Finally gonna compete:Arranging gameplan

[Leftover40oz]

What's up everyone...I've lurked sherdog for years but never signed up!

Anyway I've been training jiu jitsu almost 5 months now and am ready to compete

I'm a very modest guy but guys I have to admit.....IM DOING SICK

I can only think of 2 guys in my beginners class that can give me a real competitive roll....and oh yeah those other 2 240 pounders who just try to sit on you and never catch a tap...those first 2 I mentioned are just a bit heavier than me and were wrestlers with strong builds...and our rolls are real intense but mostly no taps ya know?

So I know I have to be humble and everything(and trust me I am;I'm just so deep into bjj now and I'm taking it real serious ) but when I roll with the rest of the class I'm never really in danger and I'm at the point of trying to work on certain things and not just tapping them 3-4 times in a roll to prove that I'm better. I let them get into positions that gives them the upper hand while trying to work my escapes/sweeps...tryna not to make an image of always giving people a beating and maintain some friends haha....and of course it goes without saying I've been swallowed by every purple belt I've ever faced.


So now onto the gameplan
I'm 6"0 175

Long arms and legs so I prefer to be on my back (pulling guard I think? Sorry still bad with lingo for everything)

My ideal GAME is pulling guard and not letting go of one hand on their collar to always keep pulling his upper body down towards me>>>>that leads to me toying with him and eventually sweeping or just pulling closed guard>>>>from closed guard Id be attempting an arm bar or sweep>>>if arm bar fails I'm confident in my scrambling to end up in a good position where I aim to get him in side control>>>from side control I try for Americana/Kimura in hoping that his hands get sloppy enough where I can pull off a arm triangle>>>if that fails then into full mount and then I got a couple tricks from there.


Everything sounds good on paper....but I'm expecting the worst....that little scenario works well when I vs little 150 pounders but in a competition I expect everyone to be much better than me so I expect the worst....

So here's some questions now that you have some insight

Should I just be focused on maintaining positions and scoring points? Too dangerous to risk losing position trying a submission?

And what else can you guys add for me to keep in mind prepping myself for the competition?

 

[Uchi Mata]

Good for you for competing. Competition will be much, much more intense than the rolls you're having in class, even against upper belts. You'll probably freeze and gas yourself in your first match. Is normal. So don't let it freak you out when it happens, just try to fight through it.

In terms of strategy, as a white belt you don't need one. You just need a couple of tactics. The main thing is to know how you want to start the match and have practiced it. Sounds like you want to pull guard, great. That's hard for the other guy to stop and puts you in a position you recognize. The only questions then are 'what guard do I want to pull', 'what grips do I need to pull it', and 'what do I want to try first when I get there'. That's as much planning as you can do, after that it's just into the maelstrom. So make sure you have a clear plan of how you want to pull, practice getting your specific grips and pulling many times, and have a follow up sweep or sub that you're going to try right away.

Do a long warm up. It will help with the adrenaline rush and nerves. Like, 20 minutes of light/medium rolling.

As for sweeps vs. subs, go for whatever you're best at. White belt matches are usually a shit show anyway, don't stress about doing any specific thing in a specific position. Other than the very beginning of the match you'll forget what specific thing you wanted to do anyway.

Mostly have fun, and don't worry too much about your result one way or another. White belt competitions are just about getting on the mat and learning what competing is about. Try to win of course, but if you don't it's not a big deal. Good luck!

 

[Kevza]

Bro, you sound like you are overthinking this. Its great you are enthusiastic about BJJ, but just relax. Its not a world title fight youre going into. No one other than you is going to care if you lose every match. Just go ahead and enjoy the different intensity of a comp. It will ramp up your grappling when you get back to classes afterwards. Don't worry about all this strategy stuff. It will be ALOT of scrambling mostly at that level, so just get as fit as possible rolling and let the rest come naturally.

 

[Leftover40oz]

Thanks for the replies.....I'll try and keep in mind that it's no big deal and all....but I'm so damn competitive I give myself a high standard and of course want to place and bring a little silly medal home.

 

[Cash Bill 52]

The silly little medal... yes...

I think you have a pretty good strategy. If it's tied in the last thirty seconds be sure to make a lot of jerky motions and breathe heavy. I won a decision like that once.

Thanks for the replies.....I'll try and keep in mind that it's no big deal and all....but I'm so damn competitive I give myself a high standard and of course want to place and bring a little silly medal home.

 

[j123]

Strategy (in no particular order):

• Slip a bill Crosby in your opponent's drink while they re-hydrate
• Smash them in the locker room
• Steal their belt and wash it, so they won't bother to compete for the next 6 years

 

[kpoz12]

I'm competeing next month, I'm scared!

 

[Ryo]

It's white belt division so it's gonna looks two cats fucking anyway so I wouldn't overthink it. Just try to have fun. You'll be there all day.