How many competitions before your first win?

I think I won my first BJJ and Judo matches. I've got a winning record at every belt. But even that's just a function of competing primarily at the regional level. So much of winning and losing is just who else shows up. These days, I worry much more about process. I have wins I'm not particularly happy about because I didn't do the things I trained for, and I've got losses that I'm perfectly satisfied with because I worked my game plan but maybe he was just better that day (honestly, I loathe losing under any circumstances, but some burn for a minute and some burn for awhile. The ones where I don't really show up mentally burn the longest). If you feel like the process is right, that you're training right and doing the correct things to put yourself in position to win, then it's almost always just a matter of time before you break through.
 
Uchi Mata said:
I think I won my first BJJ and Judo matches. I've got a winning record at every belt. But even that's just a function of competing primarily at the regional level. So much of winning and losing is just who else shows up. These days, I worry much more about process. I have wins I'm not particularly happy about because I didn't do the things I trained for, and I've got losses that I'm perfectly satisfied with because I worked my game plan but maybe he was just better that day (honestly, I loathe losing under any circumstances, but some burn for a minute and some burn for awhile. The ones where I don't really show up mentally burn the longest). If you feel like the process is right, that you're training right and doing the correct things to put yourself in position to win, then it's almost always just a matter of time before you break through.
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Interesting insight. Yes, I empathize with the losses that you didn't mentally show up for. Out of curiosity, how many times a week do you train bjj? I can max out at 3x a week, so what's your view on whether that is enough for competing successfully (or not)?
 
Nik123 said:
Interesting insight. Yes, I empathize with the losses that you didn't mentally show up for. Out of curiosity, how many times a week do you train bjj? I can max out at 3x a week, so what's your view on whether that is enough for competing successfully (or not)?
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I'm a lot more focused on Muay Thai and MMA these days, I train with other people 7x a week (two of those are doubles so 9 practices) and on my own another 3x. BJJ/wrestling/MMA grappling is 4 of those sessions.

I think 3x a week can be enough, but they have to be the right kinds of practices. 3x a week of just going to class, working a little technique, and rolling a few rounds with people at various belt levels probably is not. Three hard practices a week where you're getting a lot of good reps, positional sparring, and hard rolls in with good people is enough to compete on the local level, especially if you're getting some S&C in on your own outside of class. The main thing for competition is to be in very good shape and mentally focused, and if you're not in the gym most days it can be very hard to develop that mental and physical edge. You need to be in the habit of going very hard, being aggressive, trying to dominate, and not accepting being dominated. Getting to that mental and physical place can be very hard to do in three general sessions a week.
 
Uchi Mata said:
I'm a lot more focused on Muay Thai and MMA these days, I train with other people 7x a week (two of those are doubles so 9 practices) and on my own another 3x. BJJ/wrestling/MMA grappling is 4 of those sessions.

I think 3x a week can be enough, but they have to be the right kinds of practices. 3x a week of just going to class, working a little technique, and rolling a few rounds with people at various belt levels probably is not. Three hard practices a week where you're getting a lot of good reps, positional sparring, and hard rolls in with good people is enough to compete on the local level, especially if you're getting some S&C in on your own outside of class. The main thing for competition is to be in very good shape and mentally focused, and if you're not in the gym most days it can be very hard to develop that mental and physical edge. You need to be in the habit of going very hard, being aggressive, trying to dominate, and not accepting being dominated. Getting to that mental and physical place can be very hard to do in three general sessions a week.
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Solid points mate, cheers. I can do S&C twice a week along with the 3 bjj sessions, but granted - there is a lot of work to be done on the sheer mental aggression needed. If I'm coming up to a competition, I may make one or two of those 3 sessions a comp class where you do go all out. And win or lose will try and compete at least 3-4 times a year.
 
Didn't get my first win till my third tournament. So hang in there.

Then, when I got my blue it took me a few tournaments to start winning. Same when I got promoted to purple.
 
