144. Competition vs Training

Ever wondered how much weight you should place on competition versus training in Jiu-Jitsu? Brace yourself for an enlightening discussion as we break down this heady topic. We delve into the irreplaceable experiences competition can offer, and how these can surge your skill progression. However, we also offer a fresh perspective for those who do not align with the competitive aspect of the sport, stressing that this experience may not be as beneficial or desirable for some.

Transitioning into the second segment of our chat, we dissect the contrasting benefits derived from training and competition. Likening training to a lab - a place for experimentation, learning, and readjustments, and competition to an ultimate test - an irreversible experience that propels you to your edge. The show further underscores the mental aspect of Jiu-Jitsu, the trials that come with performing under duress and scrutiny, and how these encounters are exclusive to a competition situation. Whether you're a hobbyist or a professional, the emphasis is on everyone attempting competition at least once, to leverage the invaluable insights and mental evolution that come with it. Have more queries on this topic or want to delve deeper? Do not hesitate to reach out. Keep training, and remember, peace.

Ask me questions on IG @rozdzynskibjj, I will personally respond to you and record the episode with an official answer.

Links you need to check out:
www.rolacademy.tv
www.therolradio.com

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:07

Is competition more important than training or training more important than composition? Question dropping from Shannon. Listen, shannon, thanks for dropping the question. I appreciate you reaching out and following me. Listen, which one is more important is going to depend on what your goals are, and that's the bottom line.

Speaker 1: 0:30

I talk about goals significantly and quite a bit every single time I speak to my students. Quite a bit, be prepared, know what your goals are, be focused on your milestones, what you're chasing. If competition, jiu-jitsu, sport Jiu-Jitsu is your goal, competition will give you irreplaceable experience which will speed up your learning curve. However, if your competition or sport Jiu-Jitsu, for the matter is not important to you, well, that experience might not be as useful. However, I will frame it this way I believe that everybody should compete at least one time. There is, regardless whether you are a professional, amateur, hobbyist or you maybe even don't have any interest whatsoever in competing, what is important, what is critical, that experience we gain during that moment of competition. The conflict that takes place between two individuals trying to achieve similar goals, but in opposite directions, is critical. It's huge, it's irreplaceable. I recommend all my students to compete at least once and after one time. If you choose not to do it again. Life is good. At the same time, I don't force my students to compete. Not everybody is ready to compete, not everybody wants to compete, not everybody has no goals. So I saw all these decisions on you. But when we take this at the face value, what benefits are we gaining from competition and what benefits are we gaining from training itself? Well, one, training itself is more like a lab. We are learning new things, we are educating ourselves, we are making adjustments and changes, we are dialing things, tuning things in, we are asking questions, we are exploring, we are finding things that don't work or maybe we want to do better.

Speaker 1: 2:30

The moment you go into competition, it is a test time. It's midterm, this is it. It's typically five or maybe seven minutes, depending on your experience level and your rank. But there's not enough time and after that round is over in the competition scenario, it's done, it's over. There's no redoes, there's no, I take it back. I want to do it one more time. It's done, it's sealed. So it's an ultimate test of what we have in front of us, or who we have in front of us, and the skills that we deliver.

Speaker 1: 3:06

At this point of time, don't forget one of the most underestimated parts of Jiu-Jitsu is the mental state, the things that we learn and the skills that we develop in the academy on the mat. At the academy on the mat, that's one thing. By showing up to a competition and performing at a certain expected level under stress, anxiety, while everybody is watching you, is not easy. This is why a lot of people don't compete. This is why a lot of people prefer not to do it, simply because of that environment. That test and yet I encourage you to do it Whether you win or you lose, it's not as important.

Speaker 1: 3:53

But what you really take away from it is the experience that you will never get anywhere else. You will not get the experience of facing another peer that you might not even know, in a scenario of raw engagement where your skill, your mindset and your strategy will be tested to the limit, where things might go your way or maybe they don't, and maybe you have to recover, maybe you have to maneuver from a point of disadvantage, and if you are able to do it, that test could really open up a lot of compartments in your mind that would allow you to tap in into areas that you would never ever explore if you didn't find yourself in that competition scenario. So, whether you are hobbyist or competitor professional, I encourage you to compete. I encourage you to compete as much as you can, but one time. One time would be my expectations for every, for every student. Good luck to you, and if you ever want to dip into this little bit more, please drop me a line. As always, keep on training, peace.