Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu can seem like a complicated sport from the outside with an unusual scoring table and, for parents, the concern for injury and their child’s enjoyment of the sport. Unlike many other sports, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and the gyms they are practiced in have their own way of doing things. When a parent is more involved in their child’s life and activities, including understanding what it is they are [...]

Being a coach is often more difficult than being a competitor. You have to communicate your advice in a manner that will be heard and well received. You’ll have to have more control over your own reactions than your student will need to have over their fear or adrenaline—you can’t shout angrily or incoherently. That’s bad coaching and doesn’t help anyone, let alone the person you are dedicated to [...]

Fight or flight. A term commonly used to describe an individual’s reaction to a threat—whether real, perceived, or in competition. Typically, the response is fueled by fear and adrenaline. In sports and competition, that fear may be the fear of losing, of looking bad, or not meeting your own personal expectations. Regardless of how long you have been competing or how many tournaments you have taken part in, your [...]

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, or BJJ, is a sport that involves technical skill in taking down and submitting an opponent. It is just you and them—one winner and, ultimately, one loser. This can be difficult to grasp especially when there are no teammates to share the blame of the loss. However, it is important to enter a grappling competition with the right mindset, so you leave your tournament with more insight [...]