That Time Jiujitsu Gave Me Herpes

By Liz

I’ll never forget the first time I got a skin infection from jiujitsu.

It was after I’d been training for two months. I was only training no-gi at that time. I noticed I had an itchy spot that felt bumpy on my back, but didn’t think much about it. My boyfriend at the time noticed it and mentioned it, telling me to have a doctor look at it if it wasn’t better in a couple days. A few days later, I asked a couple friends at the jiujitsu gym to look at it.

“That looks like herpes,” one of the guys said.

My jaw hit the floor. My heart dropped into my stomach. I felt dizzy.

“What?” I practically screamed.

They started chuckling. “Don’t worry, it’s not a big deal. Almost all wrestlers get herpes. It happened to almost everyone on my high school wrestling team. I have a staph infection on my back that comes back every once in awhile when I get stressed or don’t get enough sleep.”

I went through the rest of training, but I’m not sure how since I was freaking out internally the entire time. That night, I researched high and low on the internet about herpes gladiatorum while binge eating on ice cream. Some things kept coming up over and over again that almost gave me a panic attack: herpes is incurable and stays in your system for the rest of your life, and may or may not cause recurring infections when your immune system is compromised.

I went to the doctor. He took one look at it, said, “Yup, that’s herpes all right!” He prescribed anti-viral oral and topical herpes medications and it took about three weeks for it to go away.

That was four years ago and I’ve haven’t had another outbreak since (though I have had other viral and bacterial skin infections despite religiously showering after training and washing my gear properly).

I realized later it wasn’t as bad as I thought. As it turns out, the type of herpes that wrestlers usually contract is the same strain of the herpes virus that people who get cold sores have (Herpes Simplex Virus type 1, also known as HSV-1). I soon came to recognize that getting skin infections from jiutjistu is just part of the game. Besides showering after training, and following basic hygiene practices, to a certain extent there’s really no way around it. By stepping onto the mat you are accepting the fact that you are putting yourself at risk for skin infections.

Through exaggeration in the media, the government and the health care system (for various political and economic reasons) make STDs, especially herpes, have a very dirty connotation, and have effectively stigmatized people who get STDs. The truth of the matter is: herpes is a harmless set of tiny red bumps, whether they’re on your mouth, or back, or leg, it’s not life threatening. It’s a cold sore--annoying but not the end of the world.

I've also gotten warts on my feet- make sure you go to the dermatologist and then treat them consistently after that with salicylic acid. I had one other bad incident with skin infections. At an annual visit to the dermatologist, she noticed that I had molluscum all over my legs. I didn’t even notice because they show up as little red bumps and I thought it was from shaving.

It turns out I probably just had one or two of the molluscum bumps and then shaved my legs, spreading the virus all over. I had to stop doing jiujitsu, and go through various topical treatments for the molluscum, which included two particularly horrible and painful treatments, the details I won’t get into.

I wasn’t able to train for over a month while I tried to heal. I went a little bit crazy, which confirmed to myself that BJJ was essential for my mental health and I couldn’t live without it. “I guess I’m going to have to get my black belt now…It might take me twenty years, but it’s going to happen,” I thought to myself. “Because I’m never going to be able to stop doing this sport.”

It reminded me how difficult it can be when you are injured or sick to stop doing something you love. An injury or infection can throw you into a depression.

In this light, I have a couple tips on how to prevent infections:

• Cover all of your skin with long-sleeved rash guards and tights (though this is obviously not foolproof since viruses travel in sweat).
• Shower immediately after training.
• Go to the doctor and stop training immediately if you notice anything weird going on with your skin.
• Don’t freak out if you get herpes--it’s just another name for a cold sore.

Liz has been training jiujitsu since 2011 and got her blue belt in 2013. 

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Training in Thailand: The Heart of the Matter

Guest post by Sarah Tynen

Meg and I with Professor Olavo.

On our first day of training in Thailand, we walked into the mat room. It was a large, air-conditioned, L-shaped room with wall-to-wall cushy judo mats and motivating phrases such as “For just one day in your life, train with the will to die.” plastered on the wall. I scanned the room, quickly surveying the situation. Were there any other women?

In a class of about 20 men, there was one other girl there that day, a white belt in a pink gi, her long, blonde hair tied back in a ponytail. Near the end of our first training session on that Monday afternoon, I rolled with her once. She was tough: aggressive, feisty, smart, and technical. I caught her in one submission, a triangle.

