Hey All, Shea asked me to share my experience in my first BJJ tournament. I went into the experience this past Saturday with measured expectations. I competed in a 170lb white belt division. I weigh only 160, but opted not to cut weight as that is going in the opposite direction of my goals. The weight/strength disadvantage definitely played a factor. However, looking back, many of my opponents were definitely beatable. In fact, I had someone in a tight choke, and let it go because I misunderstood my coach’s instruction🤦‍♂️. I honestly think I could’ve done a lot better if I had a different mindset. My advice to anyone competing, is to measure your expectations, but also BE CONFIDENT, have faith in yourself. The mindset is what separates the elite from the best. I struggled with this because I was also feeling ill the whole week before the tournament. My other general advice: Drill your escapes! specifically mount and side control. Get good sleep before. Don’t try some flashy shit you saw on reels the day before. Stick to your guns. As the youngest, least experienced, and weakest competitor in my bracket, I went 0-4. However, I had such a good time and learned a lot! I know I will be back bette, and more prepared next time! I highly recommend the experience of competing to anyone who hasn’t tried it. Very unique and will give you new is guts into holes in your game. Have a nice day all! Thanks for reading.