Knowing opponent ahead of first comp

[Nik123]

So going for my first ever bjj comp next weekend. Brackets just got announced, and found out the name of my opponent. Had a mutual friend on FB so checked out his page, looks like he won a silver in his last comp. Should I be psyched out assuming he's better than me? Am obviously going to give him hell all the same, but just curious what your thoughts are..

 

[ArtemV]

No, try to stay relax and give this competition your all. Just remember, it is only your first competition, I am sure you will see much of the same guys you face in other competitions. If he is better than you in this competition, learn from your mistakes (if possible, try and record a video of your match) and you will know more about your opponent(s) next time you are scheduled to go to a competition.

But, good luck and have fun! This is only the beginning!

 

[TheMood]

I don't think you should worry too much. Just do your best, learn something, and try to have some fun. Don't forget your t-shirt if the competition gives them out.

 

[Minnja]

I have a bad habit of looking into my opponents too. I don't think it's worth it to psyche yourself out- which for me happens every time I look people up lol.

I know it's hard to not start letting bad thoughts creep up onto you but really try not to think about the stripes they have/their gym/their previous wins etc. because while it seems like maybe they "should" beat you based on waht you find, it might really mean nothing. For example when I was a 2 stripe white belt I saw that the guy I was going against was a 4 stripe white belt and I thought "holy shit." I was super nervous. I ended up being up on points (I think 11-0) and then in literally the last 1 second of the match I got a RNC and he tapped. Later we talked and he said a couple weeks before he won a tournament and he's placed 2nd place in another one. We talked for a bit and I think probably I won because my skillset worked well against him- if we were on opposite sides of the bracket maybe he would have won the whole thing and I would have lost my first match. Also, the next guy I fought said he was training for 6 months and he beat me on points (I believe the score was 3-2 or something like that). I ended up getting third.

So yeah, try not to psyche yourself out.

 

[bowened]

You're going about this all wrong. First, make your Facebook page public and backdate a bunch of checkins at your gym with comments like "training for war with these savages" or "10 rounds of hard rolling with these beasts" or "preparing for war with these monsters." Then add some pictures of yourself looking real badass during/after training.

Then send your opponent a friend request. Checkmate.

 

[JustTheTip]

I liked looking up my opponents so I can see their stance and overall game. The more competition experience I got, the less nervous I got regardless of the opponent.The reality is that not as many care about your match as you think.Compete to test and evaluate your game. Easily beating 2 scrubs and getting a Gold medal at a local tournament is far inferior than losing a tough first match that makes you reevaluate your game and preparation.Just go out thereand give your best. Make sure u video it so you can evaluate yourself.

 

[RJ Green]

if you think you're going to lose, you will.

the only person you need to know is yourself.

the only person you need to defeat is the person inside of you telling you that you can't.