After we rolled, we lined up against the wall, waiting to be chosen for the next roll, and she turned to me. “How long are you going to be here?” she asked with a big smile on her face. “Just a week,” I replied. “Oh, not long enough! That’s so short… there’s so much I could learn from you, it’s a shame you’re not staying longer.” I just grinned in response. Girl power for the win. Unfortunately I didn’t see her again after that day.

The next day during the noon session, a petite girl with four stripes on her blue belt (“That’s basically a purple belt,” Meg whispered to me during the water break) showed up to class. That day we were practicing the bow-and-arrow choke from standing back control, and the girl was paired up with a short but very large man. I ran up to her and asked if she’d like to join Meg and me. She said yes and joined us. She was friendly and warm. She then told us she had been training at PTT for a couple years. We'll say her name was Leslie. While we were practicing the move, I noticed that although she looked petite, she was actually very strong. Her jiujitsu was tough and technical.

After practicing that move for a while, we had sparring time, but neither Meg nor I got a chance to roll with Leslie. After we shook hands at the end of class, I asked Leslie if she’d like to roll. “Sorry, I’m really tired today,” she said. Then she added, “To be honest, I don’t roll with women. I don’t know why, I just have a phobia of rolling with other women.”

Say what now? You have a phobia of rolling with other women?

She explained, “I’ve had some bad experiences, and I just get really nervous. I just don’t know how to roll with other women, so I just don’t do it. It’s a serious phobia. I’m terrified of it.”

At that moment, Meg came running up and said, “Seriously, it’s so nice to meet you, I’m so glad you’re here.” Then Leslie broke the news to her: “I was just telling Sarah, I have a phobia of rolling with women. You can ask Professor Olavo. I never roll with women.” Olavo came over and related a story to us about how one time Leslie made another girl cry during a roll.

Somehow amidst the conversation, I clearly remember saying, “That’s totally fine if you’re not comfortable with it, I don’t want to pressure you,” but then I suggested flow rolling, so she said okay. We started flow rolling and about 30 seconds in, she said, “But you’re not even trying, you’re not even resisting me.” I replied, “Yeah, I’m flow rolling.”

She looked puzzled and said, “I guess I don’t really know how to flow roll.” So I suggested we could roll with more resistance, and she said okay. While we were rolling, things escalated really fast. She was going 100%, almost spazzing out on me, strong, aggressive, fast, but also a bit out of control. Before I knew it, her knee hit my jaw hard. She immediately stopped and apologized, “See this is why I don’t roll with women. It freaks me out. I get scared and anxious and then people end up getting hurt.” I shook hands with her, said it was all good, and told her not to worry. Feeling somewhat awkward, I excused myself and headed out.

Our Phuket Top Team nogi class.

On our walk back to the hotel, Meg kept saying over and over, “I just don’t understand how or why this is a thing.” Indeed, it was very strange. This is how I understood it. I have to admit that it is different and nerve-wracking to roll with other women for me sometimes, especially women of the same rank as myself. If she’s a white belt, then I don’t worry and I focus on technique. If she’s a purple belt, I know she’s going to dominate me.

But if she’s a blue belt, there’s a little inkling of competition, of anxiety to prove myself and my belt level (though I realized this is an unhealthy attitude, I have to admit I feel this way sometimes). I can’t make the excuse that she’s stronger than me or bigger than me. It’s woman to woman. My most intense rolls are always against other women, because women don’t hold anything back when they roll with me. And so as a result, rolling with other women is always an intense physical and emotional experience--a test of willpower and strength, as well as a contest of pure technique. My most technical and most physically intense rolls are almost always with other women. And if I get submitted by another blue belt, I have to admit that my ego walks away a little bruised. I think that might be the situation for Leslie, but 10 times worse.

Leslie showed up to class two days later. When Olavo asked her if she wanted to roll with Meg or me, she said no. That was the last we saw of her.

We were disappointed there weren’t any other advanced women to roll with at PTT, but we didn’t let that ruin our week. Professor Olavo was a passionate coach, who taught with enthusiasm and vigor (even though he had an ear infection). He showed a few techniques every class and then would let us practice on our own, walking around the room, talking through the moves step by step, meticulously correcting our mistakes, and helping us perfect our technique.

He embodied compassion in a very real way: even though he knew Meg and I were only going to be there for a week, he taught us as if we were family. His compassion while teaching touched both of us and made a big impact on our positive experience at PTT.

The week was physically exhausting but mentally refreshing. Having the time to train jiutjitsu two to three times a day while being surrounded by friendly, like-minded people with similar goals and interests was a really cool immersion experience.

