Are BJJ Competitions Worth It? My Honest Opinion

Today, I’m gonna answer the question: Are BJJ competitions worth it?

I had my first BJJ competition this year, which was quite an experience. Many Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners decide to compete. But some choose not to.

In the end, it’s your decision. But I can say that BJJ competitions are so much different than your regular roll in the Gym. BJJ tournaments are harder.

So, should you go through that pain of adrenaline, nervousness, and fear of failure? Absolutely. Let me explain why.

Benefits of BJJ Competitions

I’m a fan of BJJ competitions. They need to be a part of your Jiu-Jitsu lifestyle if you’re serious about it. Here are the main benefits of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournaments:

1. Speeds Up Learning: Just like my coach says, one competition is like a month of training. He’s right! I felt a huge difference in practice after my first competition. It’s great for speeding up your progress in BJJ.
2. More Serious Training: Competitions make you take your training more seriously. The time I knew I was gonna compete, I trained harder, I ate cleaner, and there was no way I’d miss practice. 
3. New Opponents, New Techniques: Rolling against guys you don’t know is gold. They often do things you don’t know yet. Their Gym trains different. So you’ll learn new techniques and setups.
4. Beat the Nerves: You’ll learn how to handle nervousness and adrenaline. It’s important to know how to handle this, not only for BJJ but for life. 
5. Team Bonding: Competitions bring you closer to your teammates. I got really tight with mine during BJJ competitions.
6. Essential for Mastery: To get good at martial arts, you must compete. There’s no way around it. You need to get used to the stress and unpredictability of it. 

So you see, there are plenty of reasons. I know it’s stressful, but it’s so beneficial.

Concerns about BJJ Competitions

But BJJ tournaments are not all good. There are a few things to keep in mind before signing up:

1. Starting Too Early: Some coaches worry about competing too early. They think if you get smashed in a tournament, it might demotivate you. But I’m all for early competition. I jumped in 6 months into BJJ and could’ve started even earlier. I’d say if you’ve had around 30 Jiu-Jitsu sessions, you’re ready to hit the mat!
2. Injury Risk: Everyone’s pumped up on adrenaline in competitions and wants to win. That means the injury rate is higher than in practice.
3. Costs Money: Joining BJJ competitions isn’t always cheap. My Gym covers my tournament fees, but not all gyms do that. Traveling and entering a tournament can add up in costs.
4. Big Time Commitment: Training for a competition is serious. You have to train hard, eat right, and live like an athlete. It takes a lot of time and effort.

Are BJJ Competitions Worth It: Final Words

With all that being said, BJJ competitions are totally worth it. If you train BJJ, you need to compete. At least once, see how it feels.

If you don’t want to compete, ask yourself why. Most often, the answer you’ll find is the fear of failing. The fear of losing. And if that’s your reason, then you need to compete. This is not a reason.

We need to learn to get over this, and what better way to do it than testing your skills in a BJJ tournament?

I gained so much knowledge for my BJJ and for my life in general from BJJ competitions. Also, after my first BJJ competition, I started to take Jiu-Jitsu more seriously. It’s the experience I needed to approach BJJ with the mindset of an athlete.

So go out there and compete.