Choosing the right competition

Just because someone runs a competition in your sport it doesn't mean you should attend. There are several factors you should investigate prior to signing up. Things like competitor health and safety are generally regulated but it doesn't hurt to confirm first aid is available from a competent practitioner.

For Brazilian Jiu Jitsu comps there are a number of factors to confirm before handing over any registration fees.

First 48 hours after an injury

I am often asked how I handle injuries immediately after they occur. What I mean by injury here is any abnormal motion that results in lasting pain, bruising, muscle spasms and the like. If you are injured enough to warrant visiting the emergency room then follow your doctor's advice. First-aid people at your gym will be able to assist you while waiting for the ambulance in these cases.

The following is for the other times, whether you can continue the session after a 10 minute rest, or you are forced to the sidelines for a week or so.

Injury Prevention Overview

As we get older our bodies tend to degrade quicker and take longer to heal. We can strain muscles by simply getting out of bed, or pinch a nerve doing movements we've done for years without issue.

The best strategy for preventing these kinds of injuries and strains is to improve our flexibility and strength. However, I'm not suggesting that we need to put our ankles behind our heads and bench press twice our body weight. We need to ensure our range of motion is adequate for the movements we expect to perform, and get our muscles stable enough to keep our bodies in the correct position when under strain.

Cutting Weight for comp - My Journey

I have never had to cut weight for competition before. This is in large part due to the fact I was so overweight, that even getting rid of 70kg I was still in the super heavyweight bracket (over 97kg).

This year, I decided I wasn't going to compete until I was under 97kg and thus in a new category. One main reason for this, apart from getting rid of the last few kilos of unnecessary fat, is the fact I was constantly facing opponents with at least 20kg of weight advantage. With my age (almost 40) and chronic back issues, that weight advantage is getting too much. I also wanted a challenge and to prove I can reach a specified weight in a set time limit.

Enhancing no-gi training by donning the gi

The title may seem counter intuitive but stay with me. No-gi jiu jitsu is my preferred method of grappling. The controls in no-gi cross over into gi, into MMA and for self defence.

A lot of gi specific attacks cannot be performed in a real life defensive situation, which is what a lot of people start a martial art for. No-gi has techniques that would be outright dangerous for yourself if done on a concrete walkway, so it has its flaws in pure street defence.

However, the gi can enhance your no-gi and street defence skills because of one simple component: friction.

Product Review- Knee-pads and braces

Knees are horrid for injuries and if you spend a good amount of time training you will eventually have need for a good knee brace. There are hundreds of different designs but if its a basic sleeve it will only keep your knee warm. There is no need to have them so remove them from your shopping list. The main two items to assist are pads and braces.

Changing the Failure Mindset

Far too many people allow failure to rule and define them. Society is generally geared towards the idea that if you fail that is the end of it. You move onto something else and likely fail at that too. Perseverance is the key to success. As long as you don't quit you are still in the game and thus have more opportunities to finally succeed.

The amount of skill you have at a given topic takes you about 20% of the way to success. The rest consists of your mental capacity, your drive to succeed.