IBJJF Cincinnati 2018: Lesson's (re)Learned

So, the tournament didn't go as planned. I have no photos or video of victory, though I posted the video of my loss to regular social media. However, as expected, I walked away with some important feedback.

I was in a 5 man bracket but didn't receive a first round bye like I did a year ago. I had to win if I wanted on the podium. When it finally came time for my match, my opponent was having trouble getting checked in. Turns out, he was actually a white belt in BJJ, but used to be a collegiate wrestler. The IBJJF requires that anyone with proven experience in college wrestling, MMA, or a black belt in Judo, cannot compete at the white belt level. He had to borrow a blue belt from a friend before he could step on the mat.

I was given this info by the ring coordinator. It was important intel because it let me know what kind of match I was about to have. We've got some collegiate wrestlers in my gym, so I knew this wasn't going to be walk in the park. It went pretty much as expected. His top pressure was intense, and his movements were too quick for me to counter.

I started by pulling an awful guard. Upon review, it was clear I never got my foot in his hip when I pulled him down. From there he was able to keep my knee down and I never got my guard fully closed. It took him a couple minutes to pass, and he eventually got back mount and regular mount for a total of 11 points to my 0. I was able to escape both but only to end up in his guard the rest of the match.

The takeaway?

I didn't get submitted. This is a plus, but to be fair, most wrestlers don't have a submission game right away. I never once felt threatened the entire match, but his control was top notch. This is where I hope my wrestling teammates can improve me game. They already toss me around quite well, but I know the more I roll with them the better I'll get. The trick, I believe in my unprofessional opinion, is to slow their game down. I definitely wasn't working my grips as efficiently as I could have. This is another area I've been meaning to work on.

My mindset also wasn't right. Even right up until we slapped hands, I didn't feel in the moment. I may have been TOO calm. I could tell in the back of my mind that part of me just wanted to get this over with; first tournament at blue, take your beating, and go home. I'm not usually like that, but something was off.

After the match, I thanked my opponent and his coach, whom I've seen around the tournament scene. They invited me to come train anytime at their gym, which happens to be only 20 minutes away from me. I will definitely be taking them up on that offer soon.

In the meantime, it's back to the mats tonight to try and figure out the wrestler puzzle.

Happy rolls, folks.

Oss!