Finally getting around to writing this post. I decided to scrape some money together and go compete at Grapplers Quest in Morristown, NJ on June 18th. This was my first BJJ competition, but I wasn’t very nervous going in. It wasn’t because I was incredibly confident in my skills. Quite the opposite, in fact. I went in completely expecting to get my world rocked. Hey, if you expect the worst, you can’t be disappointed, right?
To be honest, my main concern was not making weight. I had gotten a lot more strict with my diet since joining BJJ, and if you’ve been following along with my blog you’d know I managed to get down to the mid-high 180’s. My goal was to enter in the Cruiserweight division(s), 180.0 – 189.9 lbs. But the last time I weighed myself in was Wednesday before the competition, so I was not sure where I would stand come Saturday. Fortunately I made the cut, coming in at 189.4 lbs. And I only had to drop my shorts.
Going in, I knew I wanted to partake in a gi division for sure, just for the experience, so I preregistered for the BJJ White Belt Cruiserweight division. It has been a long time since I have done no-gi training, so I wasn’t positive I wanted to put money down on a sure loss. In the end, the registration deadline laid the pressure on me and I decided to go in for No-Gi Novice Cruiserweight, based on my instructor’s recommendation when I asked what division to enter. The novice division was for non-wrestlers only, with 0-9 months of training.
The gi division I registered for began at around 2:00PM. Not sure, but I think I was placed directly into the second bracket. My first match:
As you can see, the first match was also my last match for this division. My opponent was clearly far better than I was. Much faster, stronger, and constantly in control. I’m glad for the experience, though, as I’ve resolved to work on my stamina and speed so I don’t feel so overpowered in my next BJJ gi match.
It was a long 4-5 hour wait until the no-gi novice cruiserweight division began. My first match was last in the first bracket:
Win by kimura.
Match #2:
Win by armbar.
Match #3:
Win by disqualification. Slams are not allowed during the competition. I would much rather have gone to the end of the match, but I was winning on points regardless, so it was not as though I stole the win.
I came away from this competition with a renewed sense of humility alongside a desire to improve, as well as a confidence boost that there is hope for future tournaments. On a more material level there was the DVD and t-shirt that came with my registration, along with the gold medal I won in the no-gi division.
