Martial Arts - Which Type is Best for You?

If your considering martial arts as a wellness activity, congratulations! Evolving your self or your children in a martial arts program is an excellent way to improve physical, mental, and spiritual health. Many new comes to to this activity often assume that karate is one of their only options. Fortunately, there are many practices that fall under the umbrella of martial arts, therefore, involvement in these arts can vary greatly. Below you will find a simple summer of the top 4 martial arts practices which will enable you to make the best choice for your needs.

Karate:

Karate, which originated in Okinawa, Japan, is the most well known and widely practiced martial art in North America. The ancient tradition as is a form of self defense that teaches those who practice it to use their hands as weapons. Perhaps one of the best description of Karate is derived from it's name which means "open hand." Those who practice karate work to focus their energy to defeat a opponent or win a challenge. Physical benefits of karate include an over all sense of wellness as well as an improved upper body strength.

Judo:

Judo is a martial arts practice derived from Jujitsu and means the "gentle way." While it's name suggests something lacking in power, in actuality, Judo is widely used to train women and individuals of small stature how to defend themselves. Instead of using brute force, Judo trains followers to gain strength and ability by strategically gaining the advantage. Judo often engages individuals in grappling throwing and rolling move that help you to achieve the upper hand in a combat situation. Like Karate, judo stimulates the body and helps to achieve an over all physical wellness.

Taekwondo:

Taekwondo (also known as Tae Kwon Do, Taekwon-Do and Tae Kwon-Do) as was created some time during the 1950's in Korea making it relatively new to the world of martial arts. While it is slowly gaining popularity in the united states, it is Korea's national sport. Taekwondo is based on the simple assumption that the longest and strongest part of the body should be considered the weapon, making the leg the major focus of this practice. Considered by most to be a derivative of Karate, Taekwondo is similar to karate but emphases the lower body and kicking as opposed to the upper body. Those who are looking to build their lower body strength will find that Taekwondo can offer a method to do so.

Kung Fu:

Kung Fu is probably one of the most widely used martial arts practices on television and movies. Most people are familiar with this practice due to Hollywood favorites like Jackie Chan. With its visually appealing display of kicks, strikes, punches, and throws, Kung Fu is one of the most physically demanding forms of martial arts. This is excellent for individuals who are interested in taking part in martial arts but want to pursue an action packed practice that really gives you a complete cardio workout.

     By Jennifer Wasilewski

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/836975

Best Martial Arts For Women to Learn Effective Self-Defense

Without being classed as being sexist, there are some martial arts that are perhaps better suited for women due to their focus on moves that are effective regardless of size and weight and techniques like groin strikes. Other martial arts focus more on power, size and strength which many women do not wish to focus on if they are just looking to pick up an effective means of self-defense and not become a MMA competitor. Below are a few that you may want to look into.

Judo
Judo martial arts is well known for it's use of throws which are actually perfectly designed for fending off and taking down a larger and heavier opponent. Other holds and chokes in Judo also enable a practitioner to control and immobilize an attacker until they calm down or help arrives.

Tae Kwon Do
Tae Kwon Do's emphasis on agility and speed is perfect for those not wanting to bulk up and gain large amount of muscle mass. While many of the extreme acrobatic kicks may not be useful in the street, most Tae Kwon Do classes also teach a variety of self-defense combination's that can be used in real life situations.

Krav Maga
Krav Maga's focus on weak points that can be affected without a lot of force as well as it's techniques for disarming an attacker make for great self-defense classes. Many of these techniques include striking the eyes, neck and groin which can do enough damage without a lot of strength or power against larger opponents.

Aikido
Aikido which has probably been made most famous by actor Steven Seagal is well known for it's throws and joint manipulation techniques that can be used swiftly against larger and stronger opponents by using their advantages against them.

So whether it is Judo martial arts, Taekwondo, Krav Maga, or Aikido they are all great martial arts and will supply you with more than enough skills to protect yourself in a bad situation.

