Hobbyist blue belt here. I highly recommend competing at the smaller tournaments and in house tournament events. Lower pressure, you get to be involved with the community, and you can make really good connection and possible opportunities. I had 2 super fight last year literally went to an event guy got injured and I jumped in. Last event they hit me up put me on a flyer got paid $22 bucks, took an L, and one of the highlights of the year, a forever memory, and I train 2-3 times a week.
I consider myself as a hobbyist and have competed before. The thing is once competition is scheduled you have to treat it like a proper fight and prepare. I like to be on weight/nutrition and with great cardio before competition so I don’t take it lightly. I recommend giving yourself a proper training camp to make sure you are peaking day of competition. Don’t recommend approaching a competition as if it were a regular sparring day and out of shape.
54 and my 1st tournament was against a 34 year old. While I lost, I was not submitted. The intensity level was much higher than expected. I had trained doing 10 minute rolls with my mouthpiece, but it opened my eyes to another level I didn't know existed. Now I've seen it, I want to change how I do training rolls to sometimes reflect that higher intensity.
Thanks Bernardo! This is such great advice. As a hobbyist who only started Jiu Jitsu at age 45, and recently competed for the first time at the end of my white belt, I had the same question as your student and I came to the same conclusion as you. It feels validating, as a beginner, to hear encouragement for all of us old guy, newbies. Thanks for sharing your insights and encouraging us, much respect!
Bernardo, the problem im my case being a non professional, is that in the last IBJJF that I fought (2019), I get silver in my weight and I decide to go to open weight, I win 3 fights and I went to the finals against a pro and I was winning, but since the guy leave from BJJ, and need the points to go to the Brasileiros and/or Words, the guy starts the This "kill or die" mentality, and the results was that he twisted my leg and I tore the ACL and the LCL ligaments in my knee, and it wasn't even in a valid position!... result... I had to abandon the fight, I got silver, and with a "wobbly leg" and a bill of more than 30k reais (~8k USD) because of this knee surgery... from that day on I decided not to compete anymore, that was in 2019.
Lol at a high level the difference between a broken knee and a safe tap is .5 to 1 seconds. The truth is risking this. Healthy years if your life. Tens of thousands of dollars is just not fucking worth it for most people @@saulowarrior
That’s why I avoid the IBJJf and ADCC level events. We’ve got tons of different circuits here in the US, and the smaller ones are much more hobbyist-friendly
Jiujitsu is a hobby. Unless you are getting paid to compete we are all practicing a hobby. I've never understood the distinction.🤙🏼 Olympic athletes? - Practicing a hobby. It's just a word
Go to other gyms and roll if you dont want to compete. That's how you find out if you're progressing on your BJJ journey. 🤙 Getting away from your regular sparring partners.
I am a Blue belt hobbyist, I know the feeling of competing is going to vary alot from person to person. Even tho i officially started BJJ at 30 I wrestled in Highschool and did some No-gi after that, for some reason in my mind it was just like picking up where Left off in wrestling. Iam sure a lot of us especially in America because folk style wrestling is so big here felt the same way. I actually feel calmer older. Iam not sure how someone who had never competed would feel? but its fun it just feels like any other roll when you and ur buddy go extra hard at open mat lol
Are there "Hobbyist-Tournaments" in Brazil? Some local events so beginners get so mat/competition time? The problem I always see is, when you as a hobbyist compete in the same tournaments with upcoming professionals. Because monday is different, with a broken rib or dislocated shoulder.
@@chaystafari3228 And vice versa... But yeah according to some coaches, their national level judoka or wrestler can start as a whitebelt in BJJ... But yeah our last friendly beginner tournament escalated because some chechens were unhappy with a ref decision... I love the sport...start to distain the community.
@@jonlau7937 I started competing NoGi in the 2000s with only three weight classes. -70 -85 and heavy... you are a 19 year an old blue belt and your opponent russian master of sports in sambo and wrestling... But there were less injuries and better comradery though. Because everyone was crazy.
There is nos such difference in Brazil from hobbyist or Pro... the tournament are the same... for example, I am a black belt, and I'm not a "pro" since I don't leave from BJJ, I compete agaisnt a lot of pro in the state championship and also in the IBJJF open tournaments..
I tell my students that first of all you need to be able to have the disposable income to pay and not worry about it. I advise them that they should have 6 months experience min. And I also tell them it's about the experience and fun.
Lets be clear here "hobbyist" is anyone who doesn't get paid to do Jiu-Jitsu. IE 99% of the people who do BJJ. I personally think everyone should compete at least once but I highly recommend not training to win competitions. That will actually create training scars if you should ever have to actually use your Jiu-Jitsu for real.
It’s not worth it to me. I won’t risk my career and health because some overzealous doofus wants to live out his childhood dreams and act like we’re at the world championships. If they’re gonna allow for hobbyist competitions, then they should put guardrails in place at different belt levels. Make it safer so people don’t have to worry as much.
Hobbyist blue belt here. I highly recommend competing at the smaller tournaments and in house tournament events. Lower pressure, you get to be involved with the community, and you can make really good connection and possible opportunities. I had 2 super fight last year literally went to an event guy got injured and I jumped in. Last event they hit me up put me on a flyer got paid $22 bucks, took an L, and one of the highlights of the year, a forever memory, and I train 2-3 times a week.
