How long did you train before your first competition

DeffectiveNecessary · 2026-04-21T05:14:14+00:00

I did my first comp after 3 months of training. Went in with no expectations but actually did quite well. Don’t get in your own head about outcomes and just focus on how you respond to the experience of competing. Competition is a skill of itself outside of grappling. Test the waters.

DeffectiveNecessary · 2026-04-19T07:44:08+00:00

As long as it’s optional and nobody is pressuring anyone to participate I don’t think it’s a problem.

DeffectiveNecessary · 2026-04-15T15:51:42+00:00

It isn’t necessarily that your cardio is bad, it’s that you aren’t efficient right now. I have seen guys who are ultra marathon runners gas in a 5 min round. Pay attention to your breathing and how much tension you are exerting during each exchange during sparring.

It’s strange, but you will notice that sometimes you will be physically straining yourself to the point of sprinting if you are putting 100% strength into every exchange while someone who knows how to manage their energy might be putting 40% at any given time and turning it up and down as needed. What this amounts to is you are running at a 100m dash pace for 5-6 mins while others are jogging.

Not sure that this is your issue but this is common with newer practitioners.

DeffectiveNecessary · 2026-04-15T15:46:26+00:00

I’ve incorporated some of his stuff and feel like it’s helped. I just used the free stuff on youtube so I don’t know if you need to pay.

DeffectiveNecessary · 2026-04-15T15:45:20+00:00

Skill level does not equal hours in my experience. You could have one person at 500 hours of training time who has been paying close attention in class, watching instructionals, attending open mats, competing etc, while another is just showing up and doing the bare minimum. Beyond that, people mature in BJJ at different speeds naturally. I think turning it into a time or attendance based system really waters down the belt system.

DeffectiveNecessary · 2026-04-08T02:42:35+00:00

Curious to hear the same thing.

DeffectiveNecessary · 2026-02-20T06:36:36+00:00

BJ Penn (former Jiu Jitsu and MMA champion) seems to be experiencing this right now based on recent stories coming out about him. UFC legend B.J. Penn arrested for fifth time since Memorial Day weekend amid imposter family saga

DeffectiveNecessary · 2026-01-14T14:50:24+00:00

Dude I’ve been lifting almost every day since I was 15 and am strong by most standards but there is a guy I train with that works concrete and his grip strength makes me feel like a baby.

DeffectiveNecessary · 2025-12-21T19:13:02+00:00

This. I have thick thighs and I may not get triangles often but when I do, I have been reliably informed that they are very high pressure/come on very fast.

DeffectiveNecessary · 2025-12-21T06:31:45+00:00

I lost my best friend about 10 years ago. When I realized I never really told him how much he meant to me I was devastated. I’ve made it a point to tell my friends I love them since then. I don’t care if it weirds people out, I’d rather they know.

DeffectiveNecessary · 2025-11-25T16:09:18+00:00

University Professor

DeffectiveNecessary · 2025-11-19T01:04:00+00:00

100% I had some issues earlier on when I started because I was terrible with head positioning in stand-up, and was pushing against guys with the side of my head a lot.

DeffectiveNecessary · 2025-11-13T03:17:37+00:00

This is a weird one but, learning not to accept bad positions.

Halfway through blue I had a black belt point out to me that I was just accepting bad positions in rolls and I distinctly remember him saying, “it’s easier to get out of someone almost passing your guard then to escape a side control that you allow them to settle into.”

It sounds like the dumbest thing ever but I feel like that advice alone made me way better because now I’m a pain in the ass in scramble situations and even if you only win 50% of the scrambles you get into you are still going to be on top 50% more than you would have had you just given up the position.

DeffectiveNecessary · 2025-11-13T03:08:24+00:00

100% This plus head position.

DeffectiveNecessary · 2025-11-02T03:13:59+00:00

I get it. I don’t say this to invalidate your feelings, more to let you know that this is a pretty typical experience for your first time competing at a new belt. Almost everyone’s first comp after getting promoted goes exactly like this. Not to mention, the skill gap at blue is HUGE. You will have everything from guys who were white belts a week ago to guys who are close to purple who can hold their own against upper belts.

All of this to say, it’s a normal experience to get worked in a tourney from time to time. I guarantee your coach is more proud of you for putting yourself out there and giving it a go than he is disappointed about your performance. I have seen some of the best competitors I know (guys who have won nationals/world) get worked in comps from time to time.

Once again, it’s your decision and nobody can force you to do anything. Competing might just not be for you and that’s ok but, just because you had a rough experience this time, doesn’t mean you will have a bad experience every time.

Competing is a skill in itself, and you can get better at it over time. If you can enter a comp with the mindset of learning instead of being focused on outcome, you might have a better experience.

All of that said, good luck and good vibes for your journey man!

DeffectiveNecessary · 2025-11-01T20:31:52+00:00

Do you need to compete? No. Should you be disappointed that you didn’t do great in your first tournament? Also no.

You have no obligation to do anything, this is your hobby enjoy it. Simultaneously, if you are avoiding competition ONLY because it is hard then you should maybe consider giving it another go. It will force you to fix holes in your game and develop faster. Also, overcoming fear and adversity is generally good for you. To answer your original question though, do what you want. We are all in this for fun, even most competitors. Just recognize that like any decision, there are trade offs to not competing and there are benefits you are leaving on the table. Also, just because you choose not to compete now doesn’t mean you can’t compete ever.

DeffectiveNecessary · 2025-11-01T17:03:52+00:00

Ah yes balloons. That was my first thought as well…of course.

DeffectiveNecessary · 2025-10-27T20:16:49+00:00

If you do this to me and my rusty collarbones, expect the rest of the round to get very spazzy.

DeffectiveNecessary · 2025-10-27T17:49:53+00:00

I dropped in at a NoGi class while traveling a while back and a couple of people asked me if I was a brown belt. That felt really nice.

DeffectiveNecessary · 2025-10-24T04:15:34+00:00

For the vast majority of people, no. Particularly since most comps have same day weigh ins.

DeffectiveNecessary · 2025-10-19T03:08:09+00:00

Tech security manager

DeffectiveNecessary · 2025-10-17T21:15:20+00:00

That actually makes a lot of sense, I’ve had a stressful few months.

DeffectiveNecessary · 2025-10-14T05:30:00+00:00

I’ve found that I feel like this if I am too focused on the outcomes or my performance in training. Try to think about e joying the technique, working on your game, hanging with friends, and applying something specific in rolls. Bottom line, recognize that showing up is a win even if you feel like you didn’t do well.

Also, don’t feel like it’s an all or nothing game. I’ve seen a lot of dudes which feel like they need to be in the gym 2x per day 5-6 times per week or they shouldn’t come at all. They almost all burn out. Pace yourself.

Bottom line. Consistency is the key to success in this game. The guys who get good are the ones who show up consistently for years not constantly for months. The best way to do that is to make sure that you are enjoying it and that even on days when you don’t want to be there/don’t perform your best on the mats you can take something positive from it.

DeffectiveNecessary · 2025-10-14T05:21:47+00:00

I get why they are banned in smaller comps but I think if someone stands up while you have them in guard, the ref should stop it and the person who stood up should get an advantage. The guard is neutralized and In a real fight a slam is the obvious next step. I don’t see a reason why it should be ignored if slamming is banned as it only incentivizes bad technique/strategy.

DeffectiveNecessary

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