So... I just got back from competing in my first Pan Tourney

**Mo_Fo** · Posted On: 3/29/2011 10:21pm

... and it just so happened to be the first bjj tournament I've ever competed in, period.

My Professor told me I should do it this year. I have nothing to lose as a white belt and it would be a great experience for me.

All I wanted was to win my first fight, after all my wifey & daughter were in the stands watching. Well, I did better than I hoped. I won three fights and then lost my fourth in the semi-final for the bronze. I had 18 competitors in my division... white belt, senior, 181 lbs. Stoked....

I am to the left (his right) of my head instructor, Professor Fabio Leopoldo. He won the masters black belt heavyweight. Pretty cool weekend. I couldn't be happier.

I have the four fights on video & I know my basic techniques will be ripped to shreds here after I post them... just please remember that I am a white belt, I know nothing, and this was my first tourney. I will post them here in a minute.

I was threatened by another member here that I need to post this tourney story of mine on ymas. I had little choice otherwise there would have been a very strongly worded letter directed at me. :Thoughtful:

**Mo_Fo** · Posted On: 3/29/2011 10:23pm

My first fight...

**Mo_Fo** · Posted On: 3/29/2011 10:28pm

My second fight...

and my third fight...

and then my fourth and final fight... I'm an idiot...

It was indeed a hell of a learning experience. The one thing that I took away from this is that it is not about how many tricky moves you know, but more about how many moves you feel confident in and feel safe doing. Any move that you make that is imperfect will be exploited. I made it a point to keep my game incredibly simple. Kept my composure and listened to my coaches shouting on the sideline (you can see me sitting up and looking over at them countless times). Do everything I can to get the takedown & for the life of me I was terrified to be on the bottom... so I needed to win the take down war and fought for it like my life depended on it.

**Mo_Fo** · Posted On: 3/29/2011 10:30pm

And here would be my head instructor, Professor Fabio Leopoldo:

**Colin** · Posted On: 3/29/2011 11:19pm

Great Thread! awesome videos, too.
IMO you deserve a 'fist' :)

**Mo_Fo** · Posted On: 3/30/2011 10:36am

Thanks Colin! It was an incredible experience. I can't wait until my next one. Hopefully it will be as a blue belt.

**tao.jonez** · Posted On: 3/30/2011 11:19am

I am glad you posted the vids and summary. Whoever threatened you probably also thumbs-upped your thread and vids, too. You stepped up and entered a competition in a bigass tournament. Look around your town at all the fatasses, and do-nothings. Be proud of yourself.

I am glad to see anyone take their art serious enough to compete, and I'm kinda jealous that you did so much better than I did in my first competition.

What did you finish with in the 2nd video?

**Mo_Fo** · Posted On: 3/30/2011 2:05pm

Originally Posted by tao.jonez

I am glad you posted the vids and summary. Whoever threatened you probably also thumbs-upped your thread and vids, too. You stepped up and entered a competition in a bigass tournament. Look around your town at all the fatasses, and do-nothings. Be proud of yourself.

I am glad to see anyone take their art serious enough to compete, and I'm kinda jealous that you did so much better than I did in my first competition.

What did you finish with in the 2nd video?

Thank you for your kind words, tao.jonez.

The second fight I won by points as well. I was going for the choke but I ran out of time. I was going for the one where you slip the thumb side of the grip into the collar & bring the elbow to the mat on the opposite side, slipping the other arm behind the neck then grabbing the other elbow (I am such a novice with the names of indiviual chokes, sorry). Way too complicated & I should have gone for a simple ezikle choke. I just wanted a sub so badly, lol. I was somewhat scolded by my prof. afterwards for going for it earlier in the fight. It was a rookie mistake and it wound up getting me reversed if it's the fight I think it is (I can't see youtube here at work). A very important lesson learned.

Thank you again man.

**tao.jonez** · Posted On: 3/30/2011 2:42pm

I noticed the Ezekiel and thought you might have gone for it too. It's one of my favorites as it doesn't matter so much if I get rolled - once it goes on it's over, fast and brutal! (That was the 2nd move I got tapped with in competition, and I asked the guy that got me to show it to me.)

Anyway, it was hard to see the end because of the ref. It looked like you got a tap, but must have been the timer running out.