To compete or not? My inspiration to others

[IchabodCrane**]

So I finally did it. I finally competed. To those of you who are on the fence about doing it. I can only say one thing. DO IT!

I would like to share my journey with you.

First, the things I didn't like:

• Waiting around FOREVER for your name called. The posted schedule means nothing.
• The nervous jitters the days before and morning of. Not being able to eat. Not able to sleep. Always feeling cold and shaky. So nervous you have to run back to your hotel room every 30 minutes to crap.
• Not knowing who your opponent is. Looking at every tatted up muscled out guy in the room hoping it isn't him
• Your heart pounding like crazy when you hear your weight class announced knowing you're soon up for battle
• The instant before you start when you're facing your opponent, ref between you, wondering what you're going to do to the guy and not wanting to look like a fool in front of the crowd. Especially the girls.

This seems scary, and it was a lot to overcome, but I'm just starting to come down from the HIGH of competing. The things I absolutely loved:

• The second the fight starts your opponent shakes your hands and you see he just wants to have a good time and compete just like you. He's not there to murder anyone.
• As soon as you grab your opponent, instinct just takes over. Your body is doing jiujisu you didn't even know you had. Going for grips, sweeps, and submissions is as instinctive as your baby taking a dump when you put it on the toilet. Your body just does what it is supposed to do before you can think!
• The crowd is very supportive. They cheer. When you do something sweet, they roar with approval
• When you have a submission locked in, everyone is screaming and cheering you on. When I had the guillotine locked in and could see the crowd (upside down) jumping up and down with excitement. They're not rooting for you or against you. Just for a good display of jiujitsu
• When the fight is over, it's over. The guy you submit isn't butt hurt about it. You hug, everyone claps, you might even make a new friend. Plus you just tapped out one of the tatted up muscled out guys. Ego becomes E-grow!
• People watch you. Some will even come up to you after and congratulate you and ask you to show them that sweet move you pulled off.

Every time I think about the crowd roaring and cheering it makes me smile and gets me hyped up all over again. Even if I'm in bed trying to sleep I'll just break out in a smile or laugh when I think about it. I'm going to make a compilation of highlights from my matches so I never forget the sounds, emotions, and joy of those moments.


So if you're on the fence about competing. I say do it! It's the most stressful fun you can't wait to be able to have again. If you're like me you'll want to talk about the experience non-stop for at least a week. I tell my friends, they don't care. I tell my family, they care for about 30 minutes. I tell my coworkers, they really don't care. So now I'm here to tell other graplling fans. I'm glad I did it, you will be too!

 

[ivehlk]

and make sure you compete in the experience bracket below yours so you can brag about it on the internet

 

[KGB313]

He left out the part where he's a blue belt with 2 years of experience, and was so scared to compete that he entered "Jiu-Jitsu By the Sea" on 3/24 as a white belt. Obviously, with blue belt skills, he dominated his division, tapping out all of his opponents on the way to first place. He also did this behind his instructor (and teammates') back, as they were competing at the "Jiu-Jitsu By The Bay" tournament that same day.

Then he had the nerve to brag about it in the Sherdog thread he had originally made about being too scared to compete.

Don't worry. I've already contacted the organizers of "Jiu Jitsu By the Sea" and informed them that the winner of the Adult White Belt Medium Heavy division was an admitted sandbagger. I provided him the relevant quoted text before TS edited it, and linked him to the thread where the time stamp of his edits clearly shows they were made after I informed him I was contacting JJBTS regarding his dishonorable actions. Danny from JJBTS contacted me this morning and said he will be looking into it. I'll give him a link to this thread as well.

I've narrowed the list of schools that participated at JJBTB down to six that could be the TS's based on other information he provided in the thread. I'm currently waiting for JJBTS to publish the results, which will give me TSs real name and hopefully the name of his gym. Otherwise, I'll contact all six gyms and provide them with the info.

