At the end of last month I competed in my last tournament for 2014. I was most pleased with this past performance than any other tournament. I had two matches and ended up with second place, winning one by points and losing the other by points in overtime.
All of the sports I have competed in prior to jiu jitsu did not require cardio fitness as this one does. Therefore, training for it and also working on my breathing during matches has been and continues to be a main goal of mine besides the obvious one of winning. I made certain I stepped up my meditation during the week of the tournament and also kept my conditioning on point leading up to competition day.
The meditation keeps me present and reacting in real time unlike some past performances. This time was the first time I was thinking of my next move at the same time my coach was instructing me during the match. My breathing was also relaxed and my cardio felt great throughout both matches. In the first one, I went for a guillotine choke as she was taking me down and then she ended in side control. I recovered with lockdown and then passed her guard to side control. As I was mounting, she got one of my legs in half guard. As I was trying to free my leg, the match ended. The match length at this tournament was five minutes.
In the second match, I basically had a wrestling match the entire time. We never got to the ground and were attempting and defending takedowns the whole match. We ended the match with a tie of no points. Every tournament decides differently in this situation and this one was in overtime with whoever scores the first takedown. My opponent was successful resulting in my second place finish.
I’ve been striving to improve as usual and continually working more so on my grappling from my back, which needs improvement. Along with practice, I’m lifting to stay strong, continuing with my conditioning training to keep my cardio on point, and working on my flexibility. I am already looking at my 2015 competition schedule with a grin. I like to stay on point all year, so my training doesn’t differ much when leading up to a tournament. The balance and consistency makes it easier for me both mentally and physically.
Currently, I’ve also been moving along with my second draft of my book, which has a main focus of the mental aspect of fitness. I work on the book as often as I can outside of training and clients which can vary from month to month. It works best for me to work on it 5 days a week even if there is only time for a page a day. The consistency keeps me moving forward and more determined to finish it.
I look forward to the holiday season filled with healthy eating and plenty of training along with visiting friends and family. Check back with me next month for my holiday blog! Happy training!