     By Tony James Mills

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4348426

Problems Relating to Effective Kuzushi in Judo

Students sometimes have difficulty with throwing techniques because they haven't properly taken their opponent off balance. This problem can even affect more advanced Judo players as well even though they understand the importance that Kuzushi plays in applying the techniques and throwing or sweeping their opponent. It obviously plays a vital role in performing the techniques in Randori.

So it's important that we understand what causes this problem in our training and even more importantly, what can we do to fix this? To find the solution to this problem we first need to identify what is causing the problem then we can try to solve it.

Many factors can cause insufficient application of Kuzushi. Let's look at each of them:

Generally the cause might come from the instructor, the actual method of instruction, the Tori or even with the Uke. The problem can even be caused by years of mistakes made during practice of the technique and unbalancing that should precede the actual throw.

Problems coming from the Instructor An instructor who lacks ability to properly instruct will result in poorly trained Judoka. Students new to the art will not have the experience to be able to tell that they are being poorly trained and will end up frustrated in their abilities and even quit Judo altogether. Their techniques will fail and they won't have the experience to understand why despite how often or hard they train.

Problems coming from the instruction methods

There can be many reasons for this, like maybe the instructor has too many students he's trying to teach at once and can't properly instruct all of them so some get neglected. Another is that maybe he only pays attention to the advanced students or those that develop more naturally and lets those that have trouble figure it out for themselves. Whatever the reason it's important for students to ask questions and pay close attention to the information they are getting from their instructor. The method the instructor uses to impart the techniques is very important in order for the students to have a clear understanding of the techniques for them to be effective.

Problems with Tori

This is obviously the most common source of the problem with poorly applied Kuzushi. The problem comes from Tori performing the throw. Even with proper instruction, the throw is unsuccessful because of improper application of Kuzushi, therefore not properly taking the opponent off balance before executing the technique. The solution to this problem can only come from the instructor paying close attention to the execution of the technique to show exactly where the lack of unbalancing the opponent is and how to properly take the opponent off balance. Most times, the Judoka will not see the problem himself and will try to force the throw and wonder why he's having such a hard time, usually assuming that it's from poorly applying the technique. Not understanding that the fault isn't in the technique but in the lack of application of Kuzushi.

So ultimately, the solution is for the instructor to improve the student's awareness of Kuzushi and it's critical role in the throw. As the student's awareness improves, he or she will better be able to execute the throw by properly applying Kuzushi before attempting it.

Problems with Uke

Uke's role is critical for Tori to properly learn the technique as well as make it work. An uncooperative Uke, who prevents the technique from happening as Tori is trying to learn it, can be what's making the technique fail. Remember at this stage Tori is merely learning the specifics of the technique and requires cooperation from Uke to properly do so. The solution to the problem is in the instructor showing Uke how to properly cooperate with Tori to execute the technique effectively.

Keeping Uke Off Balance

A common problem that happens when a throw is slowed down to emphasize the details is that Tori loses the kuzushi he has applied to Uke. In other words he has trouble keeping him off balance as he works out the details of the throw in a slow and methodical way. As he enters or positions himself for the execution of the throw he stops keeping Uke off balance usually due to his concentrating on the steps involved in entering and executing the throw. This defeats the Kuzushi that he set up previously to entering for the throw. The key here is awareness and keeping the student focussed on the Kuzushi especially as he speeds up the technique and can perform it faster. The student can also emphasize the force necessary to maintain kuzushi as he's slowly going through the motions of the throw as to keep Uke off balance even when he's moving slowly.

      By Kosta Megas 

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4062722

How to Learn Judo Through Martial Arts Video Training

Judo is a form of martial arts which involves a variety of falls, rolls, hold downs, throws, joint-locks, chokes and strikes. Judo primarily focuses on throwing and groundwork. Through martial art training videos, students can effectively learn the various techniques involved in becoming a master in judo.

With effective martial arts video training, the student will learn about the 2 groups of throws which are: the standing techniques - further divided into hand, hip, foot and leg techniques; and the sacrifice techniques - divided into those in which the thrower falls directly backwards, and those in which he falls onto his side. The ground fighting techniques are divided into joint locks or attacks against the joints, chokeholds or strangleholds and the holding or pinning techniques. For safety reasons, techniques such as joint locks, chokeholds and sacrifice are subject to age and rank restrictions and must not be performed by persons outside the particular age group or rank that has been set out.

