Here is a video of one one of my competition matches at the Extreme Grappling Open. I had a lot of fun against a tough opponent. James and Aj Clingerman always do a great job with their EGO tournaments.
4 Ways To Deal With Anxiety In BJJ
My first competitive match in a one on one sport came back in 2000. Even though that was nearly 14 years ago I still remember it like it was yesterday. I was terrified. I didn’t feel like I was going out to wrestle, I felt like I was going out to my execution. Have you ever felt like this before a BJJ tournament?
About 3 years and well over 100 wrestling matches later, I had my first BJJ match. I had been training Brazilian Jiu-jitsu at this time for around 2 weeks and was given a crash course in the rules of the tournament 2 days before the competition. You’d think that the years of wrestling competitions would get rid of the nerves before a match, but it didn’t. I was still very anxious and my mind found itself in its normal irrational state, where the only thing I could focus on was the next match. Maybe it was because BJJ was new to me?
But, last year was no different. While I was warming up at various tournaments, regardless of whether it was a local tournament or a big IBJJF competition, I felt the nerves. It might come as a surprise to some, that after 13 years of competition under my belt I’m still not free of the pre match anxiety. But I’m not and I’ve actually grown accustomed to, and in a strange way, I sort of enjoy them. It kind of makes me feel alive.
A lot of BJJ practitioners have never done a one on one sport before.
Competition is something that is deeply entrenched within Brazilian Jiu-jitsu culture and many newcomers, in my experience, have never competed in a one on one sport. Because of this a lot of practitioners have never learned how to deal with the nerves before a match. A common question I get from students is,”how do I get rid of the nerves before a match?” They always seem so surprised when I say you don’t and that I still get nervous.
The tournament I didn’t have any pre match jitters
I remember only one tournament where I didn’t get my pre-match jitters. I had just finished 3 MMA fights and when I got to the tournament I just felt super relaxed. I didn’t have my customary bubble guts (In case you’ve never heard the term, I’m talking about that funny feeling in your stomach). I came in with the outlook of “no matter what happens, I’m not getting punched in the face.” Needless to say, that tournament didn’t go so well. When I got out on the mat I was just flat and lacked that urgency needed to win a competitive match. I’ve lost matches before, but during this match. . . It’s hard to explain. I’ve been beaten plenty of times but I’ve never felt unable to fight back. This was, by far, the worst performance I can remember, ever.
Some nerves are good
You definitely wouldn’t want to get rid of your nerves completely. Your body can do some super beneficial stuff for performance when it’s stressed. But I get it, being nervous isn’t enjoyable. I remember early on in my grappling career I used to want the same thing. I thought no nerves would be helpful. Now I understand that having nerves before a match is a good thing; it gives us our “edge.” It is important though, to have a way of dealing with the jitters. If we don’t keep our pre match anxiety in check, it can leave us exhausted before we step out on the mat.
Below I’ve listed some ways that I have personally learned to deal with the anxiety leading up to a match. This includes BJJ and MMA competitions. Keep in mind that I am probably slightly more anxious than the average person. Oh and if you’d like to read about some of the interesting things your body does when it’s stressed. Do a search for “fight or flight response and sports performance,” and you’ll find some really fascinating stuff.
4 Ways I Deal With Anxiety Before A BJJ Tournament
– Simply accept that the anxiety you feel before a match is your body’s way of getting ready –
I tell my students, “It’s simply your body getting ready for battle” when on the subject about their nervousness before matches. I’ve found personally and through the experiences of others, that by accepting, and anticipating that your stressed body is going to go a little haywire you can more effectively control it.
– Focus on yourself – In my experience the most important thing to help channel my heightened focus prior to a match, is to zero in my thinking in on myself. While I am in an irrational state of mind brought on by the stress of an upcoming match, it’s very easy to build my opponent up and become fixated on the negatives. Going down a slippery slope of “what if’s”. Instead, I reel it in and concentrate only on my techniques and abilities. I visualize myself successfully using my techniques in the match and having with my hand raised. If I execute all my techniques perfectly, I win, right? This has always helped me over the years. Especially in MMA where bodily harm is a high probability and in recent years as a black belt when every opponent is a beast in their own right.
– Music – I try to keep myself as calm as possible before matches. When the match or fight is hours away I will listen to something that calms me. In most cases I listen to a lot of classical music. Then as the match gets close I start my warm up routine and listen to something that gets me pumped up. I find that listening to music that gets me excited long before the match ends up making me tense and leaves me exhausted by the time my match finally is up. Staying relaxed till its time leaves me with more energy for the match.
– Practice mock tournaments with your friends in the gym – Military manoeuvres and war games are used to prepare units for battle. It gives the armed forces of a country the chance to test strategy and get an idea of how things might work without actual warfare (Sorry, military history nerd coming out again). Mock tournaments in a gym are a great way to get a taste of what it’s like in a competition without having to go to an actual tournament. We do these often in my gym. Having that clear “win or lose” situation with points involved and people watching really helps prepare us for upcoming matches. We can also test out strategy by placing ourselves in unique situations (such as being down by points with a short time limit to mimic the end of a match).
So don’t let your anxiety and nerves hold you back! Get out there and compete!
As always, if you have any questions. Feel free to shoot me a message.
Chewy
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.
