When to start competing bjj
When Will I know I'm Ready To Compete In BJJ?
got a good question from Buddy John he
asks when does someone know they're
ready to compete
so John first off thanks for the
question brother I appreciate it and
that's a good question because a lot of
people that get into jiu-jitsu haven't
competed in a one-on-one sport before
like wrestling boxing something like
that and so it can be pretty
nerve-racking you know to even think
about getting into a jujitsu competition
for me I wrestled first before I got
into jujitsu so wrestling you don't have
a choice right you're on a team and when
your coach says you're gonna go do it
you're just that's what's gonna happen
I remember I was terrified my first
tournament right I wasn't I felt like
when I remember sitting at the
tournament and like getting ready I
didn't feel like I was getting ready to
compete I felt like I was getting ready
like walked to my execution like I was
getting ready to die that was just it
and I ended up winning my first match
and was breathing super heavy and got my
breathing heavy as in you know like that
like and I got my wrestling name which
was tugboat because I was breathing so
every after my first match in just maybe
like a horse like a horn sound and
anyway I sort of get off on a side note
so how do you know you're ready you're
probably not going to know that you're
ready because if you're asking the
question you're probably a little bit
more cautious maybe a little bit more
you know like just anxious kind of like
I am you know I don't think I don't know
if I would have competed had my coach
not forced me to do so I probably
would've been like I don't think I'm
ready yet okay here's a little checklist
for you though think about this way when
you go to a competition you least need
to have one technique from every
position right you need to have like
least one solid escape that you can look
for one sweep or series of sweeps from a
guard you need to have at least a
submission for guard you have a guard
break a guard pass and you need to have
a submission from top dominant position
back side control Mountain right if you
have one of every one of those things
right if you have at least one move that
you can do from every position fairly
well you know you know fairly well boom
you got a game plan in place brother
like you can compete that's all you need
right you just I've seen people compete
with much less right so you don't
necessarily need all that but if you're
really like trying to like you know make
sure that you're ready then just make
sure you have at least one thing from
every position that you
can use because again your when you hit
the mat you don't want to have to think
about what you're going to do you need
to just be able to react and work
accordingly and then the second thing
and this is sort of on a side note don't
build the tournament up into something
it's not right it's because again the
more you think about it the more people
send us through and before you know
you've built this thing up into
something it's completely not again if
you're a white belt you are competing
against white belts that are probably
around the same skill level as you right
they're probably training a couple days
a week few days a week and they're going
there to compete because they're trying
to try to have some fun that's it okay
and think about it this way you're if
you're married or you got a girlfriend
they're not gonna leave if you don't win
they don't care
right there they're probably hoping if
you'd maybe if you lose like will he
stop after this like caddy spend so much
time there so they're not gonna leave
you if you have kids your kids are gonna
hate you
you have friends they're not gonna live
in you're not they're not gonna not be
your friends anymore
your instructors not gonna hate you if
he does he's stupid I shouldn't pay you
afterwards right your gym training
partners they're not gonna hate you or
like taking less if you look like man
thanks for going out there with us and
competing nothing bad can come from you
losing a turn it just happens sometimes
right some people lose and I would say
that before you you know basically say
I'm gonna be a competitor or write off
competition say I'm not going to do this
I would say at least do three
tournaments and the reason I say this is
because I've seen several my students
one in particular one of my buddies here
oh he's he's actually training at a
different gym now because he left it
went into Chicago which you know he's
five hours away now but when he was
training here he was a white belt he got
destroyed his first like two tournaments
and then I remember it was this third
tournament all sudden the guy that was
in the gym that was so good that would
go to tournaments and just brain for it
right that guy was gone the guy in the
gym found his way out onto the
tournament mat and he started competing
he was finishing guys and he did really
really well and he ended up making it
into the finals right so again that was
it was great really great performance
from him and now he started competing
won tournaments as a white belt a blue
belt and now he just won the Chicago
open it is a purple belt you know so
again you you don't know sometimes in
the beginning because most people just
it's a really rough situation in the
beginning so give yourself time to
acclimate to that but again you're not
going to know when you're ready you're
not going to feel that you're ready
sometimes
but just jump in and do it and even if
you lose you're gonna have a much better
idea of what you're getting yourself
into so you can prepare better next time
but if you're one of those people that
you're just you're an over-thinker and
you need like a checklist or something
for yourself just make sure you have at
least one move from every position that
you can use and this way you know that
you have you know everything's rounded
out and ready to go so John I hope this
helps brother and if you're watching
this you're getting if you're thinking
about competing hope this helps you too
thanks guys
