Well, the time finally came to compete and I had a good mix of nerves and excitement. After ten months without competing, I was eager to get back on the mats. Physically, I felt great with my training leading up to it and had been doing mental training to help me stay calm. I’m decided I need to increase the meditating and visualization for my next match, as I was more nervous than usual.
My first match was intended to be six minutes and ended up in three overtimes. Moments like those are when I’m very grateful for BetaTOR. In both training and competition, BetaTOR aids in a more intense match/training and supports my endurance. I was in a few dominant positions, yet wasn’t able to get the finish or score points.
In the start of the fourth overtime, the referee started us on our knees. Starting that way in a tournament was a first for me and I was unaware of the rules nor were they given to us. I decided to sit and work from the bottom just as I would in class. My opponent got to her knees and moved towards me. Although she didn’t do anything that would award points in regulation, giving her the win.
Regardless of the outcome, I’m always grateful to compete and get experience with the nerves and excitement. I was pleased that I felt present during the match, yet would have liked to have been less nervous and without the adrenaline dump. My breathing and being present are what I continuously work on and are important to my performance. I’m increasing my grip strength training, since my forearms were the most exhausted at the end of the match.
At class, my coach gave me feedback about other options I could have taken during the match. They are currently not my strong suits, yet I’m going to work on them until they are. I’ll add it as a staple to my drilling day along with the usual ones. I’m also going to change up my training a bit. I’ll still keep a cardio based conditioning day with continually varying upper and lower body plyos. I’m now going to add more exercises for power to my leg day. It has been a high intensity mix of mostly isolation exercises with very little compound moves. I will use squats, deadlifts, and bridges as my staples to increase my strength and finish with sprints or plyos as a burnout at the end. Switching up my training helps to improve my physique and keeps my jiu jitsu training on point.
Both my strength and conditioning play an important role in my jiu jitsu development, a balanced physique, overall strength, and keeps my joints healthy. I’m focused and ready for my next tournament in a few weeks. Check back with me next month for the results! Happy training!
- Jennifer Dietrick, IFBB Pro/Martial Artist