This weekend was a lot of fun. I had a small group of guys go down last minute to the NAGA near Nashville. This was the first tournament experience for 3 of my young white belts, and they did a fantastic job. Two of them took double medals home and the other came up a little short in the 3rd and 4th place finals, losing by two points. One of my blue belts also competed and did very well. He had some tough competition in the no gi but snagged a medal for his efforts. Unfortunately he couldn’t compete in the gi because of a popped ankle and jacked up finger he sustained in his semifinals match.
I always have fun on tournament trips and this was no exception. Tournaments always remind me that BJJ is not just about martial arts, getting a fun colored belt or winning competitions. BJJ is also about the brotherhood and community that comes with the sport. The friendships that are made and the amazing people involved in the sport, because without them it just wouldn’t be worth doing.
As always, thanks for reading. Oh and excuse my hair in these pictures. . . it was a long day of coaching. 😀
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)
Failure strikes again. . .
I can’t breathe, and I begin to feel my consciousness slip. My opponents’ legs are locked tightly around my neck like a vice, and my arm is sticking through the lock dangling. My body feels frozen in place, petrified that I am in a submission and that I am about to lose a match or pass out. I try to think of how to counter this attack as my opponent grips the back of my head to apply more pressure on the lock. My peripheral vision fades and blackness is beginning to close in to the center of my view. My mind is clouded by a state of panic. I begin to slap the legs that are wrapped around my neck and shoulder to signal surrender, and the lock is released. I slump back to my butt then quickly fall to my back staring up at the ceiling lights. With a deep breath my vision is restored, my body calms and I begin to grasp what just happened. Out of the corner of my eye I see my opponent standing with his hands raised above his head in victory walking the mats while his team cheers. Then the feeling of losing sets in and I realize that I’ve been bested and I am the defeated grappler. I stand and walk towards the referee who then grabs both of our wrists and raises my opponents arm. We shake hands and walk off the mat . . . head hung low knowing that I put myself into this position, and that this failure is simply the price of ambition.
Rough times as a purple belt
Failure is the price of ambition . . . what an interesting thing to think about. In order to succeed we must fail at some point? Seems kind of contradictory to what we might think, doesn’t it? However, this is the truth! In order to succeed we must fail. Whether this occurs in the gym during our training sessions or in tournaments and competition, it is a vital for progress. The story you just read was a description of a match I had years ago. I was being triangle choked in a purple belt tournament, and this would be the first of many losses I had as a purple belt. During my time as a purple belt I found my dedication to this sport tested but the failures that came worked as a catalyst for improvement and learning.
I clearly state I had no idea what to do, yet I was a purple belt? How can this be, surely a purple belt would have some idea as to what to do? My years spent as a purple belt were rough at times. I had been a constant competitor as a white and blue belt and I quickly climbed to my purple belt which was given to me by my instructor in just around 2 years. 2 years to purple belt, pretty good progress right? Well maybe not as much as you would think. With the new rank I had very mediocre results at first. I would win some tournaments after hard fought battles only to go to another tournament where I would be outclassed by a much more skilled opponent. My game was very narrow and efficient and if you played into it I would win, but if you made me play a different game I was typically ill equipped for it. I ended up moving to another gym because my current instructor was not dedicated to helping me grow and get to the level I know I needed to get to. When I came to the gym that I would come to call home my new instructors Colin and Kyle Cannon instantly picked apart my weakness.
What was my biggest weakness you might ask?
Well, it was the reluctance to try new things, the fear to fail. I had been so competition oriented with my training even in the gym that it caused me never to open up. Even with lower belts my old instructor taught me not to give them an inch and continually grapple just to win. This caused me to have a very narrow style that could be exploited easily if someone was to engage with me in a way I wasn’t prepared for. I would see this happen numerous times as a purple belt. Skilled opponents would use techniques that I was unable to combat at the time. My new instructors made me try and explore positions that I was absolutely terrible from, and in the beginning I struggled a great deal! I was finding it tough being one of the “top” guys in the gym and getting my guard passed by a white belt as I clumsily fumbled with my de la riva or half guard. This continued for about 7 long and at times exhausting months and then it was as if a light bulb had been turned on. Suddenly I found myself was able to work proficiently from what were once my worst positions, and I was soon able to apply this newly developed group of techniques to high level guys in the gym and in tournaments. This came as a result of constant drilling and rolling from these positions that were lacking.
I cannot stress how amazing this felt. I had finally emerged out of this long rebuilding phase of my Brazilian Jiu-jitsu journey, a time which was filled with a lot frustration.
Explore and open your game
The idea of this blog post is to understand that failure is a necessary part to progress. If you are not losing and aren’t being beaten then how do you know your weak points or where you need to improve? Even if you are a high ranking belt at a gym you can still play positions you are weak from to make yourself better. My problem was that I never allowed to play with any position that wasn’t my “bread and butter” and this hindered my growth. I was stuck in the same old moves and techniques and my skills never grew to combat the new problems and evolving jiu-jitsu of the higher level of competition and skill I was now facing.
Now we must never accept failure as inevitable but simply as a possible consequence of us expanding our games and testing new techniques. You should never walk onto the mat with the mindset that you are going to lose but be prepared to make the adjustments if you do. Think of an inventor or scientist. They rarely discover what they are looking for right off the bat, but with persistence and a bit of trial and error they will find what they are looking for.
3 important things to learn
So I know I did a lot of rambling in this blog, but here are the ideas I would like for you to take away from it.
Btw here is a cool quote a friend sent me when I talked to him about this subject of failure relating to BJJ. . .
“I am not judged by the number of times I fail but by the number of times I succeed, the number of times I succeed is in direct proportion with the number of times I fail and keep trying.”