Dirty Holt said:
I have a story for you that might be inspiring.

I trained in HS and college at the same wrestling club. There was a chunky little kid there, not very athletic. Didnt have hardly any success as a kid, not a lot in HS either. I liked him, I liked training with him, I convinced him to go to my college.

First year, he trained his ass off. Worked hard, did extra with me. He went 0-24. He actually got pinned in a cheap tilt once. He went in the offseason, trained every day with me, did every workout I did. During the season the frustrations grew and built and I always told him to not get down, believe in yourself because you are doing everything right, and it will pay off soon. I was 100% positive he was going to be great based on his work ethic. I was an All American that year, he was something like 5-20, with his 5 wins coming in the last month or so of the season. He trained multiple times a day, every day, for 16 months before he got a win.

We transferred schools after our wrestling team was cut. I redshirted, he had a 15-15 season, did not place at nationals. Last season, Both of us All American'd, I broke my leg in the semi finals, he made the national finals against an absolute stud and lost. He went from 0-24 to 2nd in the country.

I started fighting, he followed me and we trained every day. Two years later he was in the UFC. Three years later he had wins over really good guys, gave Johnny Hendrix his first loss when JH was a force, and beat the shit out of Thiago Alves, and became a #1 contender. 0-24 his first year of college wrestling to #1 UFC contender. You know why? Because the work will eventually pay off, you just cant tell when.
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...and his nae was, DantheWolfman.com
 
kpoz12 said:
...and his nae was, DantheWolfman.com
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I actually think it'd be pretty cool if Dan went and had his name legally changed to danthewolfman.com . Like he'd give people his driver's license and that's what it would say.
 
I won my first tournament, which was a regional NAGA tournament, only had two matches. Next two tourneys were IBJJF, and went 1-1 in each. My first tourney at blue was the Boston Spring Open I got triangled in just under 1 minute. Next was the Boston Summer, I went 3-0 and won my first IBJJF gold beating the guy who tapped me the previous time. Then the next IBJJF tournament in NY I got armbarred in about 30 seconds. This past Spring, I went back to Boston, went 3-0 and won gold again.

I guess if there's any moral to my story, it's that even when you hit your stride, you'll have your ups and downs.
 
i won my first match, got silver in two weight divisions, and medaled at every other competition i've ever been at, save for my first big regional.

Like Uchi said, it was a function of who showed up: if i went to CA or did a national-level tournament I'd get my ass stomped in
 
I lost my first two matches and through my first three tournaments I thinks I was 3-7. My last comp at white belt I did really well and I think I only lost once at blue, won most of my matches and purple and brown. Black belt has been a little tougher :) I know another guy that got smashed at white and blue and then at purple his guard came together and now he is one of the better brown belt competitors in the area. Competing is a skill just like jiu jitsu and the more you do it the better you will get at it.
 
I won my first match ever but it was terribly embarrassing still. I'm super heavy, and my opponent was obviously another super heavy zero stripe white belt. After 2 minutes of him stiff arming me around the mat, I hit the world's most disgusting drop tai otoshi and he literally tapped from it claiming "he hit his head". I think he just wanted out.
 
I think I won a match after getting my ass kicked at three previous tournaments. But to do that I lost some weight and trained much more.

What's frustrating is that guys I beat in training do better than I in comp because they compete in the masters division. I get the sense that the masters division is much easier than the adult.

However, that probably means once I'm 30 or so I'll be murdering people at local/ regional; tournaments as long as I stay active and don't get hurt.
 
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Lost the first 3 or even 4 competitions/ matches.
To me it seems that intensity seems to come natural to certain people and they do Well at their first competitions beating far more skilled opponents. I was FairLy skilled already at the time ( for a whitebelt) but the intensity was overwhelming and it took quite Some time and confidence in my skills to overcome.
 
Uchi Mata said:
I'm a lot more focused on Muay Thai and MMA these days, I train with other people 7x a week (two of those are doubles so 9 practices) and on my own another 3x. BJJ/wrestling/MMA grappling is 4 of those sessions.

