Part 2 of 3: First Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Tournament Reflection

This is the 2nd part of three of the story of my first BJJ tournament. Part 1 was published on January 29, 2026

I woke up hungry and not feeling entirely rested the day of the tournament after a light night of sleep. I weighed myself. The requirement was 208 lbs or under with my gi (uniform). My goal had been 202 lbs without my gi but on the final morning, dehydrated, I came in at 198.2 lbs. My weight loss was resistant at the beginning but I had overshot it at the end. I was already looking very lean the last week but I could really see it now as I looked in the mirror.

My morning preparation included a cup of coffee, a protein shake and making my creatine hydration drink for the tournament. I went down to my basement while my family was just beginning to wake up and did some light stretches and drilling with my jiu-jitsu training dummy in my gym. I felt focused, ready, and excited. The feeling of heightened anticipation would be with me until I was done with the tournament. The night before I had laid out my gi, belt, my mouth piece, and change of clothes next to my gym bag to help calm myself. I inventoried everything again and then packed my bag.

I drove down with my wife, two daughters, and father, as promised for my birthday to the tournament convention center about an hour away. My team and coaches were already there, gathered around a table they had commandeered for the day. One of our senior teammates took the three of us white belts out the side of the convention center to warm up. It was a brisk, sunny day, and we began with dynamic stretching followed with jogging with high knees back and forth alongside the building. I wore sweatshirt over my gi and a winter cap on my head.

Our teammate advised we need to get the first spike of adrenaline out of our systems before we get on the mat, so we weren’t immediately overcome by it when the match started. We teamed up with one another and began getting under hooks on each other while standing, alternating each side as we made contact with our chests together in building intensity.

We finished and I continued to warm up a little on my own in a back room, trying to visualize my attack and submission game plan. When I came out one of our senior students said I need to head over to the weigh in. I dropped my bag at our team table and took quick photo with my wife and kids before going to the staging area. Competitors weigh in front of an official and they check your gi length and belt to make sure they are regulation. From there you enter a pen outside of the competition mats and weight to be called out.

I was escorted out to our mat. Both competitors line up on either side of a table with a score display and timer and the judge calls you out. Exited and to stay loose, I bounced slightly side to side on my feet. I saw my wife, daughters, father, coaches and teammates in the spectators and gave my daughters the thumbs up. I felt free from my retirement and couldn’t believe this was finally happening.

We lined up facing each other, shook hands and backed up to our lines. The referee then gave an open hand motion slicing down through the air and announced “combate” and it was on. I immediately went in to try to grab a collar sleeve grip but to my surprise he shot his hands straight up and easily broke my grip from his gi. This was my first indication this was going to be a little harder than I thought, as I had a real human being in front of me that I did not know who was also trying to win this fight. I backed up and began to circle him and then shot in again. This time I got my grips and planted my foot in his hip, pulling him down on top of me into my closed guard, with my legs around his body, and my feet crossed to secure him.

I felt good as this was my game plan. I tried for a scissor sweep which was one of my first planned steps but could not move him off his base. I then tried for a Kimora arm lock and he was able to slip his arm back and away. I then started to go for arm bars but did not fully commit. I could hear my coaches yelling for me to relax and also for me get my opponent’s arm across my chest to get the arm bar. I finally committed and was able to get my legs up over his shoulders and connected but could not complete the arm bar. I heard my coaches cheering but I could not progress any further.

Finally he passed one of my legs as I tried to go for another sweep and I was in half guard. Both of my shoulders touched the mat for a moment t while I was on my back and he got an “advantage” on the score board. All of a sudden, after five minutes, the match was over and I had lost. I was tired and exhausted, and felt like I had held back a little bit, not fully committing to my techniques out of fear of losing position and losing the match, which I did anyways.

We stood up, the referee raised my opponent’s hand, pictures were taken, and I walked off the mat back to the holding pen, disappointed and feeling slightly embarrassed. When I was back in the pen, one of my coaches was already there, and he reassured me I did great and I needed to get ready for my next match. I was confused as I thought my tournament was over, but because we had three people in our bracket and I lost, I would go against the other competitor.

The story will conclude in Part 3 which is scheduled to be published this week. Thanks for Reading!

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; - Ecclesiastes 3:1