reflect on why. Don’t get caught up in the results. The only way you truly lose is if you don’t learn anything in competition. Also, don’t be a meathead and refuse to tap. You’ll do yourself more harm long term by breaking an arm and missing out on six months of practice, than by not advancing to the next round.
- Scout Your Opponents.
If there are people in your division competing, it is a good idea to watch them. This way, you’ll learn about their habits and tendencies. You can also see their physical attributes, whether they are explosive or are lacking in their cardio. You can also learn their reaction to different positions. For example, what is their ‘go-to’ move when put in side-control? You can plan your attacks based on how they react. You can also learn what techniques they are best at and prepare your defense. Having this information might just make the difference between winning and losing. It’s also good to develop this skill as you continue your BJJ journey. The more you learn to watch your opponents, the more you can pick up and adjust within your own game. Just remember not to let it psyche you out. Watching other people compete may make you more nervous, which could mess up your performance.
- Listen To Your Body
While it’s essential to be in shape for competition, you’re not going to make much difference to your cardio if you take it easy the week before. You want your body to be functioning at maximum capacity, and that’s not going to happen if you’re exhausted or injured from training too hard. Make sure you are listening to what your body needs. The idea is to be at peak physical performance. If you’re trying to get there a week out, it is already too late. Sure, it’s nice to be known as a workhorse, but workhorses don’t have to grapple in tournaments. It’s better just to be the best version of yourself you could be at that moment. That way, you know you tried your best. You can learn what to work on, instead of limiting your abilities because of injury or exhaustion.
- Be Willing To Break Your Opponent.
It sounds harsh, but competition is competition. While you should treat this as a learning experience, part of that experience is realizing that you need to perform at your most vicious. You need to be able to tell the difference between practice and tournament behavior. While you should always go lighter in training, you need to go for the kill in tournaments. It may seem like it’s the opposite of what BJJ is all about, but remember that most people are humble because someone made them by choking them out or bending their joints. Your goal is to make as many people humble as you can. If you learn to act decisively and mercilessly, you will have a great deal more success in tournaments. Remember, you aren’t competing with your teammates. You are against your opponent. Don’t be scared to break them.
- Train What You’re Bad At, Perform What You’re Good At.
If you have a wicked guillotine or slick sweeps, make sure you use them in competition. At the same time, if you know there is a technique or position you’re terrible at, make sure you’re drilling it as much as possible. It’s good to be able to adjust and deal with uncomfortable or challenging positions, but don’t let it stop you from using the skills you have developed for your techniques. Remember, competition is about testing yourself and learning, but you still want to do as well as you can to represent your gym and yourself the best. In order to do that you need to work on what you struggle with, but implement the skills you have learned along the way. If you don’t know what you’re good or bad at, talk to your coaches and training partners to help you find out. They’ll have a more objective take on your skills and abilities.
- Wear The Proper Gear
Tournaments will often dismiss or disqualify competitors for not wearing the right gear before a competition. Make sure your Gi is not too worn and is regulation size and thickness. Wash your Gi as well. You can’t be getting into tournaments with a sweaty, old Gi. If you’re not sure whether your Gi qualifies for tournament use, ask your coach. Wear your Gi the entire time you are on the mats. Bring sandals or shoes to wear when you are off the mats. It would be disappointing to be removed from competition just for not following basic rules around appropriate gear. Also, remember to trim and file your nails out of respect for your opponents. No one wants to get scratched up in competition. You don’t want to have a reputation as some clawing monster.
- Relax
Remember to take it easy and relax. You’ll never accomplish anything by getting worked up. Focus on your breathing while waiting for your match. Listening to music on your headphones is an excellent way to distract yourself. You can use it to zone in and focus. Don’t let the anxiety of competition limit yourself from enjoying the moment. Talk to your training partners and try to keep calm. These are special memories you want to cherish. There’s no point in letting anxiety or stress get to you during the competition. The outcome of your match will be what it is. There is no point in allowing it to work you up. All that you can ask of yourself is to compete to the best of your ability. Whether you win or lose is unimportant. What matters is if you do yourself justice.
- Prepare Appropriately
It may be tempting to go hard in your warmups to get the adrenaline flowing, but you run the risk of wearing yourself out before the competition starts. You need to pace yourself to make sure you’re in prime position to do your best. Make sure you eat enough before you compete.You need your energy if you’re going to be at your best. Also, at this stage, there is no point in weight cutting. While it might be a good idea further along in your career, weight cutting for your first few tournaments is unnecessary and may strain you before the competition. You want to focus on doing your best, and it makes it a lot harder to do that if you’re cutting weight. Take care of yourself. Warm up properly, eat a light meal, and try your best. You can’t expect anything more than that.
- Be Polite
When you’re done with your warmup, get off the mats. Be respectful to the judges and your opponents. Remember you’re a practitioner of the gentle art. You’re also a representative of your instructor and your academy, so act accordingly. The BJJ community is tiny, you don’t want to get a reputation just because you forgot your manners. Remember, a lot of the competitors will be feeling the same way as you, so it’s best to have good manners and be respectful. Who knows, the people you’re competing with may be your future training partners, so it’s good to be polite.
Your first BJJ tournament can be quite scary, but these tips may help the process be a lot easier. Remember to try your best and have a good time. You only get one chance at a first tournament.