your first tournament

[alexgncw]

so lets talk experiences from your first tourney ... how long have you been training before your first one, how did you do, what you liked or disliked, etc

 

[rerard]

I had about 3-4 months under my belt, got triangled by a blue belt in about 2 minutes my first match.

Likes: well I learned to work on my triangle defense

Dislikes: Having to fight a blue belt my first match, but it happens.

My second tourney I also lost to a blue belt but at least I went thru 3 white belts first so I took second, and it was a small tourney so they had to combine classes which is understandable.

 

[Sherdog_Mutt]

My first tournament, I had 2 months of training. My division, heavyweight, got combined with the Super Heavyweights due to a lack of competitors. I fought through this newly combined division to reach the finals against this 270 pound behemoth with a decent sprawl. I knew only 2 or 3 takedowns at the time. I spent the entire fight clinching this guy and trying takedown after takedown. Finally, with 1 minute left, the big guy takes me down out of bounds (gets awarded points). WIth 30 seconds left, and my teammates and family watching, I opted to go for the spectacular. I attempted a helicopter arm bar (that I had learned at a seminar) with disastrous results. Let's just say that a 270 pound guy is not the easiest guy to pull that move off on. Time expired as the big guy was crushing me with his weight.

I was such a noob that I didn't even stick around for the medal ceremony (didn't realize I got one for second place). So... I never even got a medal for that tourney.

Likes: The competition and the camraderie exhibited by my teammates.

Dislikes: Fighting a huge guy with only a limited knowledge of moves.

 

[Commissar]

In my first tournament, I went against another white belt, about my size (quite rare and hasn't happened since) in the lightest weight division. We fought for a takedown from the clinch for a while, but he got the takedown with a hip throw. I put him into my guard and went immediately for an armbar. He countered and tried to pass my guard, but I rolled to my knees and tried to take top position. Can't remember it completely, but I found myself on my back again, he was in my guard, and he started to stall. I went for a kimura, but he defended it, so I tried the kimura sweep. Again, he defended, but his head was right under my shoulder, so I wrapped my arm around it and fell back into a guillotine choke. Closed my guard, walked my legs as high on his back I could, pushed out, and he tapped.

My second match of that event was against another white belt, but he also did wrestling for an undisclosed amount of time previous. He had quite a bit of weight on me, but was probably the same height. Anyway, the second the match started, he attacked and did some belly-to-belly slam and dominated me from side mount for a while. He essentially overpowered me throughout the match, and took full mount and, to my dismay, secured an Americana and I tapped.

Likes: I'm part of Marcus Soares Competition Team, so its really cool how Team members from all over the place know who you are, though you've never met. And in your matches, Toshido and Soares guys are cheering for ya. It's a feeling indeed.

Dislikes: I had no idea of any strategy for either match, but that was my fault. Great tournament.


But in my second tournament, I fought a Japanese guy to a wild, close, close decision with him winning by 2 points, and in no-gi, fought an experienced wrestler, was up on points 4-2, but he caught me in an armbar. I almost escaped, but my elbow popped, so I tapped.

My next one is in October.

 

[TJS]

My first tournament was with about 6 months of training. I won my fist match by arm bar and lost my second match by arm bar to the guy who took 1st.

I learned alot of competition has to do with the luck of the draw on your opponet and that there is quite a bit of sandbagging going on out there.

 

[serima]

i had trained 6 months and i had two fights. Both by RNC

 

[Commissar]

Not bad.

I did have a slight advantage in my first tournament, as I had competed regularly in various Taekwondo events beforehand, for 5 years... So it wasn't really my first tournament. Just my first grappling one.

 

[vituakabob]

my first tournament was a kind of internal one between friendly training places (my instructor teaches in many places...) i lost my first match to a blue belt by armbar, i lasted about 4 minutes though (which was ok by me as i had been training for about 1 and a half month) and at the absolute (it was kind of funny because im like 125 pounds...) i lost to another blue belt, by armbar again.. i really like the adrenaline rush u get
i disliked losing both my fights though..

