Definitely not my best work but it was a fun match. The Chicago tournament was a little rougher than usual. I won some and lost some, but all in all the day was pretty fun. I’ll post some of the wins I had later on after I post them on the mat. 🙂
Today was a bruiser. I didn’t have any interviews for the podcast or private lessons and I am waiting for the hosting issues to get resolved before I can finish the work on the actual website. This freed up my day so I decided to take advantage of it and work hard!
When I weighed in this morning I was 207lbs which is good considering I had a pretty relaxed diet this weekend. I went on a camping trip this weekend and ate food that I normally don’t consume in great quantities like breads so honestly I expected my weight to be up a bit. This means I need to lose about 5lbs so that I will be 207lbs or under in the kimono. Whenever I am getting ready for an IBJJF style tournament, which has you weigh in right before your match, I aim to be a couple of pounds lighter than I need to be. This lets me enjoy a good breakfast on the day of competition. I am kind of a fat kid at heart and going without a sizable breakfast isn’t an option and when the day of competitions comes I want to focus on the match not having to lose a few extra pounds.
Here is what my day looked like. . .
11am-12:15pm: BJJ Takedowns. 10 minutes total of takedown rounds and then 15 minutes of rolling starting from the knees
12:30pm-1:30pm: Heavy deadlifts. Did work with 80% of my one rep max. Then some stretching.
7pm-8:10pm: More gi takedowns. Again 10 minutes total of takedown rounds and then 15 minutes of rolling from the knees.
8:15pm-8:50pm: Did the “Filthy Fifty” workout. If you’ve never done the workout before it’s a lot of fun. Here’s what it is . . .
For time:
50 Box jump, 24 inch box
50 Jumping pull-ups
50 Kettlebell swings, 1 pood
Walking Lunge, 50 steps
50 Knees to elbows
50 Push press, 45 pounds
50 Back extensions
50 Wall ball shots, 20 pound ball
50 Burpees
50 Double unders
This work out is considered a chipper workout. Meaning it’s long and tough, and you have to simply chip away at it.
8:55pm-9:20pm: Live wrestling for takedowns. Going to wrestling straight after that workout was rough, but I did well and was happy I pushed through my fatigue.
I felt great today. The camping trip this weekend helped me clear my head a bit and I felt really refreshed on the mats today. That being said, it was still rough and required a lot of focus.
Whenever I have rough days like this when I am leading up to a tournament I try to use visualization as a motivation. When I am drilling my takedowns I am not taking down my partner, I am taking down an unnamed opponent in the competition. When my grip starts to fade during a heavy set of deadlifts I think about my opponent finishing their rep and clinch the bar tighter. When I am exhausted after a hard workout I think about my opponents training past discomfort and head back to the mats for wrestling.
This may sound silly but visualization is such a powerful technique that comes in handy when I am training for a competition and need an extra boost of motivation during hard sessions. Even if I am not preparing for a competition, if I have a goal I want to achieve, then visualization is something I use. During the hard work that is necessary to achieve any worthwhile goal (BJJ or otherwise) if I find my motivation waning, I start to visualize. Visualize overcoming the obstacles that stand in my way. Visualize how my hard work will aid in my road to attainment, and visualize the satisfaction of achieving my goal. No matter how tired I might be. When I think about these three things I get fired up to get after whatever it is I need to do.
I am tired so if this post came across as poorly thrown together I do apologize. I am a bit wipe so I am going to head to bed and get ready for another tough day tomorrow!
As always, thanks for reading.
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below or send an email to chewjitsu@gmail.com
Hey everyone,
This will be a short post. Myself, my students / team / association are gearing up for a few tournaments that are coming up in the next couple of months.
We will be competing at some of the bigger events like the Atlanta Open, Miami Open, No Gi Pans and we also have some regional tournaments stuck in there as well. I am also involved in an invite tournament that is going to be filled with some tough competition. One of my early grappling heroes, Chris Moriarty will be competing in it which is exciting. Some other insanely tough guys like Vitor Oliveira and JT Torres, among others will be involved.
I thought it would be a fun idea to take people along with us. Every Monday, until these big competitions are over, we will be focusing on mine as well as my teams preparation leading up to these matches. I will be posting a video, text blog or image sharing our journey with you. I hope you enjoy following a long with us.
Very cool match with Clark Gracie and Marcelo Mafra. I like this match because I think it highlights a few things that can be incredibly important in competition.
-Taking a person out of their comfort zone
Mafra pulled guard first and took Clark out of his “A” game. From there he was able to get a sweep early in the match, this allowed Marcelo to play more conservatively on top and put more mental pressure on Clark. This was a really smart move. By doing this he didn’t allow Clark to be as relaxed in his best position.
-Staying calm under pressure or in frustrating positions
Clark stayed very calm during the match. He played leg entanglement for a good portion of the match (hunting for the oma plata I assume) with no luck, but never bailed on the grips or his game. Being down 2 points with an opponent playing very conservatively can be really frustrating, and it can be easy to become irritated. This will lead to mistakes if you let it get to you. Clark stayed disciplined with his grips and never allowed frustration to lead to a worse position.
-Finishing strong
Clark turned it up in the end of the match and came away with the victory. Towards the end of the match Clark scored an advantage for a sweep attempt. Mafra stood up denying Clark the points and then pulled guard again. From here Clark began attacking for the guard pass very aggressively. The hard guard passing would eventually lead to the transition that won him the match.
Fantastic match from two amazing BJJ players.
Today my student Justin did a fantastic job. He submitted every opponent in his division en route to a gold medal at the Pans. He earned a gold last year as a white belt and continued the success with a gold at blue belt. I’m super proud of him.