Mixed martial arts training videos offer lessons on judo which can be applied in matches. These techniques include the grappling and standing-grappling techniques. Judo students will be required to perform a kind of sparring referred to as Randori, which means "free practice". Here, 2 opponents are allowed to attack one another using any throw or grappling technique. Ju Rensha is a sparring exercise in which both judoka attack in a very mild way and no resistance is applied. On the other hand the Kakari Geiko sparring exercise will see only one judoka attack, while their opponent relies solely on evasive and defensive techniques without the application of sheer strength.

During a tournament practice or Randori, when your opponent has succeeded in executing a joint lock or chokehold, you may submit or "tap out" by tapping the mat or your opponent at least two times in a manner clearly indicative of your submission. Once this occurs, the match is over, you have lost and the joint lock or chokehold will cease.

In order to perfect your techniques, you may practice Kata with a partner, which are pre-arranged patterns of attack and defense. Kata are ideal for learning the basic principles of judo and how to correctly execute a technique outside of competition. Kata are also important in preserving the ancient techniques that remain historically important, although no longer used. In order to attain a higher rank, you will require knowledge in the various Kata.

      By Julian Lee

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4620684

21 Tips to Improve Your Grappling Game

Goal oriented training

Have a specific technique or area of focus for each rolling session. For example, I will come into training thinking "Today I am going to work on passing the butterfly guard". You may even want to let your training partners know this and start in those positions.

Consistent Training

Make BJJ a priority in your life, training 3-5 times a week EVERY week. It's no coincidence that the best guys in class also have the best attendance.

Set a schedule for yourself and don't let anything that isn't really major interrupt it. Some guys get good really quick, but the best guys have all put in countless hours to get there. You will never see your game improve as fast as it should if you are missing classes or weeks of training.

Take advantage of your training partners

Make a mental note of who has the best guard, takedowns, passing, pins, or escapes. Then work with them, allowing them to use their strengths. This will highlight your mistakes and help you monitor your progress. Once you can consistently overcome their strong points then you know you are seriously improving. I never pull guard against someone if I know they have a slick bottom game, I want to be on top.

Study everyone else's game - When you aren't sparring study your teammate's games and try to pick up their effective moves. Go over it in your head as they spar. Think about when you would be able to use that move, or how you would counter it. Ask them what little adjustments they make so that the technique works better.

Ask your instructor questions

All too often I see brown and black belts teach class and ask, "Any questions or things you guys want to work on?" and everyone is SILENT. Always have a question in mind, unless you are an absolute phenom there will always be a position where you don't feel 100% confident.

Try new things

I always use white belts for this. I will take a move or setup that I haven't tried yet and try to pull it off on the beginners. This works well because if you are still unsure about parts of it, you most likely will not be able to pull it off at all on the more advanced guys. For example, I'm trying to learn the twister right now, so whenever I roll with white belts or new blues that is what I go for. It also helps because it makes rolling with those much less skilled than yourself challenging.

Work on a new area until you feel it is one of your strengths, then move on to another. Work on keeping your guard, for example, until it is almost impossible for any others close to your level to pass, and really difficult for someone advanced to get by. Then add your sweeps. Once you are sweeping blues easily and higher belts on occasion, move to subs from the guard, etc...

Individual attention

Privates with your instructor work wonders. Roll with them or have them watch you roll with someone who usually get the better of you, then have them point out areas you need to improve upon or blatant mistakes you are making.

Train at different gyms

I realized that having new perspectives helped me greatly. Also, the experience of rolling with guys you don't know anything about will make your moves much sharper. This is especially true if you are the most technical one in your academy, don't fall into the "big fish in a small pond syndrome".

Compete as often as possible

Under the stress of competition the true nature of your skills come out. Also it helps to let you know where you stand in the larger scheme of things by giving you a realistic look at where you stand against other guys with the same belt level.

Teach new guys

If you can get a pure beginner to do a move 100% accurately then you know that you have it down. It is good practice to make sure you are aware of each little detail that makes a technique work.

