Should You Compete in BJJ?

Should you compete in BJJ? Yes, you should be competing. Do you have to participate? No, you do not need to take part. We'll discuss the positives and reasons you might be interested in BJJ tournaments.

It's not necessary to have a black belt to compete. But be aware that it can take longer. People who compete will discover that they are improving at a faster rate. As a result, those who compete climb up the ranks more quickly. The desire for self-improvement and the competition helps inspire growth.

You can learn and keep improving by practicing your techniques, drills, and full-contact sparring in a class.

There are plenty of BJJ black belts who haven't competed or only a handful of times. Let's look at the primary motives and what you gain from this.

If you don't have multiple members from your gym in the group, you usually compete with someone you may or may not have met from a different gym.

The intensity and level of aggression are generally greater in competitions than in training sessions at your fitness center.

You'll wrestle your opponent in the first match. The victor of that bout will then wrestle the winner from another fight in your group. Only one is left at the end of the match, which earns them the gold medal and first place on the podium.

The other formats for tournaments include round-robin, where the participants wrestle against each other. The competitor with the most victories overall takes the event. A double-elimination allows you to fight another match, even if you lose your first one.

Then there are superlight competitions that consist of a single opponent. These usually take place on a stage or an arena with only one opponent at a time, similar to an MMA fight night.

Any of these formats can be classified as a BJJ competition. But the most used tournament format is the double or single elimination bracket. If you want to start, then try participating in beginner tournaments.

A full-time BJJ athlete is devoted to learning the discipline of BJJ. Everything is centered around training as well as recovery and diet. However, even if you consider yourself a casual practitioner, you still can compete and reap the benefits!

Anyone interested in competing is encouraged to compete! Be aware of the risks before considering whether you should compete in BJJ. In a competition, the chances of you getting injured are high, and the possibility of getting severely hurt is not worth the money. If your livelihood depends on having two functional knees or shoulders, you can’t afford to miss a few days due to an injury. You might want to determine if the risks are worth the time.

But serious injuries aren't commonplace, as is the feeling of competing that should be experienced by everyone at least once.

Buchecha and Gabi Garcia, the Mundial Open Champions, have lost many matches. Therefore, it is logical that those who compete in the Open Division will also lose a few matches. Nobody is undefeatable, so being competitive places us in situations where we might lose.

According to Derek Kaivani, black belt and co-owner of Lucas Lepri BJJ and Fitness, this opportunity for personal growth is the "most significant thing we gain from competition because it is a life skill that extends much beyond the mat in its capacity to bring success in our lives."

The rewards of winning tournaments are unique, and everyone competes to win. But you should not be afraid to lose because losing can help our performance on the mat and in our lives on the mat if we choose to learn from loss. Adopting this mindset eliminates unnecessary anxiety and helps us be more adept at performing at our best in difficult situations outside of competitions.

To know whether you should compete in BJJ, you can try to compete. It can make you more effective under stress. Cracking under pressure is all it takes for you to make a mistake. If you are in an intensely stressful experience, the rest of your life seems normal, slow, and unimportant. BJJ also helps to relieve stress and anxiety.

In the beginning, you might find training and sparring difficult. However, as you begin to know your fellow fighters, it will feel more like playing, not war. The competition, however, is more challenging because of the emotions involved.

It's hard to describe the excitement you feel when you compete. The focus of your eyes narrows, your mouth becomes dry, your heart rate rises, and the contest ends after only a few moments of interminable time. A ferocious few minutes can make the most difficult parts of your day seem unimportant compared to the intensity of the match.

Because of the above factors, BJJ tournaments teach you how to handle stress. You'll remain calm even in the most difficult of situations, regardless of the competition, sparring, or even dealing with day-to-day problems off of the mat.

Though it may seem contradictory, if your primary reason for learning jiu-jitsu is self-defense, it's a great idea to participate in a few tournaments throughout your BJJ career. There are various self-defense jiu-jitsu techniques for women that help boost self-confidence.

Sitting on a mat or confronting an opponent in front of your team and an assortment of spectators can be stressful. This stress triggers a fight or flight response. Tons of adrenaline and other hormones are released into your body. It is a big support reason you should compete in BJJ.

The surge of hormones can be debilitating if you've never had such a rush before. Common reactions include not taking a breath and getting tired instantly. However, processes are coming to a halt, fine motor abilities are disappearing, and being unable to develop and execute a plan.

(All of these signs could cause serious side effects if you experience them while trying to survive a tough fight.)

The incredible thing is that you really can conquer it. The only thing you can do is be exposed to intense situations, gradually increasing the amount of stress.

If you're training, you've probably started with this procedure.

You probably felt nervous when you thought about going to your first BJJ school. Before going to a BJJ school, you must consider a few things.

You were likely nervous when it was time to fight, didn't you? Training with your coaches and other visitors who come to school is a competition. You've probably learned how to better manage these pressures by simply going. After three to six months, sparring practice may even appear normal.

Many martial artists have been training for years, only for their minds to go blank when faced with an actual attacker in a real-life situation.

If your aim is self-defense, attending an event or two is an excellent opportunity to test (and improve ) staying calm under fire.

By putting yourselves in frightening relatively-safe scenarios like a tournament yet, you'll continue to improve your ability to use your adrenaline surge and make judgments while stressed.

One of the most significant reasons to compete in a team is to build friendships with your teammates. You'll train together and prepare for competitions. You get to travel together. You'll be helping each other warm up as you watch each other take on the competition. Be able to share the pain of defeats and revel in the satisfaction of winning. It will foster long-lasting connections off the mat. However, it might also make you want to return to class to talk.

Success in BJJ is a consequence of individual performance, which is built on the help of your teammates. You cannot succeed on your own in this game. It is a team sport that involves personal initiative.

If you're planning to compete in a tournament, you'll have to exercise differently. You don't want to appear silly on competition day. During drills, you'll pay extra attention, skip fewer classes, perform additional training, focus on fixing your weaknesses, and sharpen your abilities.

You'll also gain a lot from your competition. You'll have to compete against opponents who will not know how to handle your grappling methods. This unexpected clash of various styles could help you learn a lot!

Perhaps you'll be faced with someone who has powerful takedowns or goes on the offensive and traps your limbs. Perhaps they'll be more anxious than you are and stay on the edge of the mat. Whatever they do, every fight is a valuable learning experience that will help you improve your skills.

You're likely to go up against spider guard specialists, so you need to create one or two effective defenses against this position.

The result of every match will be an opportunity to go back to the gym to fix any mistakes you made so that they won't happen again next time. The competition will continually be improving at a speedier pace due to this exact reason.

The most challenging part of practicing is that many people are bitten by the "Jiu-Jitsu Bug" and desire to train regularly. This can cause the average person to burn out quickly. Three days per week is sufficient for the average enthusiast to keep up jiu-jitsu practice.

Purple belts show an aptitude and dedication to BJJ far more significant than those of lower belt levels. They are aware that they're halfway to achieving the black belt. That is why it could be considered the bridge rank, the point between expert and novice.

By now, you have gotten the answer to whether you should compete in BJJ. Competitive sports teach you essential lessons that will help you become a better version of yourself. That is precisely the essence of what BJJ is about. Everybody has a unique motive that leads them to BJJ. However, BJJ can be a means of bringing people who share the same goal of improving themselves together.

BJJ is for anyone, from amateurs to experts. If you're only starting, seek advice from your coach on when you should start, then keep track of your team! The competition will help you understand where to enhance your skills when you've finished a competition. Medals are lovely to possess; however, BJJ should always be about advancing.

Photo credit: @titanesbjj