Tournament Day
Be early to weigh in
Tournaments do weigh in’s either the day before or day of. In both cases, be early. Waiting in a long line to weigh in is exhausting so best to be there early. On same day weigh in’s, there is often a rule that you must weigh in within a certain amount of time before your division starts. This does not mean your first match, it means the first match of your division. Know when that is and make sure you aren’t late, you don’t want all your hard work to go to waste by disqualification. Competitions are strict about weight. If you don’t make weight, even with the weight allowance (often 1-5lbs over) then that is on you, not the workers of the competition. They will often let you try again BEFORE the cut off, so start sweating if you’re 1-2 pounds over. Or they may give you the option to be moved to a higher weight bracket.
Eat
Since you came to weigh in early and have all your registration completed, go eat some food. Keep it light but high in calories. Fruits, vegetables, fiber, good fats, etc. Avoid things high in oil (fried food, butter, etc.). Avoid eating within an hour of your first match, give your body time to digest and provide your muscles with energy.
Stay hydrated
You will be losing a lot of water and electrolytes due to exertion and sweating. Make sure you drink water and sports drinks to replenish these things. Avoid things like Gatorade and Vitamin Water, which are high in sugar and will actually dehydrate you. Don’t drink too much either, you don’t want to feel nauseous during a match.
Footage of your match
Have someone record your match so you can watch it later and discuss it with your coach. A lot can be learned from the videos and it will be nice to have down the road to look back on and watch your progression.
Calm yourself down before the match
Everyone has a unique way of doing this. Some people like to stay calm and breathe while others like to sprint and get their heart rate up before a match. It doesn’t matter what you do but do something so that your body doesn’t panic once things get going. This is not always easy so it might be helpful to ask your coach or a teammate to help guide you through. This can also help avoid or reduce an adrenaline dump. You will see people with earphones, listening to music to get in the zone. Most importantly breathe!
Adrenaline dumping
Many competitors, can get very spazzy and erratic on the mats, even if you don’t feel nervous before the match. This is often caused by an adrenaline dump, which is when your brain goes full fight mode and prepares your body for life-or-death combat. Luckily, this is not life or death combat, and you will burn out quickly in this state, with the increased levels of adrenaline causing your heart rate to skyrocket, muscles to overexert, breath to quicken, and brain to experience tunnel vision. None of these things will help you perform well and will probably cause you to lose. This is sometimes unavoidable as everyone has a unique response to stress and anxiety but keeping yourself calm before a match can help. It also often goes away with experience. The more you compete and experience the intensity of competition, the more your brain and body will adapt and help you remain calm.
Listen to your coach
They know more than you in every conceivable way and have thousands of more hours of experience on the mats. It can be difficult to hear or do what they are asking you to do but listening to their guidance is critical. They will also give you updates on time and points, which should guide your decisions on what positions, submissions, escapes, or sweeps you should be attempting. They can see things you cannot. They will call out instructions and they only way you will hear them is if you remain calm and breath. Trusting and listening to your coaches comes with experience and time.
Tap
This is your first tournament as a white belt. Even if it’s to your first tournament and you are a higher belt…tap to live to roll another day. You do not want to get injured; you want your BJJ career to be a long one. It is easy to let ego or pride get in the way, especially when so many people are watching, but sometimes you need to tap. You have more matches and more training to be done, don’t let yourself get hurt by waiting to tap on a submission that is already in deep. It is your job to protect yourself.
Win/Lose
Whatever the outcome of your match may be, you must always shake hands with your opponent and their coach. Only then do you go over to your own coach and leave the mat. Celebration or frustration should never interfere with the declaration of the winner or the acknowledgement of your opponent or their coach. We are honorable martial artists; you are representing the gym, your coaches, and your teammates.
Cool down
Have a routine in place where you sit down, control your breathing, and get your heart rate down. DO NOT drink or eat a lot of food unless you have at least an hour to an hour and a half between matches. Have small amounts of water and calorie dense snacks but keep it light. Don’t sit down right away, walk it off and breathe.
After action report – talk to your coaches
They are more experirenced and will tell you what went right, wrong, and what could be worked on. Genuinely listen and think about how you can implement their advice. Fully envision what they are saying. Go over your plan and ask questions for things you felt uncertain about in your match. Every match provides a learning opportunity, win or lose.
Know your schedule
You might literally be competiing again on the same mat directly after your first match, make sure you take a small sip of water and get ready for your name to be called. Stay close and listen for your name, watch for your match numbers. Tournaments get chaotic and there is a lot going on. You don’t want to miss your match.
Support your teammates
Watch your teammates matches and cheer them on. It feels good to look over and see friendly, familiar faces around you when you are about to go into battle. Return the favor and record their matches. Celebrate wins and losses with photos together. Don’t forget to take pictures on the podium with your medals!
