My first Jiu-Jitsu tournament…
I started training a couple of months back and started to take Jiu-Jitsu a little serious. I hated it and I still hate it but I knew the next step would be to compete!
I wasn’t even nervous, I was warmed up and ready to go but as soon as I stepped on that mat… I couldn’t catch my breath. I just froze and all the game plan that I’ve worked on for the last two weeks just went out the window! For all you non BJJ, go youtube it of what these moves that I’m about to talk about!
My game plan was to pull guard. When I pulled guard it was sloppy as shit but I wanted to go for half or De La Riva. I got my position for De La Riva but I was in such a rush and my adrenaline was pumping like crazy. As soon as he sat down, I tried to go for berimbolo and it was the sloppiest berimbolo ever like a dog that just ate chocolate and shitted everywhere. I needed to get my right hand deeper in front of his ankle and grab the belt in order to control him but luckily I ended on top.
I’ve worked on this over and over and over, as soon as I go on top, get on A FRAME position right away but I just sat there and let him closed the guard. As soon as he closed that guard, I panic even more. I couldn’t even breath and that’s all I’ve worked on for the last 3 days is my breathing. So when I was panicking, I stood up and tried to do a standing pass, which I NEVER NEVER EVER DO!
When I was breaking his guard he tried to do an omoplata on me and I just went “OH FUCK ME!” Luckily I scrambled like crazy and got my guard position for spider guard. This all I’ve worked on, Spider Guard x Triangle and looking at the video, it was a sloppy ass guard. I tried to bait him by thinking I was going to sweep him and hoping for him to come back up that I could set up my triangle, nope that didn’t worked LOL.
Luckily my coach Gumby was there and kept yelling “ON TOP! ON TOP!” The whole place felt so quiet, all I could hear was him and no one else but that place was crazy loud! Lucky once again I got on top and he closed his guard and I went “Oh Shit” mode again.
At this moment, I was just trying to catch my breath and calm myself down a little bit but as soon as I saw he was trying to get the Gi on top of my arm, I panic and I have no idea what he was trying to do so I stood up again trying to do a standing pass! and once again he tried to do the omaplata on me and I wanted to stay down and start playing my guard!
Luckily he fell into my triangle and on my mind, for the last two weeks this all what my coaches and training partner have been training me for, finishing this triangle and I got too comfortable, forgot to bridge, forgot to maintain his posture and tried to do an armbar but that was sloppy also and he got out. Scrambled once again and I got on top. They reset our position into the middle since we were out of bounce and I stalled just a little to calm my self down and fix my belt and my GI but I couldn’t even fixed my collar!
I looked at the clock, it was 30 seconds left and I was 2 points ahead with a few advantages so all I needed was to maintain top position, don’t get sweep and win this match!
I’ve never been so relieved after hearing that clock ringing! That was the longest 5 minute ever in my entire life. I tried to keep my calm cool but I was shaking inside like a motherfucker, fixed my GI and tried to look good for photos and videos.That is what it’s all about, looking good.
Glad it was over, I was pissed at myself that I wasn’t able to control myself, I wasn’t able to control my opponent and finishing my opponent. I’ve done hundreds of competitions and I thought doing my first BJJ comp would be much easier.
BTW, the reason why my left ankle was wrapped because I got injured on Monday and I couldn’t walk. and I got injured again on right foot.
Big Thank You’s to my coaches and training partners at Heroes Martial Arts.
Match #2 coming…