Besides one negative experience with a substitute no-gi coach, who consistently and blatantly completely ignored Meg and me during class, most of the other guys on the mat were friendly and welcoming. We made a couple friends, got lunch together, and hung out at the pool at our hotel, chatting about training and jiujitsu. After one week of training full-time, we were so exhausted that we agreed one to two weeks of full-time training was enough. Though there were some other people there who had been training full-time at PTT for over a year and planned to stay longer, living the dream.

Potential next stop? Brazil.

Much-deserved beach day after a great week at PTT.

Sarah has been training jiujitsu since 2011 and is currently doing research for her PhD in China while coaching jiujitsu on the side.

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A Travel Guide to Training in Thailand: Phuket Top Team

By Meg

First day of a week-long jiujitsu vacation at Phuket Top Team.

Phuket Top Team (PTT) is a renowned Muay Thai and jiujitsu gym on Phuket island in Thailand with a friendly atmosphere and full schedule of classes. The gym operates just off Fight Street, formally called Soi Ta-iad, but Fight Street has earned its nickname for the countless rows of Muay Thai and MMA gyms up and down the road. Smoothie stands selling protein boosts, healthy restaurants, and spas also line the street, and fellow fighters smile and wave to each other while passing. The environment supports and compels fighters to succeed, and everyone is there for the same goal: to push, fight, and improve.

Muay Thai is available at just about every gym, but jiujitsu (especially gi jiujitsu) is less common. PTT and Tiger Muay Thai are the two biggest jiujitsu gyms on the scene. Sarah and I chose PTT, because it offered more gi classes and a few more hours of jiujitsu. Here is some practical information we collected during our week-long trip.

Get Around

Americans and citizens from other designated countries (found on the Thai Embassy's website here) don’t need a visa for their first 30 days in Thailand. Just be sure to pick up an arrival card before going through customs. If you’re planning on training in Thailand for more than 30 days, the gym will usually help arrange a long-term visa for you.

While living on Fight Street is fairly budget-friendly, getting there is a different story. A taxi between the airport and the street costs anywhere from 600-800 baht. If you travel at night, the cost gravitates toward the higher end. Sarah and I arrived at Phuket International Airport at 2:00 AM. To make things easier on ourselves, we had opted to have a taxi pre-arranged by the gym, which quoted us a price of 1,000 baht. The taxi driver waited for us at the arrivals gate (despite delayed arrival time), stopped by a 7-Eleven for snacks, and showed us to our room for only 800 baht. Expect the ride to be about 50 minutes.

Once on Fight Street, everything you need is within walking distance, and walking from one end of the street to the other may take about 30 minutes maximum. Get around a little quicker or explore outside the street by renting a motorbike. Motorbike rentals are available at PTT for 200 baht per day. For a month-long rental, rates hover around 2,000 baht in the low season and 3,000 baht in the high season. Ask for a helmet with your rental and remember to always wear it. It's common for foreigners to be pulled over and fined for not wearing helmets.

Meg with Professor Olavo Abreu.

Train

All information listed below is subject to change and can be checked at phukettopteam.com.

• When to Go: Consider training during the low season from June to November. According to the PTT coaches, the low season is significantly less crowded while still providing plenty of training partners and an intimate atmosphere. Alternatively, during the high season from December to May, jiujitsu classes sometimes host upwards of 50 people in a mediocre-sized gym with one coach.
• Price: There is a long list of pricing options available at PTT. For reference, a single class is 300 baht, one day of all-inclusive classes is 500 baht, and one week of all-inclusive classes is 3,000 baht.
• Classes: PTT offers Muay Thai, jiujitsu, wrestling, MMA, and strength and conditioning. Brazilian jiujitsu classes are usually led by black-belt Professor Olavo Abreu twice a day.
• Vibe: Despite often being the only women in training, Sarah and I felt welcomed the majority of the time. Most people were friendly, helpful, and chill training partners. After hearing intimidating stories about other gyms, this atmosphere was a big relief and a fun experience.
• Extra Costs: You might need to buy a few extras while training. Water is overpriced at the gym, and a large bottle costs 20 baht compared to the 13-baht large water at Family Mart down the road. Tape is also available for 80 baht in case of injuries.

Wrestling class coached by NJCAA collegiate All-American Derek Heckel.

Eat

We do not recommend buying the gym's meal plan. The food was delicious, but buying a meal plan limits you to eating onsite or else wasting that money. Many meals can also be bought cheaper offsite. After we arrived, Sarah and I bought bread, peanut butter, Nutella, oatmeal, yogurt, and other goodies to keep in our hotel room. This allowed us to eat breakfast and lunch in the room most days, which saved a lot of money and time. There are several small convenient stores along the street where you can stock up.

