Or any competition for that matter. I could write hundreds of blog posts about my competition experience, and I probably will at some point, but for now I'll leave you with the best bit of advice if received for any BJJ competition.
Play the match, not the occasion.
A good friend of mine text me this the morning of my first ever Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Competition.
It changed my perspective completely. Basically it means, forget about the distractions, the flashing lights, the shouting around you, all the other competitors, everyone warming up, and just focus on the mat and the person in front of you.
Much easier said than done, yes, but just this sentence helped me reframe it completely. Focus on the match. Forget who else is there. Forget everything around you. There's you, & your opponent and your coach giving you very good, specific advice (usually). Focus on that.
Our sponsored athletes are competing a lot this year, as are plenty of people from our gym and we can't wait to see what they, and you, manage under pressure. Good luck everyone
Team Reap x