In your first competition, winning should not be your primary goal. Rather than focusing on the outcome, you should focus on having fun and learning something new. Nevertheless, everyone wants to win, and there are a few things you can do to improve your chances.
Prepare a Game Plan
“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” This is a quote from a book called “Atomic Habits” by James Clear. In regular life, systems can be very helpful; the same applies to BJJ. To achieve success, you should always have a plan to follow and a strategy to follow. You do not have to overcomplicate this, but you should know your strengths and weaknesses and work towards your strengths. For example, if you are a guard player, you should be ready to pull guard as soon as the fight starts. Contrary to that, if you like to be on top, you should have some signature takedowns to secure your top position. Even better than knowing your game plan is if you can gain some information on your opponent and observe his weaknesses.
Develop a Game That Is Based on Fundamentals
When it comes to competition, the fundamental moves of jiu-jitsu can be very beneficial. Pin escapes, guard retention, half guard, closed guard, and attacking the turtle are necessary skills to master. It is common for lower belts to disregard these techniques and focus on fancy ones, such as loop chokes, flying armbars, and worm guard. Avoid the complicated stuff and stick to the basics. By doing that, you will make your game better all around, which will result in long-term benefits. If you want to improve this part of your game, I highly recommend checking John Danahers’ “Go Further Faster” series.
Stabilize Positions
To score points in a Brazilian jiu-jitsu match, you have to hold a certain position for a minimum of three seconds. You have to control your opponent for three seconds before you can go for submission to score points. You don’t want to mount someone and jump on an armbar before getting points. Your opponent may be able to escape as a result, which may cost you the match.
Make Sure You Warm Up Well
A mistake like this can have a drastic impact on your performance. You don’t want to go into your first fight without breaking a sweat. You should warm up for at least half an hour before your match. You can do different drills to raise your heart rate, and you can do some light rolls to get the blood flowing. It’s important not to overdo this, as you don’t want to get fatigued before your match. Here is a video of a good warm-up routine from Chewjitsu.
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