When you get bored of peanut butter, check out the stretch of restaurants and smoothie stands. For a boost of energy, grab a protein shake. Just look for a stand with jugs of protein lined up on the counter. Here are just a few restaurants we tried during our week-long stay:

• Ali's BBQ: My favorite restaurant by far, and a popular choice with everyone. Ali's offers clean, healthy foods like pitas, salads, chicken breast, yogurt, steaks, and more on an extensive menu.
• Tony's: Another popular venue with a large menu. The food was fine and reasonably priced but nothing to rave about, and the service was unfriendly. Nonetheless, it's an alright place to grab a bite.
• Cocoville Phuket Resort: We were told this hotel served fantastic breakfasts, but when we tried to go, the place was closed. I'm not sure if the venue was under renovation or what, but it might still be worth a shot.
• Anchan: We tried Anchan for dinner and breakfast. The alfredo and curry dishes were delicious, but the American breakfast was meager and overpriced. Sarah got the oatmeal pancakes, however, and thought they were tasty!

Enjoying a post-training meal at the gym's restaurant.

Sleep

As part of the training package, we chose to stay in an offsite budget room at 3,000 baht for one week. The onsite budget rooms seemed fine but, according to the website, don't provide air conditioning or private bathrooms. I did get to see the shared bathrooms, though, which are used by everyone using the gym as well. Despite that, they looked clean and well-kept.

The offsite budget option was hosted by a hotel called Baan Khun Yui. Air conditioning, a mini-fridge, hot water, and a television were provided. Guests also have access to a fully equipped shared kitchen and a large washing machine, which costs 30 baht a load. Also - drumroll please - the hotel has a modest swimming pool where we could unwind in the afternoons between training.

Relax

Don't miss out on the opportunity to ease sore muscles with an authentic Thai massage. The incorporation of stretching to a deep massage works out knots and tension, and just plain feels fantastic after hard training. We tried several spas for different services during our stay. Maria’s near PTT gave my favorite massage for 250 baht. Another popular venue is Wan Massage, where Sarah and I received lovely facials. The family of sisters who work at Wan were extremely friendly and enthusiastic about their work.

Here are some prices we found for various services:

• Thai and Oil Massage: 250 baht
• Gel Manicure: 400-500 baht
• Pedicure: 200 baht
• Facial Scrub and Mask: 400 baht

These prices required some bargaining, and a 50-baht discount is typical. Keep in mind everything is more expensive during high season (December-May) and cheaper during low season (June-November).

Fine sands, clear water, and six-pack abs on Karon Beach.

Play

Training is the goal, but on Sunday the fighters will play. PTT is closed on Sunday for rest and relaxation, so take advantage of the free day to see Phuket outside Fight Street. A 20-minute taxi (for 300 baht) or motorbike ride will take you to the night market, where you can buy everything from knock-off watches and phones to quirky T-shirts and knick-knacks. Also head toward the back of the market to find the food court: a plethora of Thai food and sweet treats like chocolate-covered bananas.

Another nearby destination is, of course, the beach. Phuket's fine sand and clear water can't be missed. Kata and Karon are both nearby beaches good for sunbathing and swimming. Kata is the smaller, less developed of the two, so we chose Karon for our beach trip. After a 25-minute, 300-baht motorbike taxi, we arrived at a long beach filled with people. Unfortunately, there was a large amount of trash, probably both dropped by tourists and washed up by the current. Besides that detail, the beach was wonderful. If you go, be aware there are no motorbike taxis available for the return trip. We had to hire a car taxi for 400 baht to take us back.

If you don't have time or energy to leave Fight Street and still want to blow off steam, there are a couple of sports bars along the street where you can get a drink and meet people.


Meg started jiujitsu in 2012, got her blue belt in 2013, and has competed in five competitions.

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The Bitch versus The Flirt

By Liz

How can a woman training jiujitsu be taken seriously, but not come off as a bitch? How exactly does one manage to be friendly, but not be misinterpreted as flirty?

As women, we can’t avoid the fact that we have to constantly negotiate the flirty versus bitchy personality dichotomy.

One of my close guy friends from the gym told me recently, “I thought you were a bitch when I first met you. You would barely look at me, let alone talk to me! I remember one day in particular we got to roll. I thought you were so awesome. I was really impressed by your beastly jiujitsu. I was like, damn that girl can roll! But you were kinda rude to me. You barely even acknowledged me! You acted like you were better than everyone else.”