(Here is a picture of myself and Justin)
Also, Paul from my friend Dave Reilly’s gym down in Tucson took gold as well. He did a great job with his top game.
(Here is a pic of Paul and Justin)
Finals match from the Chicago Open.
Semi-finals match from the Chicago Open.
So thinking about competing? That’s fantastic! I am a competitor and encourage everyone who does BJJ to at least try a tournament or two. If you’ve never competed before, it can seem like a pretty nerve rattling thing. I know that I was absolutely terrified before my first wrestling match in high school. Then after that I was hooked on the thrill and the challenge of competing. Many of my students report the same nervous feelings before their matches and some of these guys are Pan Am and World champions. So don’t feel bad if you are a bit nervous leading up to your competition.
Being prepared is everything and being prepared removes a lot of the stress associated with a tournament. I have prepared a relatively short post about how to ready yourself for a tournament. This post is primarily for tournament newcomers but if you have competed before I hope that you find something helpful. If you have any questions feel free to ask.
Also depending on how much time you have leading up to the event your options can change a bit. For this post I am going to target people who are around 6-8 weeks out from their competition.
Choosing a tournament
So you’ve decided to compete soon. Time to find a competition!
Things to consider when looking at competitions. . .
Techniques and game plan
Next, what are the techniques you plan to use? You need to come up with some sort of game plan for the tournament. In this game plan you will cover the techniques you plan to use in different situations. Keep it simple and cover the basics. You typically want to come up with a plan A and a plan B and outline your best escapes.
Remember also, that with 6-8 weeks or less to prepare, avoid adding in new sets of moves. Instead, stick to techniques that you are comfortable using and are able to execute well in training.
Below are the basics I would focus on when putting together your game plans. Essentially you want a plan for the top, a plan for the bottom and have your escapes ready to go. You can get more elaborate with it, but I would advise to keep things simple for newcomers.
Plan A = Your takedowns or person pulls guard on you, your guard breaks & passes, how you plan to get to a dominant position, the submission series you plan to use.
Plan B = You were taken down or pulled guard, how will you get to your preferred guard, your sweeping series, your submission series.
Misc = Outline all of your escapes and any other movements that aren’t covered above.
Leading up to the tournament
Your approach to the tournament is the MOST important part of your success come day of the competition. Every day that you waste or “take it easy” is one less day of preparation. Keep this in mind and stay focused.
Things to consider. . .
Night before the competition
You want to make sure you have all your gear ready for tomorrow and relax.
Here are the things I would be sure to include. . .
After your things are packed you need to get your mind off everything. To a first timer, someone still new to the tournament scene or someone with a big match. The night before can be filled with racing thoughts and anxiousness that keep you awake all night. Just remember you put the hard work in and are adequately prepared. Also, keep in mind that it is just a competition and the main thing is to have fun and enjoy the experience. Life will go on regardless of how you do.
If you are still having trouble settling down then go do something to take your mind off the ordeal. Go see a movie, read, hang out with friends/family, etc. Just something that is not necessarily related to the tournament and will allow your mind to chill out so you can get a good sleep.
Day of the competition
It’s the competition day! First things first. . . eat a good size / healthy breakfast. Make sure not to skip breakfast on this day, not that you ever should. Tournaments last all day so this may be your only full sized meal till after the tournament is over. Plus you will need the fuel for your matches.
Relax
Once you arrive at the venue just try and relax till it’s time to warm up. Headphones and music can help you relax by drowning out all the noise and allow you to think and focus on your match. Just be sure listen for your division to be called.
Visualize
While you are waiting around be sure to think about your techniques and moves. Visualize the matches in your mind and see yourself hitting the techniques that you outlined in your game plan. Be sure not to let your nerves bombard your psyche with negative thoughts like “what if my first match is against that super muscular guy I saw at weigh ins”, “I hurt my big toe last week and its still a little sore” , “I know lucky charms isn’t a healthy breakfast but it was in the kitchen and its all I had and and” . . . you get the idea. Erase the negative thoughts you might have stirring around in your head otherwise they can consume your thoughts. You’re here to put your skills on display. This depends on your ability to execute your moves, just focus on yourself and not your opponent so much. Unless you saw something he did and have a plan to use one of your techniques to beat him. (i.e you see a wrestler with great takedowns. You then plan to pull guard to deny him the takedown points and finish him with a triangle)
Warm up: Get Sweaty!
Once you’re within about 15-20 minutes from having your division called, it would be a good idea to get a warm up roll in with one of your gym mates. If you do not have a partner then simply do some calisthenics and movement drills till you get warm and loose. You want to make sure you get a nice sweat going. YOU NEVER WANT TO HIT THE MAT COLD!!!!!!!!!!! . . . . wait for it YOU NEVER WANT TO HIT THE MAT COLD!!!!!!!!!!! I know this is kind of overkill with the exclamation points but this is so important. I’ve had so many students perform poorly because they failed to warm up sufficiently. Just think about trying to roll in the gym without a good warm up.
During the matches
This is the moment you have prepared for and it’s time to do what you trained to do. My last advice is to open up and “play your game”. This sounds so simple doesn’t it? Yet during the match when we fear losing a position or giving up points. We hold ourselves back and fail to execute our games properly. I know I have been guilty of this. Not opening up and going after my moves because I was too hesitant and gave my opponent too much respect. You cannot be this way. Remember you trained incredibly hard for this and it’s all about you and your ability to execute your techniques on this person. Throw your hesitations aside and go after it. If it doesn’t work and you come up short when trying to execute, it’s far better than realizing you didn’t do anything you trained.
I wish you the best of luck on your tournament and remember . . . it’s just a tournament! Have fun!