Roll until you are exhausted at every training session

I see many guys pack their bags and go home when they have barely worked up a sweat. I always try to train until my instructors tell me they have to lock up and go home. Even if I'm so tired that I'm getting my ass kicked by someone of lower rank, the experience of training when you have no strength left will vastly improve your game both mentally and physically.

Your cardio is a technique. You may know a lot, but you won't be able to express it well if you are worried that you are going to run out of air. You can really open up your game and keep pressure on your opponent if your lungs can handle the constant movement and explosiveness.

Train in inferior positions

Allow your training partners to get your back, pass your guard, or mount you. Don't let them know that you are allowing them to have the position (I say this because if they think they got it legitimately they tend to get excited and really work for the finish, which is good for you). Stay in the inferior position and work on simply avoiding the submissions, then work your escapes. This will help you feel comfortable in even the worst situations, which in my opinion is a major difference between an inexperienced grappler and a experienced one.

Have a good balance between top and bottom

If I tap someone from my guard, then I will make it my goal to pass and tap them from side control during the next roll. If I tap someone from the top, I will pull guard the next time. When I was a new blue belt I had a decent guard and I would tend to neglect my top game while rolling because I could tap most people from the bottom, it was an ego thing I had to get over and it held me back some. Now when I roll I always alternate between top and bottom, not allowing myself to neglect either area.

Find someone who can manhandle you

Never back down from sparring the toughest guys in class. Each sparring session, put your ego aside and roll with the best guy you can find, also spar with heavy guys, quick guys, and guys with unlimited endurance. As a beginner or intermediate grappler, you are under no pressure to be brilliant, so use that time to open up your game and test the positions you know against guy who know what they are doing.

Drill things to death

Take about ten minutes before or after you roll to just work on the techniques you've been shown over the past few days of class. Also try to take one day a week and make it your drilling day. That day spend at least a half hour - 45 minutes just repeating techniques and sequences over, and over and over. It's boring and I hate doing it, but it helps a great deal.

Although it is boring, many of the best guys I know devote a portion of every training session to drilling a basic movement with a partner.

Specialize

Find positions that fit your game and work them in sparring until you can rely on them against just about anyone. For example, there was a time when my all-around game was weak, but I knew that I had one sweep from my half-guard that I could catch just about anyone with. Didn't matter what level they were, I knew I would sweep them if I got the underhook in the half-guard. You need a technique like that from every position to go to against tougher guys. You'll start to learn set-up for those specialized techniques and areas and then it will keep branching off from there which will then lead to you developing a game/style for yourself.

Share your tricks

Share your tricks with anyone who asks. As they get better, they will be more competition for you. When you have tough competition, you will inevitably get tougher to beat yourself.

Use training sessions as a time to learn not win

Think of a move you want to pull off and the situation that would require it. When training, the sparring sessions should be more about pulling off that move/moves than winning the match. To me, it's more important if you pull off a move you've been wanting to implement in your game then tapping your teammate in class. It's a great feeling finally getting a move you've been wanting for a long time, even if the end result is you getting tapped. Tourneys are about playing your best game and playing to win; class is all about experimenting.

Visualization

Training isn't just on the mat. It is also in the mind. When you learn a technique that you feel works for your game or you've been having trouble pulling off a certain move. Think about how you can make your technique better and practice in your head. Visualize your movements and try to feel and react in your mind what it is you can and will do to beat your opponent. I also recommend a book called "The Mind Gym" to aid in your mental training.

Be Technical

Just like stated before practice isn't the time to go full force and try to maul your partners. It is a time to learn and improve. True there are times in class where you do want to play to win. I would say maybe 1 out of every 5 classes, but for the most part you want to improve and become as technical as possible. It is important to focus on good technique first and then add your attributes. It will make things much easier in the long run. If you feel your self muscling out of position or using your speed instead take a moment to stop and thing what the proper technique it is you can use to accomplish your goal. If your not sure you can always "ASK QUESTIONS". Remember this the more technique you use the less energy you waste.