I don’t remember the particular interaction that he was talking about, but I do remember feeling shy during my first year at that gym and not wanting to come off as a flirt. I also wanted to be taken seriously.

I didn’t know how to interact with the guys at the gym. I felt so much more comfortable with the women at my gym, and we would often talk with each other in the locker rooms after class. But with the guys, I was intimidated, sometimes creeped out, and sometimes just plain shy. I didn’t talk to them much during my first year at the gym. I wanted to keep to myself, but also self-conscious of my female-ness and didn’t what to come off as a flirt.

Now, three years later, I’m much more comfortable being friendly with everyone at the gym, and as a result I’ve attracted more than one unwanted (and wanted) admirers. I have also been accused by more than one person of being a flirt. I still have not successfully been able to master the skill of being nice but not too friendly, and being serious but not a bitch. If anyone has any advice on this matter, please do comment below. It’s one of the many challenges we face on the mat as women.

Doing jiujitsu is an activity that makes most people feel incredibly vulnerable at first. My experience has taught me to act the same way around the girls and guys--with genuine compassion and respect for the person standing in front of you. Not as an object, but as a human being with fears and insecurities just like yourself, as a person who just wants to be loved and accepted like everyone else in this world. Have fun, be a genuinely nice and caring person, and treat yourself and others with the respect and value they deserve, and everything else will fall into place.

How do I come off as serious and build respect from people at the gym by going my hardest without coming off as a total spaz--or worse, a total bitch?

Some people say the way you roll reflects your personality. I think this is true to a certain extent. As much as I hate to admit it, people have pointed out to me my passivity on the mat and in life. And I think they might be related.

Training partners often accuse me of not rolling hard enough or not being aggressive enough. Deep down, I really appreciate this because I know they’re just trying to push me to be the best I can be and they know I’m holding back. They believe in me and they know I can do better.

If am really honest with myself, I know that I am holding myself back during rolls much of the time. I know this because I roll harder at competition. This is mostly normal. I simply can’t train hard 100% of the time. But part of it is also a mental block holding me back from going as hard as I possibly can.

Sometimes with other women at the gym, I don’t go as hard as I can or should. Some of the women have called me out on this, and I love them for it. And I always go harder with them after they call me out on it, and I think they respect me a lot more after that… at least they tell me how proud they are of me when I roll hard.

Sometimes people at the gym don’t push people as hard as they need to be pushed. Women and men go light with smaller people because they don’t want to be that aggressive bully that everyone hates, myself included. But there is a delicate balance that can be struck. When you believe in other people, especially beginners, and push them hard, they will push back hard and will learn from it. They will appreciate that you pushed them to their limit. I love it when people push me hard.

One day I subbed in for the women’s class coach when she was sick. I went through the normal class routine, but in the last 10 minutes, we did some guard passing and sweeping live training. I pushed them hard, sweeping or submitting them every 30 seconds. But soon they responded with vigor and aggression, even managing to pass my guard a few times. We all left with smiles on our faces. In the classes previous, the coach had never let them do any live training, thinking that they couldn’t handle it.

I advocate for what Meg was talking about in her post last week: not spazzy, out-of-control rolling, but controlled, aggressive, and strong sparring. You will build respect from everyone around you for this, no matter your size or sex. Don’t hold yourself back because they’re a girl, or they’re a white belt, or they’re smaller than you or they’re your friend. Play your game and play it hard. Leave it all out on the mat, don’t hold anything back. Because all we have is this moment. 

So give it your all, because our mats don’t have space for people who are going to hold themselves back. The same goes for life: stick up for yourself with the controlled and respectful strength and confidence you know you have.

The same goes for the bitch versus flirt persona: treat yourself and others with respect and confidence, and others will follow in your example. Take the class seriously, roll hard, be friendly, and express genuine care for others. Your high expectations for yourself and others will show, and those around you will strive to meet the high standards you set for them--both on and off the mat.

Liz started jiujitsu in 2011, got her blue belt in 2013, and has competed in nine competitions. Although she is from California, she is currently training and coaching jiujitsu abroad. She’s learned through training that it's better to live one day as a lion than 100 years as a sheep.

Email us at liz.meg223@gmail.com with your questions or comments, and we will post our answers in the next blog post! Look for our posts on Sunday night EST every other week (every second and fourth Sunday of the month).

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How to be a Dick in BJJ

By Meg

Recently I looked up online how to be a dick in jiujitsu. Not as a self-aware journey to not annoy anyone in my gym, and not to find “dos and don'ts” on the mat, but to find an actual guide on how to be a dick.

