Competition can do a lot of good. It gives people a purpose. A goal, a deadline, a test of your capacity. But lets be real. There are levels to this game. You need to understand where you fit, and that will dictate your realistic goals and training plan. Over the years, I have seen many well intentioned young athletes want to be a champion. Two months later they quit. Maybe they return. Maybe life gets in the way. But what is clear is there is a gap between understanding goals and what it take to get you there.
How many levels to this game? These are arbitrary definitions, but lets do this. There are 4 levels to this game.
Level One
You don’t compete. 90% of Jiu Jitsu students are at level one. Most people do this because its a fun hobby. Is social. It’s physical. It’s an escape. Its a lot of amazing things without competing. Competing is not necessary to advance your skill, progress through the ranks, and develop a high level understanding of the art. Some gyms have a competition focus in their training, and some are far from it. Either way, competition is a personal choice that is not required. At level one, your goal is longevity. However you get to the long run, you need to get there and have fun doing it. That’s it.
Level Two
You are a hobbyist, and might compete 1-2 times per year just for fun. At level two, you aren’t fine tuning a competition game plan. Your wins and losses don’t define your experience, and likely won’t guide your training much. You are there to say you did it, train with your friends, and cheer them on. Of the relatively small number of students that compete, most fit into this category.
Enter balance. Training Jiu Jitsu at a high level is just as much about your life off the mats as your life on it. Malcom Gladwell made a point in Outliers, about 10,000 hours of practice to mastery. His point was not about practicing for 10,000 hours. His point was that in order to practice 10,000 hours you need a family of support. Your job, your wife, your kids, your friends, etc. . . all need to support your efforts. If those things fall apart, you will never hit 10,000 hours.
The good news is at level two you don’t need 10,000 hours. Your balance doesn’t need to shift to accomplish this. You train when you train, and you compete when you compete. You have fun and keep moving.
Level Three
Now the game changes. There is a big split between level three, and the first two levels of competitors. Do you train and compete, or do you train to compete. At level three, you have made competition the focal point of your training. You compete 6+ times per year, and your training is revolved around a competition strategy. You train to compete. You can’t chase down the new Instagram trend, or experiment with that new guard you never learned. You are training for performance. Competition is coming. Your opponents are coming.
It’s important to understand what this means. To start performing at a high level you need to be in the gym consistently. 5+ times per week. Not many people can do this. Your life has to revolve around Jiu Jitsu training. You need to hold down a job, keep your personal life intact, and still find the time and energy to do what is required to perform at a high level.
Level three is where many people take a misstep. They want it, but they don’t. The idea of constant training and competition victories are easily romanticized, but is a life style hard lived. Here, your balance is clear, and it leans towards the mats.
Level Four
Well, this is getting intense.
Level four is the aspiring professional competitor. You don’t care about a career off the mats. When you wake up, your day revolves around the gym. Your diet revolves around training. Your finances need to figure themselves out before rent is due, because you have training to do. You compete at every local competition, and are travelling the country to hit all the big events.
This is a level of commitment most people can’t pull off, nor should they. Level four is reserved for the few who are fanatical about competing and Jiu Jitsu. You must find ways to pull in income without sacrificing your training. Your personal life is with your washer and dryer.
You must hone your social media skills and network with sponsors and other competitors. There are additional skills here outside of the art. Are you prepared to promote your sponsors products? Give an after match interview? Do you have a brand?
Before you start dreaming of a world championship, you need to dream of your day to day life and find out where you fit on this scale of commitment. Commitment is not fleeting. Can you sustain this for months on end? Year after year?
Level Infinity
Many people think competing is the only path toward progress. This isn’t true. The beauty of Jiu Jitsu is that there are an infinite number of paths to grow. You can choose your competition level and use it as a tool for motivation. You can choose another path. Whatever you do, understand what the vision looks like. There is no path that doesn’t require work and commitment. Being honest with your capacity to commit will help you set up realistic goals and healthy boundaries with the art.