Should I be doing competitions?
Where Champs come to meet!
For many competition can be an intimidating prospect, but they can a lot be an extremely rewarding one too. Many sports offer a variety of competitions with varying rule sets, some may be large venue events others small star ups just keep in mind not all events may be for you. When training Martial Arts the question will probably come up at some point “do you plan to compete?”. not everyone is going to say yes, which is perfectly fine. However for anyone looking looking to go the distance in Martial Arts I have a few points to consider before saying no.
What is a competition? Competition is a structured event with rules for their prospective event, each event is different and may have more or less rules. In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu each rank has its own set of limitations that become less restrictive as you achieve higher belt ranks. these matches are often structured to provide a constructive competitive environment, the high stress and pressure from competition will feel a little more intense than a spar or roll but after a match or two you wont even be able to tell the difference! there’ s nothing quite like someone trying to take that win away from you, its here where your true skills will shine through and your short comings will get dragged though the mud.
Competitions also offer a great opportunity to meet other martial artists & get to know teem mates better, each tournament i’ve gone to I have always met so many awesome people. During my last match i met my boy tony, we liked up after the match and eventually did some training out in his home town during the Rona lock downs.
Probably the biggest reason to compete is the self esteem & confidence boost, win or lose you can walk away feeling more confident and ready to handle anything. just the act a lot of challenging yourself does just that, throw down a few more times and you will be feeling like a regular charlie sheen “winning here, winning there, a rock star from mars, with tigers blood”!!!
If your like me and do Brazilian Jiu Jitsu you may want to check out these tournaments available, some welcome all grappling forms.
- North American Grappling Association
- Grappling Industries
- International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation
- BJJ Globetrotter
- Tap Cancer Out