The Google search only told me to wash my gi and trim my nails, which is not at all helpful. I'll explain.

I was venting my frustrations on a fellow coach the other night. In two of my three rolls, I managed to catch larger blue belt guys in submissions, which they immediately muscled out of. One of which was my favorite escape--the bicep curl armbar escape. Good job on being stronger, brah.

So my teammate and I discussed “little-person” BJJ games. He observed most smaller jiujitsu players are mean. Many of them have spiky, suffocating, or merciless games that leave opponents feeling bruised and massacred.

But wait. Ryan Hall, Marcelo Garcia, and Caio Terra aren't dicks. They are notoriously friendly. I wouldn't label them as dicks on the mat either--rather, they are assertive, aggressive, and insistent in their jiujitsu.

So why, when I apply that behavior to myself, do I think I'm being a dick?

It could be gender issues. Women are supposed to be sugar and spice and some other crap. Anything to the contrary labels us as "bitchy", and when I do proper knee on belly pressure, that's not sweet cookie-ingredient material.

I could be taking the description of BJJ as "the gentle art" too literally. How can I be gentle and flow while cross-facing so hard? Does the gentleness apply to rolling with the angry guy with his balls in a twist because I tapped him out?

I suppose the reason doesn't matter. What I'm going to do about my frustration matters. I've changed a few small pieces of my game in the past few weeks, and here are the lessons I've learned.

How to be a Dick in BJJ

AKA

Tools to be Assertive, Aggressive, and Insistent

• A heavy cross-face is a great tool to pass guard and keep a top position. Apologizing, however, is not necessary. Stop it.
• Do not just place your knee on your partner's stomach. Bury your knee into their sternum and watch them open up. Voila.
• The body has lots of pointy ends. Elbows, knees, wrist bones, knuckles... Find some sensitive spot of your partner, frame, and push with those pointy ends to get them off you.
• Do not bypass chances to practice technique because your partner's a lower level and you feel obligated to let them practice first.

Guess what? It's not much, but these few tools have been working. While I've gotten one wary look after a mean cross-face on a spazzy white belt, I've also received several other compliments on my improved game. The comments have helped change my previous idea of being a dick in jiujitsu to cultivating an effective little-person game.

More to come in future posts about conceptions of nice versus bitchy in the gym. For now, here's to a future with less sugar and spice, and more cross-face.

Meg started jiujitsu in 2012, got her blue belt in 2013, and has competed in four competitions.

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Preparing Your Body for Competition

By Liz

How should I train for competition?

After finding a training partner of (relatively) similar size and strength to yourself, work out a consistent training plan together at least two months before the competition to strike a good balance throughout the week between:

• Drilling with little to no resistance
• Drilling with 50% resistance
• Positional rolling with 100% resistance
• Sparring for at least 6 minutes with 100% resistance
• Some weight training or cross training (such as CrossFit, rock climbing, kickboxing, pole dancing, weight lifting) on the side is also recommended

Three weeks before the competition, write up a game plan with two submissions/sweeps and two escapes from each position. I call this my “game plan.” Write out in detail exactly how your game plan will be executed (e.g., “grab the sleeve at the elbow with your opposite arm…”). Frequently review these notes before training and practice envisioning yourself executing your game plan. Drill these moves and these moves only in the three weeks leading up to the competition and avoid adding new moves to your repertoire. Try to execute your game place during live sparring. The night before the competition, imagine yourself successfully executing your game plan. Always end your “meditation” sessions with a submission.

What is the best way to cut weight before a competition?

Don’t attempt to cut more than five pounds while preparing for competition. Remember if you cut weight, you will probably be significantly weaker than you would be if you eat and drink the appropriate amounts during the days leading up to the competition.  

If you decide to cut, follow these rules:

• Be careful if you have had or have an eating disorder because this can be a trigger
• More veggies and less white bread, rice, and pasta
• Use protein shakes or smoothies to substitute for meals
• Don’t eat out at restaurants (those over-sized American portions can be detrimental)
• Cut down on refined sugar intake
• Cut down on drinking your calories. Best to avoid alcohol, sugary coffee drinks, soda pop, and Gatorade.
• FIBER, FIBER, FIBER (lots of vegetables, beans, flax seed, and fiber supplements), especially during the week before the comp. Laxatives work too but make you feel like shit (no pun intended). Supposedly you carry around up to 5 lbs of crap inside you at any given time so getting some of that out will help when you weigh-in.
• Drink lots of water up to 24 hours before weigh-ins. If weigh-ins are the night before the comp, stop eating and drinking water 24 hours before weigh-ins and make sure you’re hydrated the night before the comp. If weigh-ins are immediately before your match (at IBJFF tournaments, for example), then stay well-hydrated the day before the comp, but don’t drink or eat anything the morning of the comp (unless you are confident that you will make weight, of course).