 

[vituakabob]

oh and the second guy really owned me..he was way stronger than me...just pushed me around... he was not much bigger though..just stronger

 

[CoutureFan16]

My first tourney was back in March. I had 4 months experience and I did the Teens Beginner No Gi Middleweight division and got first. The first kid I faced took me down but I got back up. He took me down again but I mounted him then took his back. He turned back into guard and I guillotined him. Second kid I faced was a wrestler, so he took me down too. Tried a guillotine, close but no cigar. I mounted him to put me ahead by points and I just held guard for the last minute to win the match. Third match that tournament for the finals I faced this kid who wasnt too hot at takedowns but jumped guard on me. I locked up a sidechoke from within his guard, and once it was sunk he loosened his legs so I kept the choke and went to mount and he tapped.

Likes: It was really good experience. Proved to myself I could go out there and compete and be succesful.

Dislikes: Too defensive, got taken down in all my matches except one. Didn't really take any offense til I pulled guard once I got taken down. Ive changed that a bit. Being a little more agressive on the feet and working on my takedown defense and opening up my game a bit. Instead of just pulling guard and trying stuff from there Ive really worked on my open/butterfly guard.

 

[VagabondMusashi]

My first tournament I had 2 months practice and it gave me such a rush as I

 

[Huntor]

my first,i had 3-4 months training.Won first by RNC,was stoaked by that,my opponent seemed to have about as much training as me.
the second match i won on points,i think the guy was better than me,i had just trained my fitness well but lacked skill,i spent i good few minutes escaping a triangle.kept getting caught in half guard,then go halfway to passing it to mount then getting caught again cause i was even more of a newbie back then than i am now.but yeah i cant remeber the poins diff.
i got slaughtered by a guy with 18 months training,he also won my division(i asked him after how long had he been training) in my third match.He had me in side control and i was flaying my arms about like a im about to drown at the beach so he armbared me.
was an awesome experiance.its been too long between tournaments for me.at least 6 months.
cant wait till the tourn on september 11th.Wooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[MTJJ_PuMpED]

In my first tournament, I went against another white belt, about my size (quite rare and hasn't happened since) in the lightest weight division. We fought for a takedown from the clinch for a while, but he got the takedown with a hip throw. I put him into my guard and went immediately for an armbar. He countered and tried to pass my guard, but I rolled to my knees and tried to take top position. Can't remember it completely, but I found myself on my back again, he was in my guard, and he started to stall. I went for a kimura, but he defended it, so I tried the kimura sweep. Again, he defended, but his head was right under my shoulder, so I wrapped my arm around it and fell back into a guillotine choke. Closed my guard, walked my legs as high on his back I could, pushed out, and he tapped.

My second match of that event was against another white belt, but he also did wrestling for an undisclosed amount of time previous. He had quite a bit of weight on me, but was probably the same height. Anyway, the second the match started, he attacked and did some belly-to-belly slam and dominated me from side mount for a while. He essentially overpowered me throughout the match, and took full mount and, to my dismay, secured an Americana and I tapped.

Likes: I'm part of Marcus Soares Competition Team, so its really cool how Team members from all over the place know who you are, though you've never met. And in your matches, Toshido and Soares guys are cheering for ya. It's a feeling indeed.

Dislikes: I had no idea of any strategy for either match, but that was my fault. Great tournament.


But in my second tournament, I fought a Japanese guy to a wild, close, close decision with him winning by 2 points, and in no-gi, fought an experienced wrestler, was up on points 4-2, but he caught me in an armbar. I almost escaped, but my elbow popped, so I tapped.

My next one is in October.

I just joined marcus soares's class.

 

[Bubble Boy]

My first tournament was Judo. I had about 6 months of training. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. This was about 5 years ago. I lost 3 or 4 matches to pins, but won 1 match against this really small skinny guy. I threw him with Soto Maki Komi. Kind of been my throw ever since.

Liked: As Vagabond Musashi said, I got a buzz from the competition. I actually got a thrown in.
Disliked: Being completely owned by pins. Humiliating way to lose (in judo a pin held for 25 second wins the match).

