So it’s been a couple of weeks since I was at the IBJJF worlds and now that I’m back into my normal flow of life I guess that it’s time to think about what’s next.
First question, am I going to compete again? I’m thinking that I will so I’m going to proceed under the assumption that I’m making the trip again next year. So now I’m looking at what I need to do to get on the podium next year. Thankfully the answer is simple. I just need to get better at JuJitsu.
And that answer is oh so helpful.
But it’s also completely true. There was a huge gap in skills between the two guys that I fought. The first one I was able to get control of, play my game, and eventually get a submission. The second guy I fought, I was the one getting controlled. Both were apparently 4 stripe brown belts but the second guy that I fought felt more like rolling with a black belt than any other brown belt that I’ve rolled with.
So there’s obviously a huge range in skill when you talk about people in a given belt range, and that means that I need to be getting myself to the top of that range if I want to be competitive. That means that I need to basically start over and work everything I know from the ground up. Every position, movement, and technique needs to be re-evaluated and polished. Some things I think that I know are things that I haven’t revisited since I was a purple belt and touching them again may open up new pathways to other positions that I’m just missing right now.
Either case, it’s a lot of work ahead of me.
Now I just need to shake of this head cold that I picked up and I’ll be back on the mats.