What about the day of the competition? What should I eat, and what should I bring?

Pending your weigh-in situation, eat a normal and healthy dinner the night before. My go-to is a baby spinach salad with chickpeas and fried eggs. For breakfast the morning of, eat something with chia seeds! Put them in your oatmeal, eat chia seed pudding (coconut milk + honey + chia seeds is my favorite), and/or drink Kombucha with chia seeds. I also usually drink a five-hour energy shot, but any kind of pre-workout mix or drink with caffeine in it, like coffee or Red Bull, will do. Experiment with all of these things during competition training beforehand so you know what works with your stomach. 

Don't drink too much water before and after your matches! You don't know if you'll have another match coming up soon and competing on a stomach full of water is the worst. Stop drinking water 1 hour before your first match.

Key things to bring:

• Snacks to munch on before your matches start (my favorites are bananas, raspberries, and honey)
• Water (for yourself and to share with your teammates)
• Coconut water (which naturally replaces electrolytes)
• Flip flops
• Extra contacts (I once had to compete with one contact in because one of my contacts fell out during my first match)
• Tampons
• Bring food, a protein shake, and Gatorade for once your matches are over
• A change of clothes, including a clean bra and underwear
• Deodorant
• Camera
• Tasty snacks to share with your teammates once their matches are over
• Your favorite pump-up playlist! I like to listen to the same playlist before jiujitsu training in the months leading up to the competition. On the night before the competition and again when warming up before my matches, I listen to the playlist with my eyes closed while I envision my game plan in my head. Here are some song suggestions to add to your own playlist:
• Roar by Katy Perry
• Fight Song by Rachel Platten
• Shake It Out by Florence + the Machine
• I Knew You Were Trouble by Taylor Swift
• Watch Yo Back by Trina
• Beautiful by Akon
• Get Back by Ludacris
• Eye of the Tiger by Survivor
• Halo by Beyonce
• Set Fire to the Rain by Adele
• Womanizer by Britney Spears

And always remember:

Liz started jiujitsu in 2011, got her blue belt in 2013, and has competed in nine competitions. Although she is from California, she is currently training and coaching jiujitsu abroad. She’s learned through training that vulnerable people are powerful people.

Email us at liz.meg223@gmail.com with your questions or comments, and we will post our answers in the next blog post! Look for our posts on Sunday night EST every other week (every second and fourth Sunday of the month).

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Preparing Your Mind for Competition

By Liz

What challenges do I face as a female competitor? 

I’ll never forget my first competition. I competed for the first time as a white belt after I’d been training for about seven months. At the last minute, I decided to cut weight because there weren’t any other women signed up for my weight division. In order to participate, I had to cut six pounds. The night before I spent over two hours in a sauna and didn’t drink any water. I woke up the next morning completely dehydrated, but didn’t eat or drink anything before the tournament. I got there and weighed in--I was still two pounds over. I spent the next hour trying to sweat it out and eventually was forced to weigh-in in a crowded gym in nothing but my sports bra and underwear. People stared at me like I was crazy. Maybe I was. But I made it.

At that point, I was totally exhausted and dehydrated, but my first match was coming up soon. I drank some water and ate some bread, but it was already too late to revive my energy. My first match was a blur. The girl I was going against was a black belt in judo, and she immediately threw me across the mat and arm locked me. In the next match, I was mounted in a few seconds and submitted by front-collar choke. All I remember is being completely suffocated by the girl then I felt myself blacking out and tapped. I won my third match by submission with a triangle. That was a good moment.

During my first two matches, I was completely taken aback by the strength, aggression, speed, and skill of my opponents. And it wasn’t the first time that would happen at a competition. To this day, I still feel that way every time I compete. This is a testament to the amazingly strong and skillful women who surround me in jiujitsu, a type of strength that is admirable and inspirational for me.

Before my first competition, and before most of the other competitions since then, I’d been training like crazy, but still I was completely unprepared--or at least I felt unprepared. At most (but not all) of the competitions I’ve participated in, I’ve been completely overwhelmed and intimidated by the strength and speed of the women I’ve competed against. I’ve lost a great majority of the matches I’ve participated in--usually by submission or by a significant number of points. There are several reasons for this, I believe, which I outline below. For my BJJ sisters who have never competed before, here is what I’ve learned. For those who have competed, please comment below with your opinions and advice.

