tournament tips and advice

can any of you guys ( or gals) give some advice or tips in regards to tournaments. I know each one is different, but just some general advice on what to expect or any tips or suggestions. maybe even in regards to getting ready for the tournament at roughly 2 weeks out.

My first tournament is coming up Dec 6th.


thanks!

Take food and drinks with you (like bananas and sandwiches, etc.). You'll probably end up waiting to fight A LOT longer than you are expecting to wait.

I would just add that you should try to get a good warm up in before your match. At least enough to get your heart pumping and break a light sweat. I notice that i gas out really fast if I dont warm up right.

Dec 6th, you doing Dallas Naga?

Here are a few mistakes I made over the years that helped me alot when I fixed them:

Make sure you dont warm up too early. Just relax, as you do in the gym--I see way too many competitors warm up before rules meeting, drinking red bulls and energy drinks and stuff--when they dont compete until a few hours later.

Dont eat too much after weigh ins, just because you dont have to make weight anymore doesnt mean you needa stuff yourself. I made this mistake when I first started competing.

Listen to your coach--its alot easier for someone who not only knows your game, but is more experienced and is on the sidelines. A good listener is a good competitor.

And enjoy it! Thats what Jiu-Jitsu is about, a combat sport where we can shake hands before and after without mean mugging eachother!

no matter what you do, you're going to get tired.

ChokeTheFace - Dec 6th, you doing Dallas Naga?



Here are a few mistakes I made over the years that helped me alot when I fixed them:



Make sure you dont warm up too early. Just relax, as you do in the gym--I see way too many competitors warm up before rules meeting, drinking red bulls and energy drinks and stuff--when they dont compete until a few hours later.



Dont eat too much after weigh ins, just because you dont have to make weight anymore doesnt mean you needa stuff yourself. I made this mistake when I first started competing.



Listen to your coach--its alot easier for someone who not only knows your game, but is more experienced and is on the sidelines. A good listener is a good competitor.



And enjoy it! Thats what Jiu-Jitsu is about, a combat sport where we can shake hands before and after without mean mugging eachother!
I would say that can be the difference between winning and losing.  If my coach was not there, feeding me good advice, I would have lost my first tourny.  I still suck, but thanks to him, I got a sword.

 

drink as much milk as possible after weigh ins

also be sure to stare down the other competitors as much as possible, gives you the mental edge.

 tournaments are alot like the military - hurry up and wait. Get an mp3 player, some snacks and relax.

Don't warm up too soon.


What I do is stretch lightly at the begining with movment drills and then do the Martin Rooney warm up before my mathc

thanks for the tips guys. I will let everyone know how I do.

and yes...

it is NAGA Dallas.

Make sure to wear the same gi every day for 2 weeks leading up to the tournament but don't wash it in between. Just ball it up in a bag and put it in your trunk every night after training. That way the gi is properly 'seasoned' for the tournament. All good competitors do this. If you can avoid brushing your teeth for a few days that will help as well.

Don't cut your nails...ever. They should be like daggers. You can sometimes get a win by a cut or ref stoppage. It also helps you keep your hooks in because the toe nails grab on really well.

Also, cut as much weight as possible so you can go against really small guys. That makes a big difference.

The last thing I would recommend is rubbing one out immediately before your match. This will help calm your nerves and get you 'in the zone'.