Ive competed as a hobbyist, my mindset was that it was a chance to try my style against new styles. That was the perk
Your expectations should never be greater than your training effort/dedication especially when compared to your competitors.
I consider myself as a hobbyist and have competed before. The thing is once competition is scheduled you have to treat it like a proper fight and prepare. I like to be on weight/nutrition and with great cardio before competition so I don’t take it lightly. I recommend giving yourself a proper training camp to make sure you are peaking day of competition. Don’t recommend approaching a competition as if it were a regular sparring day and out of shape.
54 and my 1st tournament was against a 34 year old. While I lost, I was not submitted. The intensity level was much higher than expected. I had trained doing 10 minute rolls with my mouthpiece, but it opened my eyes to another level I didn't know existed. Now I've seen it, I want to change how I do training rolls to sometimes reflect that higher intensity.
Excellent advice Bernardo!
I’m getting ready for my first competition.
Thanks Bernardo! This is such great advice. As a hobbyist who only started Jiu Jitsu at age 45, and recently competed for the first time at the end of my white belt, I had the same question as your student and I came to the same conclusion as you. It feels validating, as a beginner, to hear encouragement for all of us old guy, newbies. Thanks for sharing your insights and encouraging us, much respect!
Bernado has really earnt everything he has
Bernardo, the problem im my case being a non professional, is that in the last IBJJF that I fought (2019), I get silver in my weight and I decide to go to open weight, I win 3 fights and I went to the finals against a pro and I was winning, but since the guy leave from BJJ, and need the points to go to the Brasileiros and/or Words, the guy starts the
This "kill or die" mentality, and the results was that he twisted my leg and I tore the ACL and the LCL ligaments in my knee, and it wasn't even in a valid position!... result... I had to abandon the fight, I got silver, and with a "wobbly leg" and a bill of more than 30k reais (~8k USD) because of this knee surgery... from that day on I decided not to compete anymore, that was in 2019.
My suggestion is: be careful, I be careful wen fight against pros!
Lol at a high level the difference between a broken knee and a safe tap is .5 to 1 seconds. The truth is risking this. Healthy years if your life. Tens of thousands of dollars is just not fucking worth it for most people @@saulowarrior
That’s why I avoid the IBJJf and ADCC level events. We’ve got tons of different circuits here in the US, and the smaller ones are much more hobbyist-friendly
Jiujitsu is a hobby. Unless you are getting paid to compete we are all practicing a hobby. I've never understood the distinction.🤙🏼 Olympic athletes? - Practicing a hobby. It's just a word
Go to other gyms and roll if you dont want to compete.
That's how you find out if you're progressing on your BJJ journey. 🤙
Getting away from your regular sparring partners.
I am a Blue belt hobbyist, I know the feeling of competing is going to vary alot from person to person. Even tho i officially started BJJ at 30 I wrestled in Highschool and did some No-gi after that, for some reason in my mind it was just like picking up where Left off in wrestling. Iam sure a lot of us especially in America because folk style wrestling is so big here felt the same way. I actually feel calmer older. Iam not sure how someone who had never competed would feel? but its fun it just feels like any other roll when you and ur buddy go extra hard at open mat lol
Are there "Hobbyist-Tournaments" in Brazil? Some local events so beginners get so mat/competition time?
The problem I always see is, when you as a hobbyist compete in the same tournaments with upcoming professionals.
Because monday is different, with a broken rib or dislocated shoulder.
It upsets me seeing these pro’s go to hobbist tournaments .
@@chaystafari3228 And vice versa...
But yeah according to some coaches, their national level judoka or wrestler can start as a whitebelt in BJJ...
But yeah our last friendly beginner tournament escalated because some chechens were unhappy with a ref decision...
I love the sport...start to distain the community.
It's a strange spot for a lot of us. BJJ is not big enough so pros or upcoming prospects are mixed together with hobbyist
@@jonlau7937 I started competing NoGi in the 2000s with only three weight classes.
-70 -85 and heavy...
you are a 19 year an old blue belt and your opponent russian master of sports in sambo and wrestling...
But there were less injuries and better comradery though.
Because everyone was crazy.
There is nos such difference in Brazil from hobbyist or Pro... the tournament are the same... for example, I am a black belt, and I'm not a "pro" since I don't leave from BJJ, I compete agaisnt a lot of pro in the state championship and also in the IBJJF open tournaments..
I tell my students that first of all you need to be able to have the disposable income to pay and not worry about it.
I advise them that they should have 6 months experience min.
And I also tell them it's about the experience and fun.
Lets be clear here "hobbyist" is anyone who doesn't get paid to do Jiu-Jitsu. IE 99% of the people who do BJJ. I personally think everyone should compete at least once but I highly recommend not training to win competitions. That will actually create training scars if you should ever have to actually use your Jiu-Jitsu for real.
Here in Russia we have no "light rolling". You heve to be "kill or be killed" mentality to compete with Dagestan athletes) There are much fun anyway
It’s not worth it to me. I won’t risk my career and health because some overzealous doofus wants to live out his childhood dreams and act like we’re at the world championships.
If they’re gonna allow for hobbyist competitions, then they should put guardrails in place at different belt levels. Make it safer so people don’t have to worry as much.
dont be fooled. ITS A GREEN SCREEN
😅
@@MrJphoto1 🤣