• Sheer nervousness: Being nervous before competition is a huge asset. The pumping adrenaline and nervous energy can be channeled as strength against your opponent. However, sometimes I get so nervous my mind goes blank and I forget even the most basic of techniques. So while being nervous is good, doubting yourself and doubting your jiujitsu is bad. Believe in yourself and believe in your jiujitsu. When it comes to competition, it is 100% heart. Leave it all out there on the mat.
• One of the things that can help with the blank-mind problem is to drill, drill, and then drill some more when preparing for competition. When your brain turns off during the match, it’s all muscle memory from there. You have no time to stop and think about what you’re doing. Your moves need to be as natural a reflex as breathing.
• Some people, I believe, incorrectly told me to think about competition matches just like rolling at the gym. This is FALSE. Competition requires a completely different mindset and is a completely different style of sparring. During rolling at the gym, you have the time and space to experiment with techniques and to flow. During competition, it’s more like trying to destroy someone. You have to think that way if you want to win. Having the mindset of really wanting to smash my opponent has been the main thing that has set my wins apart from my losses.
• I used to have a HORRIBLE mindset at comps to the extent that I actually felt bad when I beat someone! Hence why I probably lost so many matches. Or sometimes I even felt good when I lost, thinking to myself, “Well, I bet I made her day.” FUCK THAT SHIT. This is where being raised in our culture as a woman really puts me at a disadvantage during competition because we are often too nice.
• The whole “being nice” thing goes for rolling during training sessions as well. Sometimes I’m afraid that my training partners will think I’m bitchy or too aggressive for rolling hard with them. Again, FUCK THAT SHIT. If you want to succeed in competition, you gotta roll hard and you gotta roll aggressive. Not spazzy. Technical, strong, and aggressive. There is a balance there that takes a while for white belts to understand, but it’s really important you don’t fall too far down the passive track. I was and still am a passive roller. It is a really bad habit and absolutely detrimental when training for competition.
• Sometimes the guys at my gym go too easy on me. They will roll lighter with me than they normally do or even straight up give me submissions. Maybe because I’m not as strong as them and they feel bad. Or sometimes they’ll use their roll with me to focus on technique. On the one hand, I appreciate this because lighter flow rolling gives me the opportunity to practice new techniques and also pads my ego. However, this attitude men have when rolling with me--that they should go easier on me than normal--is absolutely detrimental to my training when preparing for competition. I maintain that this is one of the main reasons I am usually unprepared for competition. Since this realization, I’ve learned to go hard with everyone, and they usually will match my strength. Sometimes I’ll tell them to please go hard on me because I’m preparing for competition, and they usually will.
• My training partners are usually 10-60 lbs heavier than me. This is incredibly damaging to my training and puts me at a huge disadvantage for competitions (see Meg’s earlier post about his topic here). While I train 90% of the time with people that are heavier, in competition I’m going against women who are the same size as me. This not only means they are much faster than what I’m used to, but also they use different techniques and strategies in their rolls. Rather than just using their weight or strength to smash me, they are sneaky, tricky, speedy, and technical in all of their movements. This is not something I’m used to when rolling with big, heavy, strong guys. So when preparing for competition, it is absolutely essential to roll with other women of the same strength, size, and skill level as yourself. These women are usually very hard to find, so if you find one, hold on to her for dear life.
• I have to admit I have never been proud of the medals I have won. At most competitions, including at the large international competitions I’ve been to, less than 5% of the competitors are women. This means that you will probably have no more than six women in your division (but more likely you will have three to four women in it). As long as you win a couple matches, you will walk away with a bronze medal at the very least. I’ve never gotten first place at a competition, but I’ve won a lot of silver and bronze medals because even if I only win one match, I will generally walk away with a bronze medal. But I never feel like I deserve it. One some level, this is a healthy level of modesty. On another level, we should never feel ashamed of expressing or feeling pride for our medals. Just be prepared to feel a sense of disappointment after your tournament, whether or not you win or lose.

Liz started jiujitsu in 2011, got her blue belt in 2013, and has competed in nine competitions. Although she is from California, she is currently training and coaching jiujitsu abroad. She’s learned through training that it’s all about the fight, not the victory.

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Email us at liz.meg223@gmail.com with your questions, and we will post our answers in the next blog post!

From now on, we will be posting on Sunday night EST every other week (every second and fourth Sunday of the month).