Competing in jiu-jitsu can be one of the most challenging, rewarding, and fun things you can do. It's a great way to judge your skills and see where you're at in your training. It can also be stressful and nerve-wracking, but it doesn't have to be. At No Limits Grappling Academy, we focus on mental preparation for jiu-jitsu competitions to help our athletes succeed.
Ignore the result
Now, let's be clear, when we train, we train with the goal to win. We talk about winning and what it takes to win a lot. But the fact of the matter is, we have zero control over if we actually win or not, so we don’t focus on it. The focus is simple: it's going out there and being the absolute best grappler that we can be on that day. No more. No less. If we win? Awesome. If we lose? We’re going to take a little bit of time to be upset. Go back to the gym, fix our mistakes and get ready for the next one.
Try not to make it bigger than it is
Part of the reason that people find it hard to deal with the anxiety of competition is that they treat competition as a “special” thing.
- They take in more caffeine than normal
- They listen to different music
- They up their carb intake
- They pace back and forth and try to psych themselves up
They do all these things outside of their usual actions which in turn puts more pressure on themselves and increases the anxiety.
You want to normalize the act of competing as much as possible. Famous Japanese swordsman Miyamoto Musashi has a quote that my Coach Josh Saunders has become quite fond of using: “A bullet fired from a gun cannot distinguish training from combat.”
Contrary to what many people believe, the only real differences between training and competing are a ref, a scoreboard, a different venue, and the perceived importance you place on the result. That's it. If you take those things away, it's a mat on a floor and you and another person rolling just like any other day.
What Competition really is
If we look at training for what it is, the process of skill development, then competing is just simply the process of expressing those skills. That's not to say that winning doesn't matter or that it's not important, or that you can't be bummed if you don’t do well, far from it, but more important to realize that training and competing are all intrinsic pursuits and all of the things that we think do matter, the name of the tournament, our opponent’s rank, the gym where our opponent’s train, any of the people watching, don’t.
Perspective is important
We make no secret of the fact that, as we continue to build No Limits, we want to be known as a competitive gym. Not only to help our athletes find success and accomplish great things, but for the skills and values that competing helps to cultivate. Part of building fierce competitors though is to help them develop and establish a mindset to regulate their emotions and keep perspective to deal with both successes and failures. This allows our athletes to compete unencumbered, be less nervous, have more enjoyment, and not personalize results.
Key Takeaways:
- Embrace the Challenge: Competing in jiu-jitsu is both rewarding and challenging. Use it as a measure of your training progress.
- Mental Shifts: Focus on being the best version of yourself on competition day. Effort and skills displayed are what truly matter.
- Normalize Competition: Treat competition as another training session. Avoid drastic changes to your routine to reduce anxiety and pressure.
- Intrinsic Pursuit: Remember, the intrinsic value of competing lies in skill expression and personal growth, not external validation.
- Keep Perspective: Develop a balanced mindset to handle both victories and defeats, fostering long-term growth and enjoyment in the sport.