By Professor Fabiano Papel

As a Jiu-Jitsu referee, one of the most common things I see is athletes competing for the first time who are completely unprepared. Many, especially white belts, enter tournaments without knowing the rules, understanding the basic procedures, or even ensuring they have the proper equipment.

In this article, I will highlight the key points you should pay attention to when competing, especially in IBJJF tournaments. While these tips are specific to IBJJF events, they can also be useful for other competitions.

Take care of your nails in advance – Trim your nails at the beginning of the event week. Doing it on the competition day can weaken your grips and even cause discomfort.

Monitor your weight – Check your weight before the event and, if necessary, adjust your category in advance. Avoid last-minute weight cuts that could affect your performance.

Check your gi – Make sure your gi meets the federation’s requirements. I often see athletes panicking because their gi doesn’t comply with the rules, forcing them to buy or borrow one at the last minute. Prevent this stress by checking everything beforehand.

Study the rules – Understanding the referee’s verbal commands, knowing the scoring system, and being aware of potential penalties can make the difference between winning and losing a match.

Arrive early at the event – I recommend arriving at least one hour before your scheduled match. IBJJF tournaments often move faster than planned, and being late could cost you your chance to compete. Arriving early allows you to check if you can weigh in and report to your ring coordinator.

Stay alert after your match – If you win, remain in the warm-up area. If you need to leave, inform the area coordinator. Many athletes miss their next match because they leave the area and can’t be found, which could lead to disqualification.

By following these guidelines, you’ll avoid unnecessary setbacks and be able to focus on what truly matters: giving your best on the mats!

If you found these tips helpful and want more Jiu-Jitsu and competition-related content, follow me on Instagram @fabianopapel! I regularly share insights to help you improve on your journey.

Good luck, and see you on the mats! Oss!

Claudio Calasans Jr. has reached the highest levels of achievement in Jiu-Jitsu thanks to a lot of hard work to take advantage of his natural born talent.

The 2015 middleweight world champion and ADCC open class champion has a lot to teach to those starting out their Jiu-Jitsu life.

We have highlighted 10 tips he was kind enough to share with us.

1. In Jiu-Jitsu, you won’t be surprised by your opponent if you train more than them.

2. The more hours at the gym, the greater your chances of surprising your rival. Go train!

3. Go to Jiu-Jitsu championships to learn new moves. Whenever I watched competitions, I’d always go back home wanting to repeat some position and test it in my game.

4. Whenever you learn a new position at the gym, persist until you get it right in the rolls. Only against a colleague will you be sure of whether it fits your fighting style.

5. Training is risking. If you go to the gym and just do the very same positions both on top and on the bottom, you are reducing the speed of your evolution.

6. When the position doesn’t work very well, don’t simply discard it. Reflect on it, study, analyze, and unravel the position. See if you are able to adapt it before deciding that no, actually it doesn’t fit in your game.

7. Be complete. Standing, on top, on the bottom. But fight with a plan, drawn in accordance with the strong qualities of your opponent.

8. You don’t compete against other fighters, but against yourself.

9. At every training session, every competition, try to test your limits – physical, technical, mental. At each limit crossed, use that as an incentive to train more and more, and develop your Jiu-Jitsu constantly.

10. Every sport grows at a pace directly proportional to the emergence of good role models, good athletes, and good people. Be a martial artist useful for the rest of society. By becoming a good example, you help the sport grow.

As the black belts rush in to register for the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu Tour Los Angeles, next October 18, the event also wants to welcome white belts and blue belts.

Don’t miss out and register now to compete in the event organized by the UAEJJF.

The registration deadline is Oct. 12.

There are money prizes for selected champions.

Click here to register now for the event organized by the UAEJJF and scheduled for Oct. 18, at the Azusa Pacific College.

The registration deadline is Oct. 12.

See in table below all the money prizes to be awarded at the event.

