Camaraderie:
The Grappling X tournament is being held at a college gymnasium out in an eastern suburb of Portland. It is small and has only three mats, but as we arrive I anticipate a fun and compelling day of competition. I have trained hard and worked to develop an applicable set of skills that should serve me well.
I check the bracket and discover that I am not only the first match of the day, but that I also only have one opponent. Such is the way of things for those of us that compete in the Master’s divisions of local tournaments. Since we are guaranteed at least two matches, we’ll have to win the best two of three contests for the gold medal.
As I warm-up, I notice the other ‘older’ competitors hanging around as they wait for their turn to get on the mat. We all introduce ourselves and chat about our experiences with jiu jitsu at our various gyms and our expectations for the day. I even meet my opponent, David. He is very tall! We all offer wishes for a good tournament and get ready to start our matches. This seems to be a universal trait of jiu jitsu tournaments. I can’t corroborate it for the younger athletes, but there is a true spirit of sportsmanship and respect for those of us who have been around the block.
Five Rings has brought a solid crew of fifteen teammates today and I feel their strong support as I step onto the mat. The cheers boost my confidence and I attack immediately, going straight for the classic guard position that I’ve been training. I slide into guard poorly, grips loose and barely maintaining contact with my heel. My opponent’s length is making things difficult, but I persist. I disengage briefly and then renew my offense. This time my grips are tight and I slowly work my legs into an armbar/triangle pit stop. As I step over to finish the armbar, David taps and I have won. All in all, it has taken about thirty-five seconds.
Coach Eric congratulates me on my victory and prepares me for the next matchup. I notice that Coach Greg and Coach Nick are also in my corner. These three have been integral to my progress thus far, and it is heartening to see them all there. My teammates shout their support from the stands. I get the chance to watch a new friend from Seaside BJJ compete before I have to tackle David one more time.
As we begin, it is obvious that his coach has given him good advice. He quickly pulls guard on me, almost knocking me off balance in the process. I work to pass his guard, using a shin slide technique I learned recently. I get to half guard and then push the other leg through to cross sides position. But wait, I’m not getting the points. I hear Eric yelling for me to get my arm free of his legs. I stack him up in order to do so, but he flips us both over. Finding a burst of speed, I explode off my back into quarters position. I just went from a dominant position to a much less desirable one so I try to breathe and relax. I use an old wrestling technique called the duck out and almost get to his back. We end up back in quarters and when I try to duck out again, he rotates his legs over and locks in a guillotine choke.
I feel fine for a moment, comfortable that I am on top and in control. Then I mistakenly step into his guard. Darkness enters my peripheral vision and I struggle to create space and keep blood flowing to my head. I listen for my coach’s voice. “Step away, pop your head out… posture up!” I try to follow the instructions, but is a close call before I can finally escape. The fact that I am gurgling encourages my opponent and he squeezes for all he’s worth. After what seems an eternity, his arms loosen and I seize the opportunity to lift my head. I can tell that David is exhausted, so I drive through to mount and ride out the match comfortably ahead on points. Another victory and the gold medal are mine!
I cheer on the rest of my teammates: Noah, Evan, Ziggy, Natan, Liz, Preston, Matt, Robert, and the rest all give their all. At the end of the day we’ve taken home eleven medals and some fantastic experience.
More than my victory, I value the sense that I am now a part of a team. Jiu jitsu is an individual sport and when you step on the mat it is you against the person standing across the mat. But your team and coaches are the ones that make sure you are ready to be there. I felt like every one of my training partners was standing there on the mat with me today and my victory is as much theirs as it is mine.
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