First GI comp, did white belt 6+ mo. division. Training with the Gi abotu 4 months. No Gi 8 months. D1 wrestling experience. I took second in my first int. no-gi and I routinely beat blues and hang with purples, in practice that is. I'm 10-2 record No GI all intermediate. Starting to feel like a BJJ player and not a wrestler. Really workign guard, open, half - love it! Don;t get caught anymore in triangles arm-bars - except by Browns, blacks. Never train on the feet anymore. I was psyched to play BJJ in first no-gi comp, so.... First match, Toss the dude to side mount, don't really work the subs I know pretty good, don't try to mount whicih is usually a good bet for me. Guy was pretty athletic and squirmed a lot so I let it come back to our feet, but, Id didn't really try to pressure him, kind of just let it go where it wants to. Soooo nice to be able to toss a guy around. Toss him again. Same thing - no pressure, tentative, let it come back to the feet. Some scrambles, I'm wrestling, not BJJ'ing, but who cares, I'm up like 12-2 with maybe 30 seconds left. Not tired... too relaxed maybe. Guy shoots in - set him up lovely, slam him so hard - feels good - this is too easy figure I'll just chill and save energy for the next matches. In side control - wtf am I thinking? I'm like postured up in side control??? Not pressuring, not transitioning, just chilling there. Should be ashamed of myself. I wasn't suppossed to come here to wrestle. Guy reaches up deep into my lapel, crosses over, I literally think to myself "nah, I don't have to worry about this, I'm in side control, whatever" All of a sudden, the chokes in deep - too late, I freakin tap! man, his arm was so extended, I could've mounted and arm-barred - that would've at leasat broken it. I just froze. So ahsamed. So pathetic. What is wrong with me? I trained so hard for this and blew it. Guy ended up subbing all the rest of his opponenets - he actually looked pretty good and won gold. It seems everytime I compete - even though my practice BJJ is getting strong, I turn into Mr. wretsler. bad idea, especiallyw ith the GI on. Back to square one. At least I learned something? Super depressed I lost to someone I was whooping and it would've only gotten easier after him. 2 months until the next comp! I want to get out there next weekend and redeem myself. Any words of advice? Comments?
train with the gi more. it really sounds like you know exactly what you need to do already. i wish you luck, but putting yourself in bad positions and doing what you aren't good at is the only way you're going to reach the next level.
All I've been doing is working my weak spots in practice. I start on my butt and play open/closed/half guard 90% of the time. My game there is somewhere between white and blue, but, I go to compete and I revert back to my super-strength - wrestling. I get scared to work my BJJ and get tentative. Hard to get past this mental block.
As a guy with a serious wrestling background, I understand where you're coming from, but it doesn't sound like it was your habit of being hte bully wrestler in tough matches or a lack of experience in bad positions that cost you in your match. You were dominating the eventual champ with your go-to competition gameplan so that's not the problem, and you apparently have been working hard on (and did not pay the price for) your relative weaknesses on bottom. You simply got careless and got caught. It happens - in wrestling, in bjj, in just about anything and everything we do in life. Just work on your gi-choke defense a little and maintain your focus better next time, and you shouldn't have much to worry about.
Thank you. You put it into good perspective for me. I was a very successful wrestler - to lose in a white belt tourney when I've been training so hard in BJJ (harder than most - same intensity I put into wrestling) really hurts. Sometimes I wish I was with the Purpls and browns - wouldn't be so bad to lose to them. Hell, if they let me compete with them, I would.
Hey, we all have lost matches when we were up by more than a couple of points in the late going - it's awful but it usually has more to do with stupidity or competition rust than it does with our skills and training approach. You were obviously the better 'grappler' in your last match, you just happened to be a failry inexperienced white belt when it comes to gi bjj competitions, and as a result, you made a foolish mental mistake because you didn't properly respect the gi grip he put on you. You could have defended it had you recognized/respected the attack, you could probably beat the guy 9 times out of 10, but your inexperience cost you. That's the white belt part of your game. The rest of it is obviously at a higher level which is great, you're just going to have to put a little more time into gi training, and a little more care and thought into your positioning next time you have a big lead in a tourney. You may be well prepared to be a dominant bjj player, but bjj IS a new sport, and it will take a fair amount time and a few tough losses before you start reaching your potential in it when it comes to competitions.
patience man, you cant just assume your up there with purples and browns after less than a year of training. Your gonna lose more tournaments, all you can do is learn from them.
Gi = use your BJJ to win and your wrestling to bully (to get his mind off what he is doing) No gi = wrestling to win and use your BJJ for patience while looking for a hold
Your situation is why I like competing in no gi. I feel with my wrestling background I'm able to set the tempo higher. Even though I mostly train with the gi at a slower more techniqually pace.
I'll be the first one to admit I have an ego - you should've seen me when I first started - big, bad, wrestler guy... I've calmed down a lot. Don't hurt people in practice anymore. I'm better at trying things in practice even if it means I'll get scored on. Just never got choked when I had side-control. Really thought it couldn't happen. Now I know, you can always be in danger with the Gi on. That being said, I have trouble believing that you can be ultra-competitive w/o some ego. It drives me. i want to be the best - back up my ego. Funny that I've heard this before - first thing my instructor said after the loss. My not worrying about being in side control and getting choked - he said "that's your ego". I am having trouble understanding how getting rid of my ego will help me. Please explain - serious.
Perhaps thinking you are the best is not the best motivation...perhaps wanting to BECOME the best is better. That's what he means. You made an assumption, and it cost you. Maybe it was the position you had, but I'd be willing to bet if you had Marcelo in side you wouldnt be complacent and would've just lost your shit on this person. I think you believed that at a fundamental level, you were untouchable, and you learned a very hard lesson. Fedor doesnt even think he is the best, and this is why he is the best...
Sometimes the hardest rule to learn is the old boxing adage, 'Protect yourself at all times'. No biggie, you'll compete again and be better from what happened in this one.