 

[satchmo]

My first (and only) tournament was last November hosted by our university BJJ club. I was a very casual BJJ player, only took classes during the school year and never went to club (no free time). I came into the tournament quite out of shape, since the only cardio I did was during class. I ended up winning my first match by RNC, winning the next easily on points, but by the finals match I was very gassed. I ended up getting caught in a very tight clock choke and passed out before I could tap. Lol, it was kind of cool in a way blacking out, I had never been choked unconscious before. Anyways, I was a little woozy but decided to go ahead and compete in the absolute division (180 and under). My first match I get paired against a guy who won the 170-179 division and had ~50 pounds on me. I hung tough for a while, but ended up getting triangled with about a minute to go (I was down on points anyways). That tournament taught me 2 lessons: First, wrestling is a valuable asset in a BJJ match, my first two matches I got huge, hard throws on the guys and it seemed to take them out of their game. Second, make sure your ass is in shape. If I ever enter another tournament, I'm going to make sure my cardio is where it needs to be so I don't embarass myself again.

 

[Commissar]

I just joined marcus soares's class.

Nice. He's a great instructor. I've had one class with him, and a seminar with him and Carlson Gracie. I'm part of his Team, but I train in Kelowna with one of his associates.

 

[S.D.Force]

this is a great thread topic!.... I graduated high school in 84' and went to the California State wrestling championships that year. Since then i had just dabbled in working out "here and there". In late 2003', I joined a gym just to hit the bags and fool around. I learned that they had JJ classes and decided i would try one out. During the first class i learned that there was a tournament the next weekend. I figured how different could it be from wrestling? I didn't know any subs, or how the point system worked. I didn't even know what a sweep was until the day before the tournie. But i figured it would be good experience to just go out there and try to wrestling around. At worst i figured i could get a takedown and just control the guy from the top (unfortunately it turned out that i fought agaist a good high school wrestler my first match). Remember, I hadn't wrestled in 20 years almost but i still had a false level of confidence from that period when i was a stud long ago.

Anyway, come tournament time I had Dean Lister in my corner because he is who i started training with. Granted i had NO idea really who he was at the time. AND on top of that JJ Machado was the referee in my very first match. This was the Machado National tournie. Anyway, of course JJ Machado and Dean fought just recently against each other in the ADCC superfight in 2005.....So, to make a long story short, I got worked pretty badly. I was gassed so badly that i really wished this guy would sub me. But i ended up having to suffer through the entire match which was a total embarassment. I think i lost 9-0 overall. Anyway, i had somebody take a picture of the match, and it's almost unbelievable b/c in the picture you can see the match happening, and you can see Dean and JJ Machado in there as well. Of course i cherish that picture now.

Anyway, since the guy that I lost to won 1st place in our division i didn't have to wrestle for 3rd and 4th place. And was given the 3rd place medal automatically. I was very stoked, but very humiliated and humbled. Of course i didn't feel i deserved the medal.....but of course i kept it!

And I did take away from that event the importance of cardio and conditioning. I had forgotten what it takes to be a champion. Now i'm back on track again. And I won first place in my last tournie.

 

[BJJ Coffee Drinker]

my first grappling tourney...well, i was training w/my friend for along time but i was grappling for about 6 months formally. i liked the fact we got tshirts an stuff and the experience. what i did not like was since there were a lack of competitors in my age group(18 and under) i got matched up with a guy who was 250 lbs. i weigh 140 lbs. i tried to angle and shoot in on him but he sprawled and slammed me w/a suplex type move. he had me mounted but i elbow escaped into full guard and swept him. he countered me sweep and i took his baclk. i had a near armbar in but it just wasn't happening for me. he got out, got mount again and stayed there till time ran out. i lost on points

 

[flyingknee16]

my first grappling tourney...well, i was training w/my friend for along time but i was grappling for about 6 months formally. i liked the fact we got tshirts an stuff and the experience. what i did not like was since there were a lack of competitors in my age group(18 and under) i got matched up with a guy who was 250 lbs. i weigh 140 lbs. i tried to angle and shoot in on him but he sprawled and slammed me w/a suplex type move. he had me mounted but i elbow escaped into full guard and swept him. he countered me sweep and i took his baclk. i had a near armbar in but it just wasn't happening for me. he got out, got mount again and stayed there till time ran out. i lost on points

With that kind of weight advantage he had on you, there should have been some sort of handicap in terms of points for you that might have allowed you to win the match, based on being able to also survive 100 lbs of weight difference.