So your kid is fighting in their first BJJ tournament -What to expect - Part 2

Hunter and his teammate practicing on the warm up mats.

by Jen

You arrived, now what?

13. The tournament will usually have separate tables for pre-registered competitors and those needing to register that day. At these tables you will need to complete or finalize paperwork, the parent will need to sign a waiver, and all paid competitors and spectators will receive their wristband for entry.

14. Competitors will be directed to the weigh-in area for their official fighting weight. Some tournaments give you a 1 lb clothing allowance. This should be listed in the brochure if it applies. (Some tournaments allow you to weigh in the Friday night before the competition.)

15. Just a note of caution - even though the weigh in allowance is given, many of the adult and even teen competitors will drop to their underwear to help make their fighting weight. Kids and adults weigh in at the same area so your young ones may see a guy in their underwear. Logan and I now know to just look straight ahead, but it was a shocker the first time she competed.

16. Using your weight and age information, determine which mat your child will be fighting on. Most tournaments divide the rings by weights. For instance, all 60-69 pound children at all levels will be fighting at Ring 6 that day.

17. Set up your team’s “home base” in the bleachers. We like to settle towards the top of the middle section for a decent view of all the rings.

18. Pay attention to the rules meeting hosted at the beginning of the tournament. I have sat through so many, but still manage to learn something new each time.

19. Having the kids warm up together helps them to work off some of their anxiety. This also promotes good bonding for the team. The more experienced competitors can take the newer ones under the wings to help them feel more comfortable.

20. If you are like me you will be as anxious, or even more anxious, then your child. Keep yourself in check and reassure your child. Remind them that the most important thing is that they enjoy the experience. Remind them that you are proud that they have chosen to fight and that you love them no matter what happens.

Tomorrow, Part 3 - Fight time

So your kid is fighting in their first BJJ tournament - What to expect - Part 1

by Jen

Tournaments can cause a lot of anxiety for children (and parents) or can be a fun and rewarding experience. It is all in how you approach them. Knowing what to expect can help to reduce the anxiety so here is the beginning of a four part series with tips that we have learned throughout the years. Use this as a guide, but pay attention to the rules and the specific tournament information to plan accordingly.

The series will cover
1. Preparation
2. You arrived- now what?
3. Fight time
4. Coaches

Preparation
1. Read the details in the brochure or on the tournament’s web page. Read through the rules, the schedules, the divisions, etc. All tournaments are different so read the specific tournament information to help you in your planning.

2. Verify the spelling of your team name and make sure you register correctly.

3. Pay attention to the Pre-registration date. Online registration typically ends Friday one week out from the event. If you do not make pre-registration you usually have to pay a slightly increased rate in cash at the door. Spectator tickets are usually sold at a discounted rate during the pre-registration period. NAGA charges $10 in advance or $15, in cash, at the door.

4. Consult with your coach on which division to register your child - novice, beginner, intermediate or advanced.

5. Plan your snacks and meals for the day. Some venues allow coolers and others do not. Tournaments have concession stands but sometimes they can be pricey or will not have something that fits within my eating plan. We bring peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, water, juices, snack foods like Cheezits, almonds, etc. and fruit. We bring enough to share with the team. If I have time and I am feeling up to it, I will bake a batch of chocolate chip cookies to share.

6. Bring something to keep you occupied. Do the same for younger siblings. Tournament days can be very long and boring for children. When Hunter was a spectator we brought his Nintendo DS, books and toys. He has also developed a group of “tournament friends” – other siblings of competitors that help him pass the time.

7. Make sure you bring the correct gi, belt, mouthguard and any other required gear. Also, bring something to keep the competitor busy during downtimes - an Ipod, light read or handheld game system.

8. Bring a sweater – sometimes the gym can be cool so it is best to be prepared.

9. Bring cash – some tournaments charge a cash only parking fee. Concession stands are usually cash only. Not all locations have ATM’s.

10. Of course, bring a camera and video camera.

11. Bring your cell phone loaded with the numbers of the other parents and your coach. Texting is a good way to notify the others when one of your fellow students is starting his or her match.

12. Arrive early so you have time to get organized and you are not feeling rushed.

Tomorrow - Part 2 - You arrived - now what?

Games, Competition and Catching Up!

by Jen

It’s been a while since I’ve posted so this is a little long. Busy, busy times at work and at home -all good though.

I competed in the 1st annual Heraean games over the weekend, an all female CrossFit competition. What an amazing, amazing group of female competitors! One of the benefits of being forty was the ability to compete in the Athena, or 40+, division. This meant lighter weight and fewer competitors. (wphew!) Here's a recap-

The Heraean Games from Jarret Streiner on Vimeo.

One of the main event sponsors and organizers was Sarah and her company Fashletics. Fashletics sells handmade jewelry inspired by a passion for fitness and competition. I asked Sarah to consider making a piece for bjj and she asked for ideas on designs. Do you have any? Logan and I have a couple but were curious to hear yours.

One of my fellow Athena’s was Lorraine, who by the way PR’d her deadlift that day (Congrats Lorraine!!). Lorraine was featured as a Fashlete of the Month on Fashletics blog last December. Her entire family is active including her children who train bjj with our kids.

