Yeah I’ll be in the old guy, newbie devisions, I’m cutting a little weight but not much. I’m gonna diet a bit and hopefully make the cut almost nothing. Just a little water weight day of.
I’ve had years of grappling training in the past but it’s been a while 9 years. I’m 6 months back into training.
I didn’t really “train up” for the competition either. At 41 years old it simply wasn’t a priority. I showed up as I was. Only a few mat sessions in the winter months leading up and I was the lightest SHW competitor by far. I finally got to see what my training, lurking in the background of my brain and body, can do against someone much larger and with serious training.
Long story short, the big former college wrestler had my number on our feet but I had his on the ground. Neither of us got a sub on the other.
Bouncing encounters aside, it was a good validation that my stuff works against someone who out-classes me physically. I could escape side control, get to mount, hold mount and keep him on the defensive, even if I couldn’t land a sub. Holding mount was taking up a lot of my attention!
For what I want out of jiu jitsu that was probably the best possible competitor I could have gone up against. I’m never going to be anything more than a hobbyist, but I may do more security work in the future and you never know when your number might be called for reasons unrelated to work or competition.
Well holding and reclaiming positioning in a real fighting situation is what it’s all about. Think about ground and pounding a guy you can control. In reality it’s much easier to submit a guy when you’re able to hammer fist him 30-50 times and make him think about that.
I have always wanted to compete and in reality I’m getting older. (36) almost 37, I need to get it in now. We have a pretty large group going down to this tournament so it’ll be a good environment. It’s suck being the only one going from your gym.
Get the experience. Tomorrow isn’t promised. Out of all my experiences on the mats and in the bar, escaping side control from a 350+ lb trained grappler after losing the takedown in competition was the highlight of hand-to-hand combat for me. Much sweeter than rag-dolling aggressive bar chumps or submitting a purple or brown belt in training.
If I could do that to him, any motherfucker who isn’t a pro fighter, highly trained martial artist or an athletic unit will have problems if they mess with me. That doesn’t make me invincible, it just makes me stronger and better-trained than most, with outcomes in-hand to know this.
Good luck and report back on your competition experience!
I will man! I’ve trained hard 3x week now gotta zone in on a crash course for prep lol I wasn’t planning to enter til last night so here we go
Hey man I told you’d I’d update you on tournament experience.
It was pretty nerve racking lol I had to cut 12 lbs of weight from deciding to go to this morning (12 days)
I was pretty dehydrated going in. I went from 201 lbs to 188.6. Never cut like that and had to perform.
I won gold in my no gi devision and silver in my gi devision. My no gi I got moved up a weight class 205 so I still had to cut the weight for my gi. But was way undersized in no gi. Still pulled it out with a little grit and luck. Let’s just say I like them kimuras from guard!
I’m need to the gi but love it. I did pretty well I felt in gi and I could have won gold but I was gassed at that point of the extremely long day.
I will
Compete again in the near future, but I won’t compete on such short notice and won’t compete where I have to drop weight like this. I was cramping up in every match and I’m in really decent shape, but dehydrating yourself the. Rolling isn’t advised. Especially going 110% , nerves and anxiety present .
It was an amazing experience and I’d recommend other folks go for it and give it a shot.
Congratulations! Was this the American Nationals in Vegas?
No sir it was an open agf in Conway Arkansas.
It wasn’t big time or
Anything and I’m not trying to sell it to be I promise. lol my nerves didn’t know that though and I stressed, slept 3 hours, cut water and competed. I would have been better off competing one weight class up.
there were some great ppl there though in all belt devisions. There was a couple top ranked women bjj competitors there. Also one of the refs is a top ranked black belt in gi.
That made me chuckle.
My competition was a regional men’s tournament in rural Maine. Most of us knew or at least were acquainted with each other. Not to brag, but it was kind of a huge deal. I’m still waiting on my call from Dana White.
If you ever see me at the American Nationals in Vegas it will be as a moderately drunk spectator who will probably leave early to go get some steak and scotch.
That’s badass man - congrats on the outcome.
Curious to hear what regular class feels like now that you’ve got a comp under your belt. I competed a handful of times back when I still trained religiously and regular sparring felt really easy in the weeks following a comp. The lead-ups+comps were the biggest accelerants to my game because they made me approach training with more thought and intentionality, whereas it was easy to get lazy and turn my brain off and go through the motions on a random Tuesday class.
Sucks re: the weight cut. If - and this is a big if - I ever compete again, I’ve decided I won’t cut weight and just deal with the consequences of being a true 200lbs. Fully anticipate getting steamrolled but whatever . . .
Great to hear! I love local tournaments (they are the only ones I’ve ever competed in and can’t imagine spending the $$$ to compete regularly at IBJJF events as a casual). I just knew the American Nationals were this past weekend and there are videos of all those matches so I thought I’d ask.
Good news on the weight insights. I’ve tried both in my 15 years and never found it worthwhile to “cut” weight before an event. Cleaning up the diet, sure. But not a real “cut.”
Are you thinking about another one any time soon?
Yeah same here. If I make nationals it’s just to watch .
I know that next time I won’t cut weight. I’d been better outsized and having my energy.
I think the funniest thing about grappling is when you’re in a match it feels like you’re going to die, like it’s a fight for your life. Then you watch the video and it just looks like a rough snuggling session.
This one was AGF. They have event all over. It was an open though. There were thousands of ppl there. 3 waves: early mornings for kids , mid day no gi crowd ( you know the guys that wanna do UFC?) then the gi crowd. A lot of no gi guys and girls stick around for gi but a lot clear out. And a lot of gi only folks come in.
We are a new gym, our black belt is well known in the competition circuit though.
Yes I will compete again. I know what I need improve on at my level. I want another 4-6 months under this coach before I compete again. So probably will do one early 2022. I only have 3 months at this gym and would just hit white belt level open mats here and there before lol
Bjj is such a slow grind. You have to get the instant gratification desires out of your head. You ain’t gonna walk in and submit blue and purple belts no matter how much UFC you watch. Brown and black belts will play with you and laugh.
Man I’m a short stocky 200 lber lol 5’8” . I have a diagnosed anxiety issue that’s being treated but treatment did nothing for this.
Yes I’m ready to get to class tonight actually man. I know what I need to work on, my classes are more intentional. My coach told me that same thing. Said I’d make massive improvements afterwards. On the mats in sparring I never have anxiety. I roll with freaking blue/purple belts all the time that our weight me by 60-70 lbs and I don’t get anxiety. 
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