Alright champ, it’s competition time.
No matter how much experience you have on the mats, your first competition can be scary. You are about to step into an arena and put yourself to the test like you never have before. What should you expect? How should you prepare? What should you take away?
First, its important to understand the progression of competition commitment. You can read more about my general outline here. Whether you wish to be a level one or level four competitor will change the answers to the above questions. My framing here is of the every day hobbyist who is testing the waters. Maybe you will be a world champion. Maybe you will never compete again. For now, you just need some expectations set on how to make this a great experience.
What To Expect
First, you will have more fun than you think. I’ve never actually met someone that regretted trying a competition for the first time, regardless of the results. A BJJ competition rests somewhere between Mad Max and a Yoga retreat. You come prepared for battle, and wind up in happy baby pose. This is the nature of what we do. The wins and losses will impact your experience as much as you allow it. I promise, nobody else in the room will remember what happened in your matches, except hopefully your coach. With this in mind, remember this is solely about you and your development.
Second, the day can be long. Different competition networks have different capacities for organization. You can start and stop within an hour, and you can start and have matches lined up 6 hours later. This poses some challenges for preparation, but you should know what you are signing up for.
Third, you will likely be surprised by the intensity and energy expenditure during your matches. This will not feel like a roll in the gym. It’s not supposed to. This is why people compete. It forces adaptions to learning experiences you may not be finding at home.
How To Prepare
Competition preparation can mean a lot of things. The professional competitor (level 4) and the hobbyist (level 1) will look at this differently. No matter where you sit, these steps will help you get the most out of your experience.
Identify your A-game. You may not even use your A game any more. It gets boring being so good, rockstar. Identify this, and spend weeks making this game your top focus.
Visualize your experience. Bow in. Fist bump. Grab a wrist. Shake your opponents hand. Do this 100 times before the event.
Don’t do anything abnormal. Don’t go try a new restaurant. Don’t pull an all nighter. If anything changes, it should be in the direction of more energy conservation and less risk. Your body has a rhythm, and you need to stay on beat.
Track your food, energy levels, and feelings leading up to the event. If you decide to continue on this competition journey, this is valuable information.
Plan your fuel for a long day. Hydration, carbs, healthy snacks.
Know who is going to be in your corner. For all that is new and exciting that is about to happen, you need someone that can ground you.
You can do a lot more to prepare for a big competition day, but at least do this. It will help prepare you physically and mentally for the experience.
You prepared for the big day.
Your brackets are done. Now is the moment that really matters.
Taking Something Away
What will you take away from this experience? There isn’t a clear answer to deliver in mass on this question, but here are some helpful hints:
If you got submitted or pinned mercilessly, the moment before this is likely not what you should be focusing on. Go 3-4 steps back and think about what led up to this moment. That is where the real lesson lies.
Film it. You have a smartphone. There are probably 400 cameras in the room. Make sure one of those is pointing at you. That will make post match analysis 100x easier. Better yet, share the video with your training partners or coach and ask for feedback.
Take note of how you felt in the match, between matches, and at the end of the day. Write it down, and reflect on your food, sleep, and snacks leading up to comp time. This journaling will help you better prepare for the next round.
Did you dominate your bracket? Don’t pat yourself on the back and call it a day. There is still plenty to learn from this. Your post comp reflection should look the same regardless of if you won or lost.
Make friends. Connect with your opponents, coaches, and anyone else in the room. Competition is the best place to contribute to a positive BJJ community.
Thank your team. You did this together.
Your first competition is a courageous decision. You don’t need to do it, and you are taking on this challenge despite your potential anxiety, fear, and misgivings. Your preparation and post comp plan will help maximize the benefit of this experience, and leave you with a plan for growth moving forward.