The moral of the story is: don't dishonor yourself and your teacher by being a coward and sandbagging because you're scared to face guys in your own division. And if you do, don't make posts bragging about it on Sherdog.

Related thread: http://www.sherdog.net/forums/f12/tournament-how-get-past-fear-being-broken-2043075/

TS made a post asking if sandbagging was cheating. Post #72 was his original admission to having competed at white belt, which was quoted in subsequent replies.

Have a nice day, Ichabod!

 

[mr violent]

words

While sandbagging sucks, and sandbaggers even more so, that doesn't change the fact that this is a good post about reasons to compete as a white belt. Pretend that other thread didn't happen, and just take the advice to heart.

 

[bjjaz]

He left out the part where he's a blue belt with 2 years of experience, and was so scared to compete that he entered "Jiu-Jitsu By the Sea" on 3/24 as a white belt. Obviously, with blue belt skills, he dominated his division, tapping out all of his opponents on the way to first place. He also did this behind his instructor (and teammates') back, as they were competing at the "Jiu-Jitsu By The Bay" tournament that same day.

Then he had the nerve to brag about it in the Sherdog thread he had originally made about being too scared to compete.

Don't worry. I've already contacted the organizers of "Jiu Jitsu By the Sea" and informed them that the winner of the Adult White Belt Medium Heavy division was an admitted sandbagger. I provided him the relevant quoted text before TS edited it, and linked him to the thread where the time stamp of his edits clearly shows they were made after I informed him I was contacting JJBTS regarding his dishonorable actions. Danny from JJBTS contacted me this morning and said he will be looking into it. I'll give him a link to this thread as well.

I've narrowed the list of schools that participated at JJBTB down to six that could be the TS's based on other information he provided in the thread. I'm currently waiting for JJBTS to publish the results, which will give me TSs real name and hopefully the name of his gym. Otherwise, I'll contact all six gyms and provide them with the info.

The moral of the story is: don't dishonor yourself and your teacher by being a coward and sandbagging because you're scared to face guys in your own division. And if you do, don't make posts bragging about it on Sherdog.

Related thread: http://www.sherdog.net/forums/f12/tournament-how-get-past-fear-being-broken-2043075/

TS made a post asking if sandbagging was cheating. Post #72 was his original admission to having competed at white belt, which was quoted in subsequent replies.

Have a nice day, Ichabod!

+1000 internetz, great job

 

[Asphyxiator]

While sandbagging sucks, and sandbaggers even more so, that doesn't change the fact that this is a good post about reasons to compete as a white belt. Pretend that other thread didn't happen, and just take the advice to heart.

It doesnt not suck and isnt a good reason for those who got beat by the sandbagger, though.

 

[KGB313]

While sandbagging sucks, and sandbaggers even more so, that doesn't change the fact that this is a good post about reasons to compete as a white belt. Pretend that other thread didn't happen, and just take the advice to heart.

Had TS competed in his own division, it would be a wonderful, inspiring story of a man overcoming his fear. Instead it's the story of a man succumbing to fear, and dishonoring himself in the process.

I've already told the TS to come clean to his instructor. He chose instead to edit all posts in which he admitted to sandbagging. Thus, I'm going to see this through to its conclusion.

 

[Wikinger]

He left out the part where he's a blue belt with 2 years of experience, and was so scared to compete that he entered "Jiu-Jitsu By the Sea" on 3/24 as a white belt. Obviously, with blue belt skills, he dominated his division, tapping out all of his opponents on the way to first place. He also did this behind his instructor (and teammates') back, as they were competing at the "Jiu-Jitsu By The Bay" tournament that same day.

Then he had the nerve to brag about it in the Sherdog thread he had originally made about being too scared to compete.

Don't worry. I've already contacted the organizers of "Jiu Jitsu By the Sea" and informed them that the winner of the Adult White Belt Medium Heavy division was an admitted sandbagger. I provided him the relevant quoted text before TS edited it, and linked him to the thread where the time stamp of his edits clearly shows they were made after I informed him I was contacting JJBTS regarding his dishonorable actions. Danny from JJBTS contacted me this morning and said he will be looking into it. I'll give him a link to this thread as well.

