1 – The true test
Competition is the best way to improve your grappling skills. Under the stress of competition the true nature of your skills come out. In competition illusions are stripped and there can be no lying about your own, or your opponents abilities.
Here are few things that may affect your competition performance;
- How will competing in front of a big crowd will affect you?
- How are you going to handle the butterflies in your stomach?
- Will you be able to remember the details of the techniques you learned?
- Are you going to stay calm and focus on the fight?
- Will you be able to stick to your game plan?
2 – The people you meet
A great thing about competition to is the experience, all the places you go and people you meet. You never know whom you will meet and how these people will impact or influence your life. I take advantage of the different people I can meet, because they just might help me become a better person and help me lead a life that I might not have been able to lead if I didn’t meet them.
3 – The Experience and Learning
Much more that just gaining grappling skills you will have a great life experience. Losing or winning the fight, you will learn so much. You will step out of the mat a better grappler and a better person. You may feel happy, angry or frustrated, but whatever the feeling is it will make you analyze yourself a lot. This self examination can help you in fixing mistakes that you hadn’t been aware of or can surprise you by highlighting skills that you were able to execute very well. This will give an experience that you can never get in a normal training session at your own gym.
Here are some things that you can learn from competition whether you win or lose:
- You may learn that it’s ok to be nervous and that you’re not the only one.
- You may learn how to test yourself in uncomfortable situations.
- You may gain confidence.
- You may learn about things you need to work on.
- You may learn what it’s like to step out of your comfort zone and to know that its ok.
- You may learn that you are better than others.
- You may learn that others are better than you.
- You may learn that it’s ok to lose.
- You may learn that if feels great to win.
Competition can be really fun! Make sure you have a try if you haven’t done before!
Thanks
Daniel Lima
