Written by Ann Edwards. https://www.elitesports.com/blogs/news

As a BJJ fighter when you step into martial arts you always dream of winning a competition. Although, most BJJ fighters keep practicing for years before they finally decide to choose BJJ as their profession. However, you will see that even immature fighters like to participate in a competition. Even during the training if you enroll in classes you will get to practice with an opponent so you can improve and improvise accordingly. According to experts, the more you learn on the mat, the better you get and this is not just limited to actual participation but also applies to witnessing a BJJ fight. This is mainly because when you learn some new skill, you will only get to know it technically. However, if you want to master it, you will get to learn it through practice. In physical games, practice matters a lot because it allows you to design the strategy and then adjust it according to real-life situations.

Although explaining that participating in a BJJ competition will help you in improving and in real life as well, most people still hesitate because they feel it can result in injury. To some extent, this is true, especially because if you have not mastered the technique, you might end up injuring the opponent and in the worst-case scenario, you will also eventually get injured. However, usually, the competitions are held in a very controlled environment where you will get a lot of viewers, trainers, and experts who will eventually evaluate your performance and help you improve as well.

With the help of this article, we will look at some of the main reasons you need to participate in a BJJ competition as an expert, professional, and as an immature player as well.
Improvement

If you want to improve in BJJ, you have to start by practicing with an opponent and then participating in competitions. This will help you know where you lack and what you can do to become better. Most people don’t appreciate criticism and even if they do, it doesn’t offer them enough perspective that they can learn where they lack the most. However, relying on competition will help you become better because you will get to evaluate yourself and know where you lack. Also, most people don’t understand the consequences of a wrong move so competition also offers them the ability to understand what can possibly go wrong if they don’t choose the right defense at the right time.

Evaluation

Competitions are a great way to improve your skills because they will offer you a perspective in real life and how you generally behave. Most people either overestimate their abilities or underestimate their skills so when they step on the mat against an actual real-life opponent this offers them the ability to evaluate their skill set and compare them so they can become better as well.

New Skills

Through competition, you will also get to learn new skills because you will notice the difference between the strategy of your opponent and you. Moreover, you will be able to spot your weaknesses and overcome them in real life. Although most experts or your own instructor will inform you when you drift from the pattern, however, if you rely on a good competition you will learn by experiencing and this will have a much longer-term impact rather than a simple evaluation by a third party.
Learning
Competitions are great for learning because they will set the standards for you and help you get a taste of real life. Moreover, this is not just limited to participating in the competition but also to observing and watching a match. Experts say that most of the techniques that you will get to learn are through vicarious learning or second-hand experiences where others can commit a mistake but you get to learn from it. In most cases, when you are taken by surprise you will notice that signature moves and attacking styles that you might have witnessed will eventually come into play.
Controlled Real-Life Situation
Usually, in real life, you will get to experience things without any control. In that case, the injury will be worse, and eventually, there will be no way you can attack or defend yourself without bleeding. In that case, the best way to deal with the situation is to practice the same execution techniques on an opponent but within controlled situations.

Getting Ready For the Real World

In the real world, you will not get to practice the techniques that might seem applicable while training. This is mainly because body resistance, body movement, body weight, and other things also come to play their part. Another very important thing is that in the case of real-life situations most things will take you by surprise so eventually, you will notice that your training will play a very small role while most of the things will be adjusted once you get on the mat and face your opponent. This will help you plan the strategy with room for adjustment as you plan.

Adrenaline Rush

Participating in competition will eventually boost your mood and morale. People who feel demotivated or they feel bored because they have to continue practicing the same techniques find competitions very thrilling. With this thrilling effect, you will eventually get to notice that you are getting better and eventually you will start training with the right perspective and evaluation of yourself as well.

Bottom Line

To sum it all up, it all comes down to the type of competitions you participate in over time. The main idea is that at every level you will get the competition so the idea of getting injured will not apply. Most of the instructors conduct regular fighting competitions amongst rookies and trainees who are in the phase of learning. This offers them a perspective of real-life situations in a very controlled environment so that the possibility of injury can be minimized. Moreover, with the help of regular fighting matches the fighters get a perspective of body weight, body resistance, and body movement as well.