I've narrowed the list of schools that participated at JJBTB down to six that could be the TS's based on other information he provided in the thread. I'm currently waiting for JJBTS to publish the results, which will give me TSs real name and hopefully the name of his gym. Otherwise, I'll contact all six gyms and provide them with the info.

The moral of the story is: don't dishonor yourself and your teacher by being a coward and sandbagging because you're scared to face guys in your own division. And if you do, don't make posts bragging about it on Sherdog.

Related thread: http://www.sherdog.net/forums/f12/tournament-how-get-past-fear-being-broken-2043075/

TS made a post asking if sandbagging was cheating. Post #72 was his original admission to having competed at white belt, which was quoted in subsequent replies.

Have a nice day, Ichabod!

notice how he edited the posts in question and put in denial phrases?

now post 72 (http://www.sherdog.net/forums/f12/t...being-broken-2043075/index8.html#post67391995) says

Quote:
Originally Posted by gsxrpaul
So did you compete?

No I didn't

Last edited by IchabodCrane; 03-27-2012 at 03:11 PM.

frawkin sandbaggers.

let's hope the headless one is merely trolling us!

 

[KGB313]

notice how he edited the posts in question and put in denial phrases?

now post 72 (http://www.sherdog.net/forums/f12/t...being-broken-2043075/index8.html#post67391995) says



frawkin sandbaggers.

let's hope the headless one is merely trolling us!

I informed him I was contacted JJBTS organizers in post #87, timestamped 03-27-2012, 02:58 PM. Note that all of his edits come after that point, and the original text is quoted extensively in replies people made to him.

The truth shall set you free, Ichabod.

 

[Wikinger]

I informed him I was contacted JJBTS organizers in post #87, timestamped 03-27-2012, 02:58 PM. Note that all of his edits come after that point, and the original text is quoted extensively in replies people made to him.

The truth shall set you free, Ichabod.

good job.

the truth shall indeed set free. maybe one round sooner in a tournament...

headless one: when you go hunting, do you prefer the zoo, cuz the animals are caged and cant run away?

i think maybe a steven segal death oranges coleslaw match with a certain gate keeper four stripe white belt may settle this.

SLAW-DOME!!!!!

 

[IchabodCrane**]

He left out the part where he's a blue belt with 2 years of experience, and was so scared to compete that he entered "Jiu-Jitsu By the Sea" on 3/24 as a white belt. Obviously, with blue belt skills, he dominated his division, tapping out all of his opponents on the way to first place. He also did this behind his instructor (and teammates') back, as they were competing at the "Jiu-Jitsu By The Bay" tournament that same day.

Then he had the nerve to brag about it in the Sherdog thread he had originally made about being too scared to compete.

Don't worry. I've already contacted the organizers of "Jiu Jitsu By the Sea" and informed them that the winner of the Adult White Belt Medium Heavy division was an admitted sandbagger. I provided him the relevant quoted text before TS edited it, and linked him to the thread where the time stamp of his edits clearly shows they were made after I informed him I was contacting JJBTS regarding his dishonorable actions. Danny from JJBTS contacted me this morning and said he will be looking into it. I'll give him a link to this thread as well.

I've narrowed the list of schools that participated at JJBTB down to six that could be the TS's based on other information he provided in the thread. I'm currently waiting for JJBTS to publish the results, which will give me TSs real name and hopefully the name of his gym. Otherwise, I'll contact all six gyms and provide them with the info.

The moral of the story is: don't dishonor yourself and your teacher by being a coward and sandbagging because you're scared to face guys in your own division. And if you do, don't make posts bragging about it on Sherdog.

Related thread: http://www.sherdog.net/forums/f12/tournament-how-get-past-fear-being-broken-2043075/

TS made a post asking if sandbagging was cheating. Post #72 was his original admission to having competed at white belt, which was quoted in subsequent replies.

