#allworknoplayhavefun

I just signed up for a jiu-jitsu tournament that will take place toward the end of June and I have a few ideas I wanted to jot down to remind myself during my time training from now till the competition. 

1. Eat Well but Eat Right. I’m within the range of my weight class but I am just a few pounds under the limit. While I don’t want to exceed the limit, I also have to be careful on losing too much weight that I will be in the class below me. Last year I lost a considerable amount of weight, in a relatively short time (for me, at least) and I don’t want to lose any more weight too fast before the event. Earlier this year, I took a few months off from training due to personal concerns and I happened to gain a third of that weight back. I’m on track to losing that weight again soon but I need to keep watch on how much I’m losing and how fast. With that said, don’t skip cheat days unless it’s time-critical. And be mindful of what I’m eating -- try going vegetarian for a full day twice a week or so. 

2. Stay Consistent With Your Training. Since coming back to train, I’ve been going twice a week but only for just over an hour each time. I should probably get more time on the mats by attending the earlier class and drill techniques with partners for another hour afterward. I should be able to get four hours plus of training a week. 

3. Be Active On Off-Days. During my time off the mats earlier this year, I stayed active by jogging. Since coming back to BJJ, I pretty much had let that go. Until recently. Now, I plan to run once or twice a week. On top of running as my off-day exercise, I just bought an agility ladder off Amazon so that I can spend one or two days a week to do agility to improve my coordination, to improve my cardio, to improve my explosiveness, and for added physical benefits and fun. 

4. Come Up With Small Goals For Every Class. While I won’t be searching for medals on this journey toward the competition, I am looking for more personal victories. I want to see myself progress. The only way I do that is if I make myself accountable in some way during my training. I need to strengthen my mindset during training, make myself commit to a small goal -- it can be anything -- and achieve it. This builds the foundation for progress and improvement. For instance, two weeks ago, I kept telling myself I should be more aggressive -- why be passive? This week, I felt more aggressive and dominant than ever before. I’m understanding the importance of position and looking for attacks through the small windows of opportunities that open up during transitions. I’m becoming more acute to the movements of my peers and hiding my attacks (still have LOTS to work on with that haha).These are small victories for me. My small goals.