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Here are some quick tips of things you should do before a competition, ranging from 3 months out to right before your match. This mainly pertains to beginners that want to start competing. As you become more advanced, you learn what details work best for you.

1. Start your diet early.

Most competitors have to cut some weight to make the most out of themselves at competitions. If you like competing at your walk-around weight, and you do well, then lucky you! But most have to go through the task of reaching a certain weight, and it’s not easy. The best trick is to lose fat and retain as much muscle as possible during the weight cut. More experienced competitors usually have their own system for this, but it can be very hard for beginners. One of the simplest tips is to start your diet early – don’t procrastinate. Starting early will give you some leeway if you still have some weight to cut. One of the most embarrassing things is to get to the scale overweight and get disqualified. 

2. Start all of your hard rolling early.

The logic here is that you need time to recover from all your hard training. The earlier you start all your shark tanks and conditioning, the earlier you can begin to restore your body for the competition. Also, if you have any injuries, as a result from that training, then you have time to recover and continue your training so you can compete again. 

3. Know when to rest.

It’s good to train hard, but you have to train hard in moderation. Overtraining can very easily lead to injury. If you’re feeling nauseous or feeling some sort of pain, think about it and decide if it’s worth stopping and taking a day off. Training hard is important, but training smart is more important. There is no point in showing what a tough guy you are in the gym and training through injuries. Rest properly and you can show everyone what a tough guy you are in the competition, where it really matters. 

4. Stop hard training one week before competition.

There are various different theories on this, but it’s been said by many professionals in the past (ie. Xande Ribeiro and Marcelo Garcia) that taking a week off before a tournament allows you to not only be physically ready, but it also helps mentally with your nerves and anxiety. You can still do light exercises to keep your body warm and sharp, but nothing strenuous. 

5. Learn new moves early.

If you really want to add new moves to your arsenal, you have to do it at the beginning of your training camp. Unless you are insanely talented, you need time to let the technique sink into your regular game. In tournaments when you are exhausted, you will only resort to your top techniques that are second nature in your game. If you want to expand that repertoire, you need to add those new techniques as early as possible. Adding new techniques right before a tournament is generally useless.

Top 4 Reasons Why You Should Attend Jiu-Jitsu Class Regularly

1. Maintaining Sharp Technique

A technique does not develop itself. Neither is it downloaded into your brain and muscles when you practice it only five times. Repetition is the key to your brain and body remembering anything. There have been studies stating that in order to be an expert in any field, you must dedicate one thousand hours to it. Whether it’s true or not, the message is clear - you have to practice, practice and then practice some more. That’s why so many BJJ champions and coaches claim that drilling is the key to success in jiu-jitsu. Remembering it in your mind is not enough since jiu-jitsu requires your full body motion - you have to train your body to remember the techniques so you can execute them without thinking. This is also a great way of remembering details, which are usually first to leave your memory when taking time off of training.

2. Shows respect to your instructor

Are you thinking that you may be ready for your next belt? Even if you feel you are technically sound and talented, if you’re missing in action most of the time at your academy, it is less likely that you will be promoted. People forget that jiu-jitsu is still a martial art, no matter how sportive it has become. You need to come to class regularly to show your professor discipline and dedication. When a professor gives away a belt he is entrusting you with upholding his reputation and also expects that you will be in the school to help the other students improve. Coming to class regularly doesn’t mean everyday, but it does mean coming in at least a couple of times per week on a consistent basis, without several month gaps.

3.     Helping your teammates improve

As mentioned in the latter point, coming regularly to class is important because you help others in your academy improve as well. In cities where jiu-jitsu is not yet so popular, it is hard to come by good training partners or even many partners. Once you join an academy you are part of the team and you are dependent on each other to improve. Likewise, while you help your teammates improve, they will help you improve. Teammates motivate each other by being there to help each other train and also there are non-training factors that add to giving the academy a good vibe and having larger classes.

4.     Staying in shape

People forget how great of a workout BJJ really is. Probably one of the worst feelings is taking time off exercising and then realizing that not only have you gained weight, but you’re also grossly out of shape. Conditioning fizzles away quicker than technique, so it’s a horrible feeling when you return to BJJ and realize that even though there are techniques that you remember and want execute, your body will not comply because your cardio has diminished. It also makes it harder for you to come back to training after feeling like this - it will really take some serious motivation. Try to avoid taking time off, unless you’re treating an injury. Coming back to training and being out of shape is one of the worst feelings to endure.