After a long break from posting here, The BJJ Mental Coach Blog is officially back — and I’m excited to bring you consistent, practical content to help you sharpen your mindset and perform your best on and off the mats.

If you’re a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitor — especially a Masters competitor — there’s a good chance you’ve felt that familiar knot in your stomach before a tournament. You train hard. You prepare. And yet… something shifts on competition day.

You feel tense.

Your timing feels off.

Your mind gets noisy.

And sometimes, you walk off the mats thinking:

“I’m better than this. Why didn’t I perform?”

You’re not alone.

And more importantly — it’s trainable.

In today’s article, let’s break down what competition anxiety actually is, why it happens, and what you can do starting today to overcome it.

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What Is Pre-Tournament Anxiety Really? 

Most competitors think the problem is the nerves.

But the real issue is this: 

👉 Your brain is trying to protect you, not sabotage you. 

When the stakes feel high, your mind goes into “danger mode,” activating:

• Overthinking

• Tension in the body

• Fear of failure

• Fear of judgment

• Doubt about your game

This mental overload reduces your ability to access the same fluid, instinctive jiu-jitsu you show every day in training.

And that creates the biggest frustration in all of BJJ:

“The competitor in training doesn’t show up on competition day.”

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Why It Happens (Scientifically & Practically)

Over the decades coaching athletes at all levels, from white belts to world champions, the biggest triggers are: 

• Unmanaged internal dialogue (negative self-talk)

• Outcome attachment (“I need to win”)

• Lack of emotional regulation strategies

• Not knowing how to activate competition mode

• Trying to perform with tension instead of clarity

This leads to inconsistent performances, panic, hesitation, or freezing.

But when you learn how to regulate your mind…

your real jiu-jitsu appears.

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3 Practical Strategies to Reduce Competition Anxiety Immediately 

These are simple, battle-tested tools you can implement today. 

1. Label Your Emotions (Instead of Fighting Them)

Instead of saying:

❌ “I’m nervous.”

Try:

✅ “My body is preparing me to perform.”

Labeling reduces emotional intensity by up to 40%, according to neuroscience research.

2. Shift Your Focus to Your A.C.E. 

Your Actions, Concentration, and Effort are always under your control.

When your mind drifts to outcome, bring it back to:

• Action: What do I need to do first?

• Concentration: Where does my focus need to be?

• Effort: Can I give my best effort in this moment?

You cannot control brackets, referees, or outcomes.

You can always control A.C.E.

3. Use a Game-Day Trigger Phrase 

Athletes perform better when they anchor their mind with a simple, clear phrase.

Examples:

• “Stay loose.”

• “One exchange at a time.”

• “Trust your training.”

• “Breathe and attack.” 

This snaps your mind out of panic and into performance mode.

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Final Thoughts — You’re Not Broken. You’re Human.

Competition anxiety does not mean you’re mentally weak.

It means you’re human — and it means your mind cares about the outcome.

The good news?

Just like technique, mindset is a skill.

And when you train it intentionally, you unlock the competitor you truly are.

If you want to go deeper and get structured mental training, join the BJJ Masters Community, where we work weekly on focus, confidence, emotional control, match strategy, and performance consistency.

👉 Learn more at: https://www.thebjjmentalcoach.com/the-bjj-mental-coach-community

More articles coming soon.

Let’s keep growing — inside and outside the mats.

Gustavo Dantas