Keep in mind that I'm not an expert. I'm writing this for other people who, like me, are still getting used to competing. Folks with more experience that disagree, agree, or otherwise have feedback - feel free to post a comment or send me an email. I'll gladly post a follow up.
I've only been in a few competitions, but I'm already noticing some personal trends. The weeks leading up to the tournament are exciting and filled with a good deal of enthusiasm - for training, working out, diet, etc. The closer I get to the actual day of the match, the more intense the excitement gets. Fortunately, it never turns into self-doubt or too much nervousness. I think it's because I've found competing to be genuinely fun and enjoyable. I'm not overly focused on winning or losing at this point.
On the question of whether or not to compete... there's no reason not to. It's just like the sparring you've been doing, only a little more intense. But, that intensity is a good thing. The other person isn't out to hurt you. It's competition between two people in one of its purest forms, and there's nothing like the feeling it brings afterward. You might get some bumps or scrapes, but there's a reason you see so many competitors shake hands or share a good spirited hug after a match.
One thing that helped me set my expectations prior to ever competing was a conversation I had with a brown belt who'd been training with us one afternoon. He said not expect to win a match my first year and then proceeded to tell some stories of how poorly he performed during his first tournaments. After his stories I pretty much expected the worse. When I found myself on top for a good portion of my first match, I considered that a small victory - despite losing to an armbar.
Look for the small victories. Think of a list of attainable goals, starting with pre-registration. Maybe I'm too negative, but I think things like "finish a match without puking" and "don't lose to a submission" are reasonable goals. To each their own. Maybe you're the next coming and will go 400-0. You probably need different goals (in which case, you should also write the next post). The whole idea isn't to be pessimistic, but to remove unnecessary pressure from yourself.
Leading up to the competition, take it easy... don't over think it. As a matter of fact, don't think about it much at all. The match is going to happen either way. Either you've trained adequately or you haven't. It's great to refresh things like take-downs or whatever you feel needs some love, but there's no sense worrying about it. Be confident in what you know. Focus on your fundamentals.
In general, I find myself thinking about my game a lot without focusing on a specific gameplan. I think getting too focused on a gameplan (as opposed to improvisation) will just make you nervous. It's like trying to memorize a speech for a debate. Just know the material and be prepared to improvise.
Once the match starts it's either going to be you imposing your game on them, them imposing their will on you, or the two of you flailing about hoping for a lucky break. The more relaxed you are, the more likely you are to do what comes naturally. This goes back to taking it easy. Breathe. If you're going to focus on a gameplan, it should be: "Breathe. Calm down. Breathe. Be first."
If you can relax more than the other person, you might start seeing details that they're missing. Then let your muscle memory do its thing. Otherwise, time passes so fast that 5 minutes will elapse and you won't remember any of it.
If you compete in more than one division, something with some decent time between them like No-Gi and then Gi, notice the difference in your perception of the two at the end of the day. If the second division felt more controlled or you felt calmer, try to focus on that for next time. See if there's a way to draw on the feeling you had at the end of your day while going into the first match or two of your next competition. Some of it is the adrenaline dump... but a good bit of it is perspective.
When the match starts, it will be quick and hard. It's possible to train close to this (for instance, rolling with Mr. Intensity that you usually avoid in class), but it's not quite the same. It doesn't matter though, because you've been warned. Brace yourself and weather it. A lot of that intensity is your opponent's nerves in action. If you can stay calm, you can impose your will on them or find a mistake and capitalize.
When it does come time to cash in on their mistake or that beautiful double-leg, to side, to mount that you just pulled off, continue to stay calm. Remember: position before submission. Stabilize and then capitalize. If the glove don't fit, you must acqui... oh wait. Just remember the first two.
As hard as it was to not spaz out leading up to getting your opponent in the perfect triangle, it's going to be just as hard to not get excited and blow the submission once it arrives. Take it easy. Breathe. Do it by the book. Nothing sucks worse than losing by 1 point after blowing what should have been an easy submission. Trust me. This is a big area of improvement for me.
Once you're done, win or lose, take some time to reflect on the fact that you just did it. Just like jumping out of an airplane, it won't necessarily get easier. Next time you'll know what to expect. That's good and bad. Either way, you'll have done it and the approach we've been discussing here remains just as applicable.
So, some things to remember are:
- Have realistic expectations
- Just competing is a reasonable goal
- Don't over think your gameplan
- Breathe, stay calm, and be first
- Fundamentals work well with improvisation; focus on them instead of a plan
- Position before submission
- Don't get overly anxious when the submission presents itself
The more you're focused on just doing it for the experience and fun of it, the more likely you are to have a good time. If you're doing it to pay your bills later, that's when you should start sweating it.
I wrote this post, mainly as a reminder to myself of what to do next time. Hopefully, it will be helpful to some of you as well.