The games helped me get my competition fix since I could not be at the Pan Ams. Our teammate, Adam, and Coach, Marcelo, made the trip to California. Congratulations to Adam who took 3rd in his division! Also congratulations to Victoria Trueb for taking 1st in the blue belt middle division. She was one of the tough competitors that I faced at the Miami Open.

Other happenings since our last post, congratulations to Sanya, one of our other female students, for earning her blue belt! Juan, the owner of our CrossFit and BJJ facility, joined us back on the mats last night after a more than a one year hiatus. Nice to have him back!

I’ve been spending more time rolling with some of the heavier and more experienced guys, which is helping me with my goal to better fight heavier opponents. I still have a long way to go. I am also trying to open up my game more – it is so easy to rely on your old habits.

Lastly, the post below is a survey to gauge the interest in a female open mat for girls. Check it out and pass it to anyone in the Florida area who might be interested – whether they currently train or not.

Lessons in Losing

By Jen

Yesterday I participated in my third bjj tournament. I placed second in the female blue belt light division at the Miami Open. (Yeah!)

Looking back at all three tournaments, there is a pattern of winning my first match and losing my second. With each loss, I’m disappointed, but I take away a lesson.

Miami Open 2009 – Lesson 1: Work on escaping full mount, especially with a much heavier competitor. I think I’m finally beginning to grasp this one.

Naga June 2010 – I mentally defeated myself. I tapped in the last half minute of the match. I panicked in a choke. I should have won that match on points. Lesson 2 – don’t panic!

Miami Open 2010 – Lesson 3: Eat better and rest more. I ran out of fuel during the 1st match. I felt dizzy the minute I stepped out on the mat for the 2nd match. This caused me to defeat myself mentally before the match ever began. Lesson 4: I cannot defeat myself mentally. I tried to overcome this in the beginning, but as soon as my competitor got into a more dominant position, I defeated myself. Lesson 5: Improve on pushing the legs, stepping back and passing. Marcelo knows this is one of my weaknesses because he has me drill it often. I try to avoid doing it because I know I’m weak here. Yesterday proved to me that I better keep drilling.
A few more words on the nourishment – I still need to figure out how to manage the weight. Weighing in with the gi stressed me out. I normally walk around between 135 and 138, so I knew I had to be careful in order to make 141 or under with my gi. As usual, I went a little overboard and ate and drank very little on Friday and Saturday. Normally I eat about 6 large and small meals and drink about 6 bottles of water between the hours of 5 am and 1 pm, so I was HUNGRY. I ended up coming in somewhere at 137 or 138 with the gi– meaning I could have nourished myself more.

I was proud to be there with Nova Uniao South Florida. I watched the video of my matches and heard the great cheering section I had in my team. I train with a great group of people – not full of egos and attitudes like you see with some of the other coaches and competitors. We’re all here to support each other.

A goal for the next tournament – break my streak of winning 1 and losing 1!

Old Chicks Rule

by Jen

It's the one week countdown to 40. In some ways I feel as though I've been working towards this birthday since the Summer 2008 Olympics. Yes, this sounds cliché for a thirty-something year old woman to say, but Dara Torres was an inspiration to me.

She wasn’t alone. Less talked about Romanian Women's Marathon runner, Constantina Diţă, was also an influence. At 38 years of age, she became the oldest Olympic marathon champion in history. I was about to turn 38 at the time. These two women showed me that I still had a long way to grow in my athleticism.

I think the age thing is hard for younger athletes to understand. Take for instance the guy who weighed me in at the last Naga tournament. After looking at my driver's license, he apologized to me for having to write my age down. I told him that there was no need for the apology - I was proud to be woman competing at my age.

He just so happened to work the table across from the mat where I won my match. It took everything within me to keep from waving my medal in front of his face and telling him that "old chicks rule." Now I guess that wouldn't have been very mature for an old lady to do. I’ll just take comfort in the fact that he, too, will grow old one day and understand what it's like on this late side of 30.

I look forward to seeing what the next 40 years will bring. And 43-year old Dara has announced that she's training for 2012! More inspiration to keep me going!

Little Shifts

By Jen

We received our Naga brochure for the October 30th Tournament. Two things about it made me smile. They expanded the women’s weight classes from two to four divisions. Second, when explaining the family rate they gave the example of a mom and three children competing. Typically the examples have been about dads. Finally, we’re getting somewhere! Women’s (and moms’) participation in tournaments must be growing. Little shifts like these can eventually have a huge impact. Thank you Naga!

You can

By Jen

We’re training hard for the Miami open – 6 weeks to go. My biggest hurdle is a mental one - finding my belief in my abilities. Marcelo recognizes this even when I don’t and, consequently, I received more coaching last week. I’m feeling better so far, but I’m beginning to think that this will be my personal battle every time I’m on the mat. Now that I know that, I can work on overcoming it.

I once read that coaches are there to encourage, motivate and inspire. We’re lucky to have found a coach who does just that. Marcelo constructively shows us our weaknesses and motivates us to overcome them. He’s constantly challenging us to get better and to push our limits. It's our job as students to listen and learn. It's only personal in that he is trying to bring us to our personal best.

I’m looking forward to competing on October 23rd and to sharing the day with my Nova Uniao South Florida teammates. Some of us will be returning from last year and some will be competing for the first time. Win or lose, we will be out there doing our best and making each other proud.

"The only one who can tell you 'you can't ' is you. And you don't have to listen."- Nike