Overcoming competition nerves for jiujitsu
Strategies for Success
Competing in jiu-jitsu can be an exhilarating and nerve-wracking experience. Even the most skilled practitioners can find themselves grappling with competition nerves. However, with the right mindset and preparation, it’s possible to overcome these nerves and perform at your best. In this article, I will explore some effective strategies to help you deal with competition nerves in the world of jiu-jitsu. This doesn’t just apply to competing, but training as well.
1. Visualize Success:
“Your reality is a reflection of your perception of reality.”
It is important to first believe that if you put the effort in, everything is possible. Visualization is a powerful technique used by many athletes to calm nerves and enhance performance. Before your competition, take some time to vividly imagine yourself performing well. Picture yourself executing techniques with precision, how feeling confident will feel, and emerging victorious. It is important to consciously swap out any negative thought you become aware of, with a positive one. By repeatedly visualizing success, you can build mental resilience and reduce anxiety.
2. Focus on the Process:
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
It is important to remember that your main goal should be to learn and level up your knowledge, mindset and skills to reach your full potential. Medals, championships and being great at something are simply the side effect of that process, they shouldn’t be your main goal.
Rather than fixating on the outcome or your opponent, shift your focus to the process itself. Concentrate on the techniques, strategies, and movements you have trained and are perfecting. Remind yourself that you have put in the hard work and are prepared for this moment. By directing your attention to the task at hand, you can minimize distractions and stay in the present moment.
3. Develop Pre-Competition rituals:
“Being challenged in life is inevitable; being defeated is optional.”
Establishing pre-competition rituals can create a sense of familiarity and control. These rituals could include specific warm-up exercises, listening to calming music, or engaging in a brief meditation or breathing practice. Engaging in these rituals consistently before each competition helps signal to your brain that it’s time to perform, helping to reduce nerves and anxiety. Stretching and mobilizing your body is massively important. It prepares our body to channel and use the adrenaline “dump” we experience as our body primes our fight, flight or freeze response. In this way we can noticeably experience a heightened sense of awareness to the moment, faster reaction times and even increased flexibility and strength.
Deep, controlled breathing is also an effective technique to manage competition nerves. The double inhale through the nose and a single exhale through the mouth has been shown to be one of the best tools to calm the nerves and anxious thought patterns we get into. It’s all about being in the moment. This simple technique can help relax our body and mind, allowing us to stay calm and focused.
4. Embrace the challenge:
“You never know what worse luck your bad luck has saved you from.”
The reason we experience competition nerves is because we care deeply about your performance. So rather than viewing our nerves as a negative experience, understand that you are about to grow from the experience no matter what happens, and that is your ultimate goal. Accept that feeling nervous is a natural part of the competition process and understand that everyone experiences it to some degree. In order to be successful, you need to be willing to take risks. In fact, not taking any risks is a wonderful way to guarantee failure. It’s a numbers game. The more risks we take, the more opportunities for success we have. While stepping into the unknown can be scary, remember that is where you will learn and grow the most. Embrace the challenge and channel those nerves into positive energy, motivating yourself to perform at your best without the illogical fear of failure.
5. Seek Support:
“You can’t change the people around you, but you can change the people around you.”
It is important not to place your value as a human in a medal or title. Like i mentioned before, they are the side effect of focusing on learning, and working tirelessly to become the best version of yourself. This is why it is so important to choose to be surrounded by like minded individuals who will support you when you fail or when you need to refocus on your goals. Imagine your friends or teammates disowning you or kicking you off the team because you lost a competition. That idea should sound silly. If it doesn’t, than you need to change your team or support system. Win or lose, you’re just going to get right back to work with your friends and teammates anyway. The real goal is to be the best version of ourselves we can be. So don’t hesitate to reach out and talk to your coaches, teammates and friends when you do need help. This can help remind you that you are not alone in your experiences and boost your confidence, which will help you be ok with taking more chances and assuming more risks.
Dealing with competition nerves in jiu-jitsu requires a combination of mental preparation and effective strategies. By incorporating techniques such as visualization, focusing on the process, controlling your breathing, developing pre-competition rituals, embracing the challenge, and seeking support, you can enhance your ability to perform under pressure. Remember, jiu-jitsu is a mental game that just so happens to be played out physically. Embrace the nerves, trust your training, and compete with confidence!