Performance Anxiety in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Author - Christian Burghartswieser

I started training Judo at a very young age and it wasn't long before competing became a regular pursuit for me. This continued through my teens and into my adult years. Performance anxiety and the nerves and negative thinking it brings was never an issue for me when I competed in Judo, but when I started competing in Mixed Martial Arts and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu as an adult  in my early 30’s things were different with doubts and un-useful thoughts showing up.

The pressure I put on myself to win took all the enjoyment out of competing and it started to feel like a chore I did not want to do, it was no longer the fun challenge that it previously was when I competed in Judo.

Knowing I wanted to continue competing in these new sports I started researching the issue and sought professional help. Below are some insights that I learned and implemented that helped me overcome my performance anxiety and fall in love with competing all over again.

Preparation

One would like to think it’s a given to be prepared for a competition, however I have seen plenty of competitors that went into competitions unprepared. 

By preparation I am referring to the physical side of things such as competition specific training, weights and cardio training that will give you the confidence to rely on your body when you need it.

But we shouldn’t forget the mental preparation side of things. Visualization and mental rehearsal prior to the competition can help reduce anxiety. Imagine yourself executing techniques perfectly, staying calm under pressure and feeling confident. Imagine what your fight would look like in a perfect world that you can create. 

Competition Specific Training

The more you can simulate the additional stress of competing the less you will be distracted by it. Start your rounds bad positions that you could find yourself in to gain confidence you can deal with it should you end up there. Simulate additional stress that you would face in a competition, such as noise, having a referee or facing fresher opponents or someone coaching against you.

The Circle of Control

In Psychology they often refer to it as the circle of control. Draw a circle and write everything down in the inner circle that you can control. On the outside write everything down you can’t control. Focus on what is in the circle of control. The anxiety causing mindset often focuses on everything out of your control. Examples of things in your control are your preparation, your training, your diet, your breathing, etc. Examples for things out of your control would include things like the need to win a gold medal, how strong or fit your opponents look, or how the referee is going to score in debatable situations.

Anxiety plays through future scenarios that may or may not happen. Focusing your mind to stay in the present moment doesn’t allow you to have those thoughts. Future scenarios and how it’s going to play out are out of your control. Stay in the present moment and focus on what needs to be done right this moment. 

When you find yourself in an anxious mindset try to remember what is in your control and what is needed in that very moment rather than letting it wander into the future.

Getting to Know Your Body

Identifying and interpreting your body signals is a very important step to help with your anxiety.

Pay attention to your breathing. Stress will cause you to breath faster. There is some great evidence to show that consciously slowing down your breathing can reduce stress significantly and is a fast way to calm your body and mind.

There is a certain level of alertness/excitement that you need to perform your best. Learn what you need to sit at the right level. Some competitors are not excited or amped up enough, they would use coffee or fast paced music to help them get there, others are already way above the optimal level to perform and might need to drop the coffee on the day, use slow music, distraction, or a quiet corner to calm down.

Hot Tip: Your body signals for being nervous or being excited are the same. Elevated heart rate, rapid breathing, sweating, increased energy levels and restlessness. The only difference between being nervous or being excited will be in your mindset. If it’s something you want and are looking forward to the feeling of nervousness can be reinterpreted as excitement. 

Fuel Your Body Right

Don’t experiment with new foods/drinks on the day and keep doing what works for you. 

Some competitors need to feel full when they train/compete others do better eating light and not too close to training or competition. Identify what works best for you and apply this to your competition. There is no need to take risks and try new foods hours before competition not knowing how your body will perform with it. 

Warm Up

Warming up your muscles and body prior to training is a common routine in most gyms. Competition is no different to training. Warm your body up and prepare it for the upcoming stress to avoid unnecessary injuries.

Compete and Have Fun

Competing is a great tool to show your skillset. Rolling new opponents that don’t train with you regularly is a great way to test your skills and get clarity over your strengths and weaknesses.

Identifying your weaknesses can help you and your coaches to close those gaps more targeted which helps you progress and improve quicker.