Alright, so I decided to hit up this jiu-jitsu tournament in Vegas, the 2023 one. I’d been training pretty consistently, and I figured, why not? Let’s see how I stack up.
First thing I did was register online. It was pretty straightforward, you know, name, weight class, belt level, all that jazz. Paid the fee, and boom, I was in.
Getting Ready
Then came the hard part – the prep. I upped my training, of course. More mat time, more drilling, and definitely more sparring. I also started paying closer attention to my diet. Tried to cut out the junk and focus on stuff that would actually fuel my body.
- Extra Training: Added two extra sessions a week.
- Diet: Cut back on the late-night snacks (that was tough!).
- Sparring: Got my butt kicked, but learned a lot, haha.
I even watched some videos of previous tournaments to get a feel for the competition. Trying to scout out the styles, see what people were doing.
The Trip
Flew into Vegas a couple of days before the tournament, I find it can help with the nerves. I wanted to get settled, check out the venue, and just kind of soak it all in. The city is always buzzing, so it was a good distraction, too.
Weigh-Ins & Waiting
Weigh-ins were the day before. Made weight no problem, thank goodness. I’ve heard horror stories about guys trying to cut weight last minute, and it sounds brutal. After that, it was just a waiting game. Tried to stay relaxed, visualize my matches, and not get too psyched out.
Tournament Day
Tournament day arrived, and man, the energy was crazy. The venue, it was this huge hall, mats everywhere, people warming up, coaches yelling instructions…it was intense.
My first match… I was nervous, no doubt. But once I stepped on the mat, it all kind of faded away. It was just me and the other guy.
I didn’t win all my matches, got caught in an armbar in one, but you know what? It was an awesome experience.
Result
I ended up going a couple of rounds, learned a ton, and got to test myself against some really tough competitors. Definitely gave me some things to work on back in the gym. Win or lose, it’s all about the experience and the learning, right?
Overall, the Vegas tournament was a blast. Would I do it again? Absolutely. It’s a great way to push yourself, see where you’re at, and just be part of the whole jiu-jitsu community.
