Thinking about Competing? Here are Some Great Tips to Help You Along the Way

Nothing beats the feeling of joining your very first tournament. The feel and excitement. The rush. The butterflies in your stomach. It’s as if it sends you to this whole new mental and physical state. Suddenly, everything seems to be clear. Warming up before the match, you see your fellow competitors focused and bent on winning.

Your name is called out. It’s your turn to shine. You have a game plan. You intend on sticking to it. For some unknown reason, the place quiets down. Suddenly, you don’t feel the crowd anymore. It’s just you and your opponent. The familiar voice that you tune into is your coach’s voice. He gives you instructions. You hear his voice and no one else’s.

This scenario can end in both ways; either you get your hand raised, or the opponent gets the win. Regardless of the results, you’re already a winner just by braving through it.

Here are some tips to help you prepare for your first competition.

• Train! But Avoid Over Training

Technically, over-training occurs when we push our bodies past the point of its ability to recover. Needless to say,  it’s bad news. Over training can have detrimental results to your body and to your performance. Your body becomes less responsive. You lose muscle strength. You feel weaker. You feel drained. Your performance shuts down. You also tend to be irritable during the most part of over-training.

Your testosterone levels are shot. Studies show that over-training can lead to low testosterone levels for 1-4 days afterwards. Also, psychologists posit that testosterone levels affect your confidence and drive. There are ways to recover from over-training, but it would be best to avoid doing so instead of having to deal with the whole recovery process. Recovering from it may take days.

TIP: stick to your training routine.

• Have Enough Rest Before the Tournament

Too much excitement and anxiety before the tournament can lead to lack of sleep. Avoid this by getting your mind off the tournament for the mean time. Go out and have fun. Anything to get your mind off the tournament. Your mind needs to rest as well. The principle is the same as cramming before the exams. Giving yourself a breather before the competition will help you a lot.

• Be Early for the Tournament

This is the part where you psyche yourself for the tournament. And what best way to do this is by getting to the venue earlier than scheduled. Get the feel of the venue and the mats. This is also a great opportunity to do visualization. Visualization can help you get mentally prepared for the tournament. Visualize that you are already stepping into the mats, shaking your opponents hand, and getting down to business.

• Enjoy

Tournaments such as the GB Compnet are a safe venue for your first tournament. It is well-established within the circle of Gracie Barra, you know your competitors, trainers, and organizers. It’s friendly, with no unwanted pressures, and most of all, everyone is family.  Enjoy the tournament by having the right mindset about winning (or even losing). There is a saying in Gracie Barra; there is no such thing as losing, only learning.

Signing up for your very first tournament is a huge step towards your journey to the path of Jiu-Jitsu. The path is long and hard, but in Gracie Barra, you’ll have people always supporting you in every step of the way.