Don't Ever Forget The Basics

A lot of people get wrapped up in the newest techniques that are coming out. While some are very good and some are not. It is also extremely important that you don't forget about the basics. If you watch any major tournament you will see that most matches are won by using mostly the basics. If you are not proficient at the basics you will never be able to properly expand upon your skills and add any new techniques and make them work easily for you.

Train Takedowns

I know BJJ is a ground fighting art but too many schools neglect the importance of the stand-up game. Most altercations start from the feet and ALL tournaments start on the feet. Especially when you start to move up the ranks and as time goes on you will see that more and more people are getting comfortable with there takedown abilities.

When you are the one that dictates where the fight is going to be and when and how it will go to the ground that is a big confidence booster. If you are the one to take your opponent down chances are you not only physically gave yourself an advantage but you did mentally to, because you felt confident on your feet and you startled your opponent because you just dictated the fight from the beginning. It is always nice to be able to stand in front of your opponent and not be afraid of getting taken down and resorting to pulling guard.

Thanks for reading!

      By Jason Scully

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1148247

Martial Arts Book Review - Judo Seio-Nage by Hidetoshi Nakanishi

Being the author of several books on the martial arts and fighting, I am always looking for books of exceptional quality to add to my library. If I have a book in my library, it's definitely worth owning. One such book is Hidetoshi Nakanishi's, "Judo Seio-Nage."

Actually I guess I should revise that statement to include any and all books in the Judo Masterclass Techniques series. This series of books is absolutely amazing in its structure and presentation of the materials in each volume. Good solid information is provided in each section along with very clear and concise photographs to complement the already outstanding text.

Although the primary focus of this book is on the sporting aspect of Judo, the techniques in it can easily be modified for use in combat or self-defense situations. Although most modern schools of Judo focus on the sporting aspects, you must remember that Judo was originally derived from Jujitsu by Dr. Jigoro Kano. Therefore, with the proper knowledge and a little modification, you can easily adapt the sporting techniques of Judo back to the more self-defense oriented techniques of Jujitsu.

History of Seio-Nage:

Here the author provides you with a rather brief but very interesting history of this particular technique. There are even some nice illustrations and several photographs which demonstrate the use of this throwing technique against an opponent.

Introduction to Seio-Nage:

Although this section is rather brief, it does cover the key elements which are involved in the correct execution of this very effective throwing technique.

A Personal View of Morote-Seio-Nage:

Here the author offers up his own personal views and insight into the importance and effectiveness of this very effective throwing technique. The author, being a man of smaller stature, was forced by nature itself to compete against bigger opponents since he was almost always the smallest one there. This helped him to develop his own personal style of Morote-Seio-Nage.

Morote-Seio-Nage:

Morote-seio-nage is demonstrated in exquisite detail in this book not only in written text, but also in the accompanying photographs. After a brief introduction of the technique, the author follows that up with a detailed analysis of the key elements needed to successfully execute this particular technique. This is followed by several variations of this main technique. It should be noted that every variation of this throwing technique is based upon the same key elements.

The author then goes on to describe various combinations of techniques that can be used with morote-seio-nage in order make it even more effective. He then goes into a brief yet detailed demonstration of various counters and defenses that you can use against someone who attempts to use this throwing technique against you. This section concludes with a solo training section which, if practiced consistently, will improve your ability to execute this technique.

A Personal View of Ippon-Seio-Nage and Ippon-Seio-Nage:

These two sections are identical in structure to Morote-Seio-Nage. Naturally, only the specifics of the techniques are different.

     By Shawn Kovacich

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/535494

18 Tips to Help You in Grappling Competition and Why Comps Are a Good Idea

I try to compete in grappling tournaments as much as I possibly can. Why is that you might ask? Well it's for many different reasons:

• The love of competition - The first reason is that I love to test myself and compete. I love the challenge that competitions present and after a good match win or lose I am glad I stepped on the mat against someone I didn't even know. Competitions are fun for me and that is what really motivates me.

• It's a true test - Competition is a true test of how all of your grappling skills come together. Under the stress of competition the true nature of your skills come out. There isn't any lying to yourself or anyone else about your abilities. It is just you, your opponent, and your mind and it's up to you during that time and in the environment to decide what you're going to do with it.

