I wake up, a sudden blast of focus and adrenaline rushes through me. It’s only now that the realization hits me. It’s time to fight, do something!
Brazilian jiu-jitsu is a grappling martial art that I have been training for about half a year at Gracie Barra Domžale and I always knew I would compete eventually. But when the opportunity arose to compete at AJP Tour Ljubljana I didn’t know what to do. All of these questions popped into my head “Am I ready?”, “What if I lose?’” and whether I had even been training long enough to compete. But I knew I had to do it. At the time I had three stripes (there are four at white belt level) and I was confident in sparring with others but I wanted to see what it would be like to compete.
In preparation for the event, I loosely created a “game plan”. I was either going to pull guard (to pull your opponent to the ground so that you end up with your legs locked around the opponent) or do a judo hip throw. Then my weapon of choice was going to be a good ol’ fashioned triangle choke.
How detailed, am I right?
So, time flies and it’s the day of the event. I have three competitors in my age group, belt rank, and weight category. I weigh in, warm up, and nervously wait for the match to start. I see my name pop up on the screen and enter the mat. I am super nervous.
The fight starts and I can still remember that I was not mentally there yet. I wasn’t in “fight mode”. My opponent quickly started and double-legged me and we ended up in closed guard. He was really quick and aggressive, and I guess almost psychologically I became defensive rather than offensive.
I remember a particular moment when I was lying on the ground and he was passing my guard in the most aggressive way I have ever seen, that a rush of adrenaline and focus rushed me. “Holly sh** this is for real, we got to do something!’’
I try a triangle (from my thoroughly planned out game plan) and it fails. He passes my guard again but I regain it back. A couple of more cycles of that and I look over to the scoreboard and see 12:0!
He got a lot of points for passing my guard and so I have to do something, I have to take a risk because I certainly am not winning on points, I try an armbar, but it doesn’t work.
I am exhausted.
I get up, but he nonchalantly judo throws the heck out of me. My mind is saying “It’s over man!’’
I’m trying to fight it but all of my effort goes nowhere. He gets me in a rear naked choke and it’s over.
I am exhausted. Both mentally and physically. I don’t know what just happened.
My ego was shattered and I knew I could have done better…
But I didn’t allow myself to think about it that way. I knew It was a learning experience and that I will do better in the other match.
I talk with my coach and he tells me the same thing I knew I had to change. I had to start more offensive. The guy had double-legged me before I was even mentally ‘’there’’. I had to start strong!
There was another match for me and this time I told myself “I’m going to win!’’
In the next match, I immediately started offensively. I pulled guard and I was in charge. He stood up and I swept him. While we were falling I knew what I was going to do. I leg locked him.
Just like that. 20 seconds!
I took the lessons from the first match and I applied them in my second match, and that was really the victory. I started aggressively which made my opponent psychologically the defender. I was really mentally prepared before the start, I told myself “It’s ON now, get ready to fight!’’.
It was a great experience! I learned so many lessons you just can’t when your sparring, it’s just so different.
To all the beginners who are thinking of competing, but are having doubts. Do it!
Come in with a mindset: “You either win or you learn’’. This is the core mindset of BJJ and should be of life as well.
Sometimes you win, but every other time you learn.
IF you pay attention.
Even when you win you should always ask yourself why, because if you don’t, you’re just a clueless winner!
Know why you lost and know why you won! That’s the secret!
Nejc Grcar Project Blog 
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