Money Prizes LA

The students of Brazilian Top Team Boston toss their colored belts aside for a bit. Photo: Bruno Amaral

GMA Brazilian Top Team Boston will hold a belt ceremony on Dec. 4 – 5. First degree black belt Professor Bruno Amaral has imposed an innovative approach to training during the weeks leading up the ceremony by having every student wear a white belt on the mats– even black belts. Bruno wants to have the students train with an ego-free mentality while rolling.

“You have to leave the ego outside the mat,” he says.

His concept has been well-received so far and the students are having more fun without the ” pressure” that people sometimes attach to their belts.

Less pressure to perform means more fun. Photo: Bruno Amaral

White Belt

For some time now, GRACIEMAG has reserved one page of its printed edition for a black belt to give 10 tips to the brave white belts around the world. We have selected 10 of the best tips recently published to give you a taste. If you want to get brand new tips every month at your home, subscribe to GRACIEMAG now here.

Trust and be trustworthy! NEVER hold a submission after three taps. When in doubt about whether your partner tapped, let go immediately—better safe than sorry. When striving to be a better and more reliable training partner to your coaches and training partners you create a safer and more enjoyable environment in which to learn. If you don’t have fun, it’s not worthwhile. Jiu-Jitsu is training for the rest of your life. Each step must be effective; after all, art is the best habit you can acquire in life. – Felipe Costa (Brasa)

Concentrate on your “ABCs”. Don’t get ahead of yourself by trying to learn everything, especially not if you do it in a hurry. Beginners need to focus on the basics, even if it feels repetitive. Imagine you’re going to write a book, and as you go through the process you’re learning the sounds and shapes of each letter, to then learn to fit them together to make words and phrases. So don’t rush through; get it in your head that shrimping and rolling are as important as can be. – Jorge Britto (Toronto BJJ)

Jiu-Jitsu is about details, details and details. It’s normal that a white belt observes a position and then misses one detail or another when repeating it. Obviously, the technique won’t work the way it should and the student may give up on it. Drive home the details of every move until the student feels confidence and pleasure in applying it in training. – Christian Uflacker (Uflacker Academy)

Practice good habits. Your body is your spirit’s temple. It’s the first vehicle you use to come and go. Just as we have to take care of an automobile that is in a good state  of repair, our body too needs to be cared for in order for it to function properly. Therefore, sleep and eat well, as we are what we eat, drink, and as incredible as it may seem, how we sleep.  – Carlos Alberto Liberi (Gracie Barra)

Physical conditioning work helps a lot. Explore all the angles so the student will able to meet their potential. Of course, you have to be keen to their physical maturity. – Bruno Bastos (Bastos BJJ Midland)

Find the right academy. Be careful in choosing a qualified academy that fits your expectations. Inform yourself on the professor’s curriculum, and visit the academy. Take a trial class to see if you feel comfortable in the environment and with the staff and training partners it has to offer. Training must make you feel well, and the right atmosphere is crucial. Once you choose an academy, stick with it and trust your professor. – Frederico Tisi (Tisi JJ)

Dispel all excuses not to train. Most instructors at JiuJitsu schools demonstrate positions in a sequence. If you skip class for silly reasons, you miss out on one of the facets of the position and won’t understand the overall array your master is getting at. – Lúcio “Charlie Brown” (Gracie Barra)

For someone who doesn’t do Jiu-Jitsu, having bulging biceps tends to be seen as a sign of a powerful athlete. Forget that. The most important part of a fighter’s body is his core – the abdomen, lower back, chest and back. Work at building a strong core and exercising your hips. Discuss how to strengthen and train these areas during warm-up with your teacher. –Rafael “Gordinho” Lima (Florida Start Academy)

Start competing, don’t be afraid. Championships can work as an explosive ingredient for you to train with more excitement. The one who loses trains more to win, and the one who wins trains even more not to lose the throne. – Abmar Barbosa (Drysdale BJJ)

Test yourself all the time. If you have a friend who sweeps well, try to pass his guard. If there is a guard passer at the gym who doesn’t relieve pressure, pull him to the guard. If your mate has a great base, train with him standing up. Use the strengths of others to polish the flaws of your game. – Sid Jacinto (UAEJJ)