• How are you going to handle the crowd?
• How are you going to handle the butterflies in your stomach?
• How are you going to face the person across from you that you don't even know anything about?
• Are you going to remember your techniques?
• Are you going to freeze up, or are you going to stay calm and do everything you do in the gym and win?

Those are just a few of the tests that you have to face in competition and it is great to see how you would do. Competition helps to let you know where you stand in the larger scheme of things by giving you a realistic look at where you stand against other guys with the same experience level as yourself.

• The experience and learning - While competition is a test of your skill against an opponent you aren't used to and in an environment you aren't used to there is no such thing as passing or failing in competition. The one thing that does always happen after competition is growth.

I have never participated in a competition and not learned something or gained a greater experience of grappling, whether I was to win or lose. Every time I step off of the competition mat I step off a better grappler, a better person, and someone who wants to work harder.

Now you may not feel exactly the way I feel, but I guarantee you will feel something. You may be angry because you lost, you may feel satisfied because you did better than you thought, or you may be pumped up because you won. Either way you are walking off with a feeling, and with those feelings you will analyze. You'll analyze what you did right, and what you did wrong. You'll analyze what you could have done, and what you should have done. You'll analyze the way you felt, your conditioning, how the crowd made you feel, and so on.

With all of that analyzing you will grow. Sometimes it just isn't the same as practice. With practice you do learn but you don't really analyze that much because it is something that you do on a regular basis. You warm-up, you do some drills, learn some techniques, and you roll. You may think about it after, but with not much analyzing. After a competition though you won't be able to help but to analyze what you did. This will make you so much better then you can imagine.You will be pumped up for the next training session and to drill the things that you feel you need to work on as a result of your match and you will grow. You will have gained an experience that you just can't mimic in practice.

You may want to compete even more, or you may not want to compete any more, but you will not be able to walk away from that competition without learning something.

Here are some things that I've learned from competition whether I won or I lost:

• I have learned that it's ok to be nervous and I'm not the only one.
• I have learned how to test myself in uncomfortable situations.
• I have gained confidence.
• I have learned many things that I need to work on and trust me I have worked on those areas.
• I learned what it's like to step out of my comfort zone and to know its ok.
• I learned that I am better than others.
• I learned that others are better than me.
• I learned that it's ok to lose.
• I learned that if feels great to win.
• I learned that I will learn more every time I compete.

That's not even a complete list, but I'm sure you get the point. If you are worried about competing and if you're not sure if it's for you, you'll never know unless you try. The people who become champions and who succeed in life didn't do so because they thought about trying it's because they did try.

• The people I meet - As with your classes and training, competitions are a great place to meet people who love doing what you do. I have been fortunate to meet many great people from going to competitions. I have made friends, been invited to other training facilities, and got to know many great people from going to competitions.

Not many people think of competitions in this manner, but you never know as far as the people you meet and how they might affect your life. I try to not live mine as a hermit and I take advantage of the different people I can meet, because they just might help me become a better person and help me lead a life that I might not have been able to lead if I didn't meet them.

Here are some tips to help you make your first competition go smoother:

