15th Competition and still letting Adrenaline kick my ass

[ITRDC5]

Hi Everyone,

Im just a day removed from my comp, I placed 1st in the Gi and 3rd in the No Gi.

Seems like some good results, but to me they were terrible. Ever since I have competed, I've won with getting a takedown, heavy pressure, passing and then pinning my opponent.

Then it hits me, the adrenaline dump. My arms and legs feel tired, I feel weak , feel like cardio tapping and just want the whole thing over with.

I prey that my opponent doesn't try anything too fancy, hence I don't get much subs.

I'm a blue belt and in the gym I am delivery very good results these days, I give purples a very hard time and submit a lot of my training partners.

What am I doing wrong? Can someone please help. I see other competitors who do well, seem to flow so well and have endurance for days, those guys can scramble in transitions and carry on as they would in the gym. I can't; well at least without looking/feeling like I am utterly exhausted.

I'm in shape and always prep well with conditioning before any comp, my instinct is that I am not controlling my breathing and the dump.

I've competed a bunch now and this never ever seems to go away and its beginning to detract from my enjoyment. I want to be able to represent myself better!

I also feel that in any self defence situation I will gas like this and this could have severe consequences??

 

[Cash Bill 52]

It still happens years later. Sometimes comps feel like a regular practice. If I get past my first match, I'm usually good to go 3-4 more.
I was one and done this summer and I literally took 20 minutes to get my forearms to be able to move.

 

[Knock Out Ned]

What is your preperation before you go on?

Are you warming up and blowing your lungs before your first match?

I always had the same problem. Conditioned for my comps and felt great in the gym. First match and I'm amlost dead bu the end and huge adrenaline dump.

I did a really good warm-up for the first time in 9 years for my last competition and felt amazing. Also, thank you @Dirty Holt

 

[ITRDC5]

@Knock Out Ned

I do the usual jumping jacks ,stretches ,squats etc but doesn't seem to be as intensive as you have stated ?
Can you provide any input to this as it looks like you have some experience .thanks

 

[dmwalking]

Sounds psychological. Wish I could help but I don't know how your mind works.

 

[Was at Pride GP 2000]

When you say you have good cardio what do you mean by that? Do you run and roll?
Have you ever used a row machine and do interval training where you go different speeds for different distance?
Do you dead lift and then do box jumps?
I do not know the recipe just curios on what you do. I had a roommate that always was a runner. I hated to run but I noticed I like to pick up heavy things and he didnt. He always had problems in tournaments and I really didn't. But I was so young back then I never really tested or looked into this

 

[jcandoitbig]

What is your preperation before you go on?

Are you warming up and blowing your lungs before your first match?

I always had the same problem. Conditioned for my comps and felt great in the gym. First match and I'm amlost dead bu the end and huge adrenaline dump.

I did a really good warm-up for the first time in 9 years for my last competition and felt amazing. Also, thank you @Dirty Holt

can you please detail the warm-up that helped you?

 

[bjjaz]

I'd be curious about the warm up too, I'm always tweaking my comp preparation.

 

[JenStark]

I have over 50 competitions and I did not get over the adrenaline dump until I had at least 30.

I don't know what it was that changed... maybe I started thinking that competitions were just another type of training. Maybe it was warming up with yoga for competitions and a little bit of rolling. Maybe it was just an increase in confidence thanks to experience.

 

[Knock Out Ned]

Nothing to exciting guys.

I put on sweat pants and a hoodie, and my coach had me run in the parking lot 45 minutes before my first match.

I started out with a medium pace for 5 mins, a medium high pace for 5 minutes, and then a high pace for 5 mins.

I started freaking out, becauseI felt gased after about 5 minutes. You will probably feel the same way. Just push through it.

Then I ran sprints one way and jogged back to my start point. I think I did 5 reps and 5 sets.

I definitely got to the point where I was gasping for air and wanted to quit.

I kept all my clothes on until I was ready to go out. Felt like a million bucks (except during the work-out). I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks.

Holt suggested the Wim Hoffmethod; 50 reps before and after the work out along with mobility and rolling.

Hope this helps.

 

[Tchoker]

@Knock Out Ned

I do the usual jumping jacks ,stretches ,squats etc but doesn't seem to be as intensive as you have stated ?
Can you provide any input to this as it looks like you have some experience .thanks

I'll start with mobility/stretching for 15 minutes. Then, drill sweeps/subs, ending with a few minutes of good hard rolling. I'll even put myself in bottom mount with a big heavy training partner! Helps get the jitters out. Anytime I feel a flash of anxiety, I breathe deeply and listen to the sound of my breath.

 

[hamoom]

I'm a black belt with more competitions than I can remember. I still struggle with freezing up and not performing to my potential

 

[ITRDC5]

Nothing to exciting guys.

I put on sweat pants and a hoodie, and my coach had me run in the parking lot 45 minutes before my first match.

I started out with a medium pace for 5 mins, a medium high pace for 5 minutes, and then a high pace for 5 mins.

I started freaking out, becauseI felt gased after about 5 minutes. You will probably feel the same way. Just push through it.

Then I ran sprints one way and jogged back to my start point. I think I did 5 reps and 5 sets.

I definitely got to the point where I was gasping for air and wanted to quit.

I kept all my clothes on until I was ready to go out. Felt like a million bucks (except during the work-out). I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks.

Holt suggested the Wim Hoffmethod; 50 reps before and after the work out along with mobility and rolling.

Hope this helps.

Thanks guys. Wim hoff , is that the guy who specializes in breathing exercises?? Could you possibly specify what you mean by 50 reps - are these breathing reps ?


I am a worrier , I do stress over competing and I want to improve /show my potential .
A few people have recommended mindfulness for relaxation/metation , I've just started it so we will see.

 

[biscuitsbrah]

I noticed most people who get super hard adrenaline dumps don't warm up very good.

Youre basically about to fight with grappling only and I see some guys just lazily stretching lmao

 

[p0gi.g]

i always felt like doing a hard warm up will gas me out and get me more tired for when i need energy the most shortly after..

i'm obviously wrong... but how does potentially getting yourself sweating and working out hard before a match benefit you for when you need to be at your peak? just seems counter-intuitive.

the one tournament i had, i felt exactly like the OP.. 2nd match I was just gassed to shit... 3rd match i did feel a bit better but i got dominated by somone much stronger and bigger. i warmed up by flow rolling with some teammates and doing the whole jumping jacks and slight jogging around.. but i'm not exactly known for my cardio either.

 

[ITRDC5]

The thing is , it's not like this is my first competition , it literally is my 15th and I do pretty well . But after around 2 mins I just can't seem to flow as naturally and I'm exhausted . I've seen white belts at their second competition seem more relaxed and in better composure than me ,all with doing a minimal warm up.

They must be something I am doing inherently wrong here , I can roll for a good hour with minimum break at training -im a light guy (super feather weight ) and never have any conditioning problems outside training .

It has actually made me feel marginally depressed as I wanted to start BJJ as a self defence platform incase I was ever attacked and know I am doubting myself incase I gas horribly in an altercation.