I think 3x a week can be enough, but they have to be the right kinds of practices. 3x a week of just going to class, working a little technique, and rolling a few rounds with people at various belt levels probably is not. Three hard practices a week where you're getting a lot of good reps, positional sparring, and hard rolls in with good people is enough to compete on the local level, especially if you're getting some S&C in on your own outside of class. The main thing for competition is to be in very good shape and mentally focused, and if you're not in the gym most days it can be very hard to develop that mental and physical edge. You need to be in the habit of going very hard, being aggressive, trying to dominate, and not accepting being dominated. Getting to that mental and physical place can be very hard to do in three general sessions a week.
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Is your MMA fight coming up soon?
 
kjg1672 said:
Is your MMA fight coming up soon?
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I don't have one booked. I have a Muay Thai match on Sept 2nd, I'd like to get a few amateur KB fights for the ring experience and then take an MMA fight.
 
I tore it up at white belt. Mostly regional or local events though. 10 golds and 1 silver. Lost just 1 match. Not because my technique was good. I was just stronger and faster than most of my opponents. I played other sports since I was old enough to run and lifted weights most of my teenage and adult years before starting BJJ. Whitebelts back in the 90s had almost no skill.

At purple nowadays, things are evening out. I'm sitting around .500.
 
im a brown belt now(3 years) and done alot of comps(podium'd maybe 100 times, a couple of higher level titles-no gi worls, US nationals). didnt win a single competition at white belt, only won a fight well into my blue belt, 2 year into blue belt won a comp.

guess i was slow off the blocks. in my mind its a marathon not a race.
 
Dirty Holt said:
I have a story for you that might be inspiring.

I trained in HS and college at the same wrestling club. There was a chunky little kid there, not very athletic. Didnt have hardly any success as a kid, not a lot in HS either. I liked him, I liked training with him, I convinced him to go to my college.

First year, he trained his ass off. Worked hard, did extra with me. He went 0-24. He actually got pinned in a cheap tilt once. He went in the offseason, trained every day with me, did every workout I did. During the season the frustrations grew and built and I always told him to not get down, believe in yourself because you are doing everything right, and it will pay off soon. I was 100% positive he was going to be great based on his work ethic. I was an All American that year, he was something like 5-20, with his 5 wins coming in the last month or so of the season. He trained multiple times a day, every day, for 16 months before he got a win.

We transferred schools after our wrestling team was cut. I redshirted, he had a 15-15 season, did not place at nationals. Last season, Both of us All American'd, I broke my leg in the semi finals, he made the national finals against an absolute stud and lost. He went from 0-24 to 2nd in the country.

I started fighting, he followed me and we trained every day. Two years later he was in the UFC. Three years later he had wins over really good guys, gave Johnny Hendrix his first loss when JH was a force, and beat the shit out of Thiago Alves, and became a #1 contender. 0-24 his first year of college wrestling to #1 UFC contender. You know why? Because the work will eventually pay off, you just cant tell when.
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Holy fuck is that inspirational can you save me going to fight finder and name him please.
 
Nik123 said:
Would if I could. Right now I'm maxed out at 3 times a week due to other obligations, so it's gonna have to be enough.
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3 times plus a little self study time (instructionals) imo is plenty for base level competitions, no talking nationals here ffs.

Also only 1 small tournement at white belt, 2 matches, 2 golds, next testing got a nice surprise (skipped green straight to blue). I think it was partially due to all the Facebook posters from my home town calling me a sandbagged lololol.
 
Gandhi said:
3 times plus a little self study time (instructionals) imo is plenty for base level competitions, no talking nationals here ffs.

Also only 1 small tournement at white belt, 2 matches, 2 golds, next testing got a nice surprise (skipped green straight to blue). I think it was partially due to all the Facebook posters from my home town calling me a sandbagged lololol.
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I thought green belt was for kids in BJJ ? Or do you mean judo ?
 
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