Have a nice day, Ichabod!

Don't bring that hate and negativity here into this thread. It's not welcome here. This is a positive thread to encourage others to compete. Do not hijack and ruin it. I'm ignoring all statements about sandbagging - this is not the thread to discuss about who sandbags and who doesn't.

 

[Tiger Uppercut]

next time just enter the childrens bracket so you can bring home the gold!

 

[TheGup506]

Wow TS just got pwned so bad... Bravo, KGB.

 

[bjjaz]

next time just enter the childrens bracket so you can bring home the gold!

Haha exactly. You know he has that medal hanging up too

 

[dhalsim408]

Wow TS just got pwned so bad... Bravo, KGB.

I like what KGB did but not how he did it.

If TS lied about the age or weight class division he competed in you could have just sent the organizers of both tournaments on a wild goose chase and someone innocent may catch some heat while the headless horseman is home shining his medal. I want to see how this story ends. Keep us posted!

 

[RHJohnson]

Looks like the ts owes someone some serious coleslaw.

 

[Wikinger]

okay TS: you don't want "negativity" to enter this thread.

unfortunately, the whole basis for this thread is negative. YOU created it. YOU lied and sandbagged, according to your prior posts. Therefore, YOU cannot ask to remove the negativity, cuz it is in the very nature of this thread.

Think: Professor Searle's "Speech Acts": this thread is a negative performative.

srsly: overcoming anxiety to perform is huge. when it is really overcoming something. That absolutely should be celebrated.

Where "anxiety" = "excuse cuz won't win", then it's lame and pathetic. And it's redolent of the participation trophy culture. just taken to eleven.

How about pulling a Cartman and winning the special olympics, too?

 

[bjjaz]

Yeah if he is trolling, he is having an awesome time right now, if not could be about to catch up w/ him.

 

[mr violent]

Had TS competed in his own division, it would be a wonderful, inspiring story of a man overcoming his fear. Instead it's the story of a man succumbing to fear, and dishonoring himself in the process.

I've already told the TS to come clean to his instructor. He chose instead to edit all posts in which he admitted to sandbagging. Thus, I'm going to see this through to its conclusion.

Right, as far as competing in your own division, I agree 100% with that, and that he needs to be outted, and am quite glad someone is willing to put in the work to see it through. It's even worse when somebody tries to do it on the sly, behind their instructor's back. I can't imagine how upset and disappointed his instructor will be.

No amount of words can justify competing as white when you're blue, and please don't think I'm trying to defend them or their action. I was agreeing with the first line you posted (in your second post). An inspiring story from a cheater can still be viewed as an inspiring story, without focusing on the background. That's how I saw it anyways.

I kinda feel bad for the people who competed against him, but in another way, they will gain more from this experience than he will. They'll be able to note what holes in their game can be found by a blue belt, and work to improve them. What did Ichabod take away from it? That he can tap out white belts? BFD. Figuring out your weaknesses, not your strengths, is a great reason to compete, not the shiny medal at the end.

Also, Ichabod, you stink. Compete at your own level.

 

[Asphyxiator]

Right, as far as competing in your own division, I agree 100% with that, and that he needs to be outted, and am quite glad someone is willing to put in the work to see it through. It's even worse when somebody tries to do it on the sly, behind their instructor's back. I can't imagine how upset and disappointed his instructor will be.

No amount of words can justify competing as white when you're blue, and please don't think I'm trying to defend them or their action. I was agreeing with the first line you posted (in your second post). An inspiring story from a cheater can still be viewed as an inspiring story, without focusing on the background. That's how I saw it anyways.

Not really defending TS or anything and I know this is BJJ, but its not such a big deal in the end IMO. Look at wrestling and unranked arts, inexperienced people and elite level experienced people fight each other all the time.


And he learned to deal with his nerves, which was the whole point of him sandbagging and competing, I believe. He did it for the experience, not for the medal.