Post tournament thoughts.

First off, everyone who stepped out onto the mats yesterday did a great job. Regardless of winning or losing valuable experience was gained, strengths and weaknesses were exposed, and the warrior spirit was strong in the air. There were many notable performances, so many that I'm hesitant to list those that come to mind for worry of forgetting many that were just as impressive. As for medals, the day yesterday is a blur for me (I was there from 9am until just before 8pm coaching) but here are some that I'm able to recall in no particular order:

• Ethan (Gold) and Trey (Silver) closing out their blue belt division.
• Nick (Gold) and Josh G. (Silver) closing out their white belt division.
• Trevin (Silver) purple belt division
• Muscle Matt (Gold) white belt division.
• Ethan (Gold) No Gi division.
• Jacob (Gold) and Jaray (Gold) in their kid's divisions

Every time that I coach or compete in a tournament I'm reminded of how important the mental and physical side of training is for competition. This applies to everyone who competes, not just those from my team. If you sit back and observe the matches you will notice a few common things happen that can severely impact a competitor. I've listed them with descriptions below in order of which I feel are most important from top to bottom (yes the order may shock you):

Lack of mental conditioning

You can be the best competitor in the world but if you are lacking the mental component of your game you are not going to reach 100% of your potential. Mental training is equally important, if not more important then physical training. If you possess all of the technique and conditioning in the world, yet you are unable to push your way through what you consider to be a disadvantageous situation, you are going to have trouble performing the way you would like to. If you feel that you are having trouble in this area I would highly recommend you look into many of the great books that are available to supplement mental training.

Lack of physical conditioning

You can possess the best technique and mental attributes in the world, but if you become fatigued to the point that your body cannot react anymore all of that is going to go out the window. You may be telling your body to move, but if you do not have the physical conditioning to allow your body to move, it's not going to happen. It's important to remember that we must push ourselves physically during every training session as well as supplement the conditioning we receive in class.

Lack of technique

You may possess a great mental and physical game, but when faced with someone equally as conditioned with better technique, your gifts will not be enough to overcome your opponents superior or more refined technique. Technique isn't just the amount of moves you know, it's how you apply them. Someone with solid fundamentals, great conditioning (both mental and physical), and the ability to link everything together will more times then not overcome someone who knows many techniques to a limited extent, and lacks in any of the other aforementioned areas. Remember, consistent training in the fundamentals or "basics" is the key!

In the coming weeks I will be looking into these areas and giving some tips and advice on ways to improve on them. Until then, keep training consistently!

Coach Foster

www.fosterbjj.com