Personal Training Blog (Submission Stories)

SUBMISSION STORIES

 The other day I was thinking about some of our team mates that went to compete in BJJ last week end. As I heard some of their stories it reminded me of a few of my own past experiences I have had with Competition in BJJ. I remember the matches I had won and the matches I had lost. Both are important to experience. My past failures and triumphs have both made me stronger as a person, competitor, and instructor. One particular match I'd had lost, when I first started to compete, helped me to have my greatest victory later on down the road.

 My first competition in BJJ was an experience, An Experience. I was so nervous and ended up getting bad tunnel vision in every match I had that day. Needless to say I did okay but not great.  I was submitted 4 times that day, all were chokes. I was so focused on defending that I forgot to push the attack and go for submissions.  Nervous, about losing the matches rather than being focused on winning, I did not defend my neck as I should have. Rather I panicked. The last match was by far my best that day. I went up against a stronger and more experienced opponent, I did well but in the end I was submitted with a thumb in Gi Choke. To this date I have never personally experienced a choke like that. My eyes watered, my pupils dilated, and I tapped fast.

 This lead to one of my greatest victories years later when I used a thumb in Gi Choke to finish an opponent from the top of the Half Guard. I learned how to sneak it in just as it was done to me. I had been mounted for a time and was going though my game. Choke, Americana, back to choke, then on to the next technique. I had my hand on the lapel of my opponents Gi and let him get used to it there. He began to escape to half guard and that was the moment. I switched my hand over went for the Thumb in Gi choke, pulled the other lapel tight and saw the same expression on his face that I had a few years prior at my first competition.

The matter is do not lose heart, learn from every match to improve your skill.