First competition tips

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JackJitsu's Tips for your first competition

1. Read the rules carefully and understand the point system. Then come up with a strategy that combines the rules with your "game". PLAY YOUR GAME! FORCE YOUR GAME. Do not try ANYTHING new in a comp. Do what you already know. Dont try and be a guard players if you are a top player and vice versa. This is not the time to experiment! What do I mean by strategy + your game? For example, lets say you are an incredibly strong guard passer. How can we take advantage of this? Simple. Win that takedown, pass his guard , now you have 5 points right? Was his guard easy for you to pass? Great!!! Let him replace!!! Now pass it again for another 3 points. Repeat a second time. You are up 11 to zero now. Now go for the mount, the match is almost over, his chance of recovery is almost zilch now. Go for the sub.

2. As a white belt, I strongly advise to win from the top position. WIN THE TAKEDOWN at all costs, as if the entire match depends on it! Then secure your position and take a break, relax and breathe. You are up 2 points now.

3. Dont spazz. Think strategy. When you get a good position. HOLD IT. If he is going crazy trying to escape, let him waste energy and just focus on holding the position. Wait until he gives up escaping, then count to 10. Let the clock tick whenever you are up on points. Now go for the next superior position.

4. If you are up on a lot of points, do not go for risky sub attempts that make you lose position!!! I once watched a guy who was winning 12 to 0 with less than a minute in the match. He went for a risk sub instead of riding it out, got reversed and submitted. The ref was like... what the hell did you do that for?? You had the win in the bag and threw it away. If you are way ahead, take zero risks. Time is on your side, let him make the mistake, then take the sub, he is under time pressure!

5. Remember to show complete control when you get a position to get the points. If you get side control, show that you are really controlling him for several seconds to ensure you get the score. If you get a takedown, HOLD HIM DOWN as long as you can. If he jumps back up real quick you wont get the points. If you get the back, be sure to get BOTH hooks in for the 4 points, and again, show that you really have control.

6. Remember... position before submission... be sure to have strong position before going for a sub unless he gives you an un-risky freeby. Dont get your guard passed with a weak sub attempt. Reverse instead. If you go for a sub that could cost you your position, you better be confident you have a very good chance to actually get it and that your escapes and guard are good enough to recover if you fail.

7. Conditioning. Max it out!!! Roll 6 minute matches with 5 guys in row until its not so hard. Gassing during a comp is horrible. So sprints outside of class. Run hills, etc. You can no longer think when gassed and it will make you suck.

8. A good solid strategy is the classic BJJ strategy of takedown, side control, mount, and submit. Takedown + side control + mount = an 8 point buffer! Thats a nice pad to have in case you blow the sub and get reversed.

9) Comp diet - Eat a huge bown of oatmeal for breakfast. Bring granola bars and gatorade to the comp to snack on. Suck down a whole gatorade after every match.Then drink lots of water. Be prepared to have a lot of matches. Relax relax relax! Its very hard to do the first time, but try.

10) Team mates - Be sure to have people in your corner coaching you and yelling louder than the other guys team. It really helps. Learn to listen to them above the other voices screaming.

DirtyRanchers tips for your first comp

1) I assume you are a white belt. So, remember the spaz factor. A lot of white belts have never competed in a fighting tournament or comp - whether BJJ, Judo, wrestling, boxing, you name it. The types that will be there will likely have played team sports, like football. That being said, a lot of guys once in the center of the crowd and the situation will appear calm, but the second the ref starts the match, all training goes out the door, and you are left with a tremendous adrenaline filled ball of testosterone. They will yank and shove with all their might, and go basicallly for football tackles and unorthodox throws. So, what you have gotten used to in wrestling - some control - may not be there in some of your early matches. In one of my first matches, I was going against someone who never threatened me before (from my own school), but he spazzed, got the takedown and side control, and I couldn't get the points back, lost by 1 I think. So, just be aware, remember your takedown defense - sprawl etc. and don't get caught up in the spazzing and try a takedown yourself that isn't there. If you wrestled, you know you can't throw anyone unless they are coming into you etc. So don't get caught up in the shoving and just shoot or throw if it isn't there. You know when it is there.

2) In a lot of white belt comps once on the ground, there is too much rushing. It seems that most matches can be won on position only. Look at the rules, if it says the hundred kilo;s needs to be held for 3 seconds, stabilize and control - let the dude underneath wear himself out a little thrashing underneath. I see a lot of guys pass guard, to 100 kilo's and the very second they get there, go for mount before establishing only to get rolled back over into the guard or go for some goofy choke where they leave space and end up back in the guard. That's points wasted. I think you're more likely to win by position most of the time than submission, so don't rush on trying to submit the guy. If you get 100 kilo's hold it and get the points, mount - grapevine him and let him thrash a while, get the points and mentally break him down. Take his back, flatten him out if you can, let him expend his energy, and mentally he'll get weaker.

3) just try to learn something - I think comps give you at least a month's worth of training. So get something out of it, have fun. remember its not the Olympics.

4) while training now, keep an eye on when you are threatened and when you aren't. ie. if you are in someone's guard, and they are yanking you down, for practice, instead of fighting it, put your head down sideways on his chest and clamp your arms on the sides of his body. See if he can get anything. If you are caught in 100 kilos and the guy is holding you tight, try laying there until you feel he opens up some space. Get a feel for when the threat is there.

5) being in shape will definitely help, if your club isn't open a lot of days, do some other stuff to get into shape.

6) remember your best moves. try to practice those while you roll before this tournament - ie your best pass, sweep, takedown and establishing and holding your positions rather than trying to learn 100 fancy flying submissions from the de la riva-back spinning fist-rubber-X-supafly-ninja guard. I see a lot of guys showing other guys submissions 5 mins before their match that they learned off some video the night before, like that's gonna work. Since your a wrestler, I'd focus on a sweep, since you are likely good at holding guys down anyway - so a good scissor sweep would make you golden.

7) Have fun, there's a lot of tournaments lying ahead so don't get too worked up about it. Also, there's a big spread in ability in the white belt class - guys who are really good, and absolute beginners, so don't stress on a loss, just remember what mistakes you made.

So - have fun, don't get caught up in spaz mode (unless your positive you can out spaz him - hahaha), position, basics.

May the Force be with you.