10 Benefits of Competing
Professor Igor Andrade is the Head Instructor of GB Kissimmee. He is a 5th-Degree Black Belt and IBJJF World Champion. He is passionate about the success of his students and firmly believes that competition can highly impact a student's learning. "Everyone around me knows what a competition enthusiast I am and how much I encourage all my students. . . I must say I was very excited when I was asked to share my thoughts on these benefits!"
"I have experienced the positives, learned life-changing lessons, celebrated victories, and felt the taste of defeat. I would love to have as many people experience those moments too! A successful athlete is almost always a successful professional!"
1. OVERCOME FEARS
"While Jiu-Jitsu is great at teaching how to deal with adversities, competing will train you to overcome fear."
The anticipation of participating in a competition, especially an intense combat sport, can be nerve-wracking. Ask any competitor, any age, and they will tell you they get nervous before every match.
Once you step on those mats, you become a fighter, not because of the physical confrontation but because you are ready to face challenges even though they are scary.
2. DEVELOP COMPETITIVENESS AND SPORTSMANSHIP
Competing in Jiu-Jitsu does not allow you to be passive. Instilling the competitive spirit, encouraging you to do your best in battle.
You learn how to be competitive while following and respecting the rules and, most importantly, your opponents. So at the end of the day, you go home with the understanding to try your best, play fair, and respect the rules and your opponents.
3. INCREASE FOCUS
We all want to do well, and it's clear that good preparation brings good results. It is helpful to create a habit of long-term focus, which will reflect in every aspect of our lives. It will be easy once you realize how the amount of work put into training directly reflects on the outcome of the match.
4. IMPROVE YOUR LEVEL OF JIU-JITSU
Attempting to apply techniques on an opponent who is 100% resisting requires a much higher efficiency level. The result? One match in a competition can be a valuable lesson. It can be challenging to replicate the intensity of a competitive match in training. Other BJJ instructors often say that a match is worth six months of training; I tend to agree with that. Competition is an undeniable reality check on anyone's skills.
5. BUILD TEAM SPIRIT
Carlos Gracie Sr. once said, "Be just as enthusiastic about others' victories as you are with yours." and I see that every time we go to a tournament. The outsider may think BJJ is an individual sport. Still, every practitioner understands that to succeed, you must have a team working together, pursuing the same goals and supporting you every step of the way.
6. MOTIVATION
It's hard to work for results if you have no motivation. Competing in Jiu-Jitsu requires explanation and maintaining it over a long period despite the hard work, encouraging you to build the habit, learning to keep the fire on both good and bad days!
7. PERSEVERANCE
So often, during a match, you find yourself in a disadvantaged position. We learn through Jiu-Jitsu, in those situations, that we can come out victorious if we don't give up and persevere. The habit of pushing through when things get tough is essential and will play a critical role on and off the mats.
8. SELF-CONTROL
Competing helps us practice control over our nerves, even when we're under a lot of stress. We learn to control our emotions no matter what happens in the match, and we can take this practice and apply it to other stressful situations in our lives.
9. FACE YOUR EGO
Every Jiu-Jitsu practitioner learns to be humble from the beginning of their journey. There is always someone better than you, often smaller, weaker, lighter. Accepting someone's superiority is something we live with every day on the mats. Accepting that fact is positively working your ego; it teaches you to be humble, to have humility, and understand that nobody is better than anyone else.
10. LEARN FROM MISTAKES
Rarely do we make the same mistake twice in competition. Typically, one mistake may cost a match, a medal, a championship, and we will most likely always remember and not do it again. Every mistake is a lesson. We have to learn to use our mistakes as our steps to self-improvement.
"I hope my thoughts encourage parents to register their kids for competitions, but they need to understand that they also play a crucial role in making competition environments a positive experience. Always be supportive, always recognize their effort, commitment and courage for competing, and it will certainly be a very enriching experience!!!"
Stay tuned for upcoming CompNet Tournaments in your region.
Blog Written by Mark Mullen - Gracie Barra Black Belt