The first time I jumped into a BJJ tournament, I was as novice as they come–maybe 2 or 3 months into taking classes? NAGA was hosting an event in my city and I figured, why not? A ton of my teammates were going to be there and it seemed like fun.

Fast-forward to getting strangled to sleep on the mat, running off to the ladies room for a quick cry session, then running back for my next match. I felt… humiliated for starters. But I just had to do it again. I briefly considered never returning to my gym again (and going down in history as the girl who quit after getting choked out), but I wanted so badly to redeem myself after that whirlwind of a weekend.

Turns out, a lot of BJJ practitioners stop short of that very first step to competing–signing up in the first place. Since that first tournament, I have since found myself entering about a dozen more competitions over the years–and for the majority of that time, I never even referred to myself as a ‘competitor’. I was just a BJJ student looking to hone my skills. In conversations with other students, here are the main misconceptions I have heard from other grapplers regarding competitive Jiu Jitsu.

You need to win in practice

Especially for female grapplers who may be in a gym full of male teammates, it can be discouraging for an aspiring competitor to get submitted each round during live rolls. The good news is that more often than not; your teammates will not be your opponents. However, you should be training the way you want to be performing in competition; that is, practicing aggressive offense, increasing stamina for high-intensity exercise, and drilling position-based techniques to get reps in for multiple scenarios.

It’s expensive

While the registration fees and travel expenses can certainly add up over time; there are a ton of lower-cost options available, especially to new grapplers.

When deciding to jump into competition at the national and international level, you’ll need to budget & save for airfare and entry fees, not to mention potentially needing to qualify through accruing points at competition throughout the year, plus your regular academy membership dues. This is not the only path to becoming a competitive grappler! 

As a US-based grappler, I can attest that dozens of BJJ promotions host events in various locations that span the contiguous 48 states, and there is bound to be one that is within reasonable distance to drive no more than 2-3 hours for a day trip. The biggest way to save is deciding early to register; almost every one of these promotions offer an early-bird discount to encourage athletes to sign-up several weeks in advance. You can knock off up to $61 off registration at NAGA, $36 off registration at The Good Fight Tournament, $25 off registration at Grappling Industries, and $10 off registration at FUJI BJJ –just to name a few. You’ll miss out on these deals if you wait until the last-minute–so I recommend keeping an eye on the social feeds for various event promotions as they advertise those cost-saving opportunities. Some even have additional coupon codes & promos throughout the year you can take advantage of–competing really doesn’t have to break the bank.

Tap Cancer Out offers the best deal around–by fundraising $250 for the cancer-fighting organization, you’ll get to compete totally free (and know that every single dollar goes toward a great cause).

You’re more likely to get injured

This is the risk we take each time we step on the mat–accidents happen, people get hurt. But, take note of the different rulesets posted for each event. While some events advertise ‘all submissions legal’, this is rare for a novice or white belt competitor. Be sure to understand the rules carefully, as certain techniques that are more high-risk (such as heel hooks and knee bars) may or may not be allowed for your experience level). 

Of course, this doesn’t prevent freak mishaps–as in practice, be conscientious of tapping to submissions. And remember the way you train will dictate the way you compete. Roll with intensity leading up to your competition and you will be prepared for the aggression of a real match.

You’re either a competitor or not

Many BJJ students just see training as an enjoyable hobby–no goals to become a world champion or ranked martial artist (which is great, because statistically… only a few ever will get that far). But take a look at any other recreational sport: running, soccer, basketball, softball, golf… you find adults participating in road races, intramural leagues, or amateur tourneys all the time–and grappling is no different.

While plenty of BJJ students never compete and are still able to develop as a martial artist, I highly recommend each grappler give it a shot. You may find that you absolutely hate it. But if you’re anything like me, you may find that even as a no-name local athlete, competing can be an indispensable tool to drive your investment in grappling training, giving you a tangible goal to work toward and fuel your passion further.

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What are your thoughts toward competing? Are you nervous about putting yourself out there? What advice would you give to a first-time competitor?