• Try to think of it as an extension of your training. Think about it as if you're going to class to train during an open mat but you get to roll even harder. This helps me to relax and realize that it isn't the end of the world. It really is only a grappling competition. In the whole scheme of life the only person who really is worried about if you win or lose is you and not anyone else.
• Try your hardest to win, but if you don't, keep your head up and make sure you learn something from it because if you don't and you just let your ego get in the way then you pretty much just wasted $70 to $90. Know that when you leave that building, that one day really didn't affect your future in anyway and that you will always be able to get better and test yourself again.
• What I like to do to help me from getting tunnel vision and zoning out while I'm grappling is when I first step on the mat. I look around in the bleachers and turn my body 360 degrees and I take in the spectators and the environment. This helps my mind adjust to the open environment and helps me focus on my opponent during the match. This also helps me relax.
• Practice breathing. Practicing my breathing helps me to relax and focus. It helps me keep a clear mind and it also helps me control the adrenaline that is kicking in. By doing this it keeps me from getting gassed out quickly even though I probably had the conditioning. You'd be surprised on what your adrenaline can do to you and if you don't control it. You'll gas out fast and feel like you're hyperventilating. So take the time before your matches to close your eyes, visualize, and breathe. Many times right when I step onto the mat I take in two or three deep breathes in though my nose and out of my mouth. This helps slow my heart rate.
• Remember to breathe when you're out there, don't breathe in with your mouth. Please, I repeat PLEASE do not hold your breath when you're out there. First of all if you have high blood pressure it's not good for you and second of all you'll gas out in a second.
• Also breathe in through your nose. Don't breathe in through your mouth. Breathing in through your mouth takes more energy and also gives the feeling of hyperventilation which in turn leads to you losing your wind and not even being able to move your own arms. Trust me, I know. Breathing is a big part of the game that many people lack. If you get this down it's going to bring you one step closer to not ever having to worry about gassing out when you roll.
• It's usually a good idea to watch your opponents who compete before you. The reason is because it gives you a good perspective on what type of game they might play. This will help get you ready for them if you were to meet up in later matches. You may see someone who pulls guard right away, and this may help you go for the takedown quicker because you know they're going to pull guard anyone. Or you may see someone with a really good guard and you might be able to pull guard on them to stop them from playing their game.
• Either way by watching your opponent's it usually helps you get a little understanding about what it is that they day do.
• Try to have your instructor or someone from your team be there on the sidelines with you to help coach you. This is a great resource because your coach can usually see many things and opportunities that you can't see yourself. This will give you the ability to open up your game a bit more.
• One important thing however is to not forget that your coach is out there trying to help you when you're actually competing. Many people get out on the mat and they lose perspective of everything around them. This makes it much harder for someone to coach you because when you are in this situation you probably don't even know your coach is there anymore. So do your best to stay focused. Anytime you have the chance to listen to your coach or if you have great control and you can even look at him (just pay attention to what you're doing also) then do so. It will help.
• Do not drink orange juice or any acidic type of drink the day of your match. You don't want to be the only person in the gym throwing up on the mat do you?
• Bring water but don't over drink the water. You'll be surprised on how dry your mouth will get just because of your nerves. Take in little sips here and there to keep your mouth moist. Also make sure you don't drink too much water to where you're full because you'll definitely feel it.
• Do some sort of yoga or meditation exercises the night before. By doing this it helps you relax the night before and clear your mind. Keeping you from getting nervous the night before and losing sleep. Doing some relaxation yoga or meditation exercise before you go to sleep will help you get a better nights sleep.
• Make sure you bring your mouthpiece. I know a lot of people don't where mouth guards when they compete even though the competitions say that you have to where one, but the one day you get smashed in your mouth and lose a tooth then you'll definitely wish you wore a mouth piece. Trust me I know from experience when I chipped one of my teeth from not wearing a mouth piece.
• Bring flip flops or sandals. Please do not be one of those people who walk in those disgusting bathrooms without any shoes or socks on and then steps on the mats. I really don't understand it and it's not the most sanitary thing in the world. Do help the grappling community be clean and bring a pair of flip-flops or sandals to where when you walk around the gym. They are easy to take on and off before you compete and it helps prevent the spread of disease.
• Expect a long day. Unfortunately 95% of all grappling tournaments last forever so if you know what to expect right in the beginning it will help you get mentally prepared. So if you read this you now know that there is a big chance you will be waiting around for a while to compete. Make sure you stay focused and tell yourself that you knew it was going to be like this.
• It's a good idea to bring something to pass the time. You can bring a book to read, a portable DVD player, some cards, an iPod, a portable video game console or something, but whatever you bring it will help the day go by much better without having anything at all.

Out of all of these the biggest tip I can give you is to have FUN. If you're not having fun then whatever you went through for the competition really isn't worth it. You need to have fun even when you're trying your hardest to win. You should be in there not only to win, but to have a good time and a great learning experience. Activities without fun turn into work. Do you really want to work anymore then you already do? I know I don't.

      By Jason Scully 

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