So, one of the most debated questions in Jiu Jitsu, is how often one should compete in Jiu Jitsu? There are people at both ends of the spectrum. Some say you should compete as much as your physically possible and some think competitions are pointless. I am not going to debate the value of competition in this article, but rather make an argument for how often an average person should compete. I am not talking about the athletes or the competition obsessed. This is written for the average person. My argument is that the average person should compete once a year. Obviously you can compete as much as you would like, but it should be at least once per year of training. Competing once per year is not a huge dedication to time and yet it can still provide the many benefits listed below.
- The first reason is that it really shows you where you are in your belt progress. Granted some people can handle nervs better and thus achieve results easier, but in general you get to see your strong points and weak points, and what needs to be worked on more.
- It helps you handle confrontation and nervs. The more I compete the more comfortable I have gotten. Although this is a sport, for me at least, competing has improved my personality off the mat. It keeps us humble, but also teaches us to stand and be strong in uncomfortable situations.
- It gives you the ability to understand your teammates and future students struggle. Even if competition isn’t your personal forte, it is needed to allow you to help your teammates and your one day future students. A lot of people who don’t compete in a sport don’t understand everything that’s going on. They tend to talk about mistakes as if the person intended on making them without realizing how much the athlete is dealing with.
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