Every year thousands of the top Jiu Jitsu competitors travel to Irvine California for the opportunity to become a Pan American Champion. Throughout the Jiu Jitsu community the Pan is know as the largest and one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world. Although every competitor is there to fight their best and win, expectations of the tournament and of themselves will vary for competitors. UFC Champion Ben Henderson just wanted to go out and compete as something fun to do while training for his next fight. For a person whose goal is to always be standing on the top of the podium, anything less is considered a disappointment. But the value that you get out of competing is different for everyone, and can’t always be measured by winning a medal.
If you have been competing in Jiu Jitsu, but haven’t been to one of the more prestigious tournaments, I would highly recommend making it one of your goals. Although this was my third time competing at the Pan Ams, it was the most fun I have had yet. Just to be clear so no one confuses what I mean by “fun”, these trips are by no means a vacation. We have worked hard in preparing for the tournament and are going out there to get a job done. When I say “fun” I am referring to the excitement of competing, the camaraderie between teammates, and the valuable experience you gain. Even after you are done competing, you are still there to support and cheer on your teammates no matter what.
This year we traveled down with a smaller group consisting of my two teammates Mike Thomas, Phil Mento, and my Instructor Brad Court. Because of the extra day added to the tournament this year, we arrived on Tuesday (the day before the tournament begins), but didn’t have to compete until Thursday. After we all settled in from the long flight from the east coast, we went out for a team dinner. We found a nice Steak House that had a good selection of food for our various diet needs. Even though I couldn’t eat everything that I would have liked to, I ended up having a great meal. Since we hadn’t competed yet the mood was still serious, but we always manage to have fun.
Usually I never get an entire day off in between arriving and competing, so this year was a completely new experience. After Sleeping in we found a nice 24/7 fitness gym by our hotel. I didn’t need to cut any weight to compete, but it was nice to be able to get a workout. After the gym we decided to head over to the venue to check our weight, and I also had to buy a new belt to compete in. We finished the night by going out to the movies, which was a good way to distract us from over thinking about the tournament. Since we didn’t plan the movie trip out to well, we had a limited selection to choose from an already lackluster list of movies. We settled on watching “The Amazing Burt Wonderstone.” Although I would have never paid to see this movie under normal circumstances, it was perfect for what we were trying to do.
Waking up Thursday, I was in a completely different state of mind. I am always very focused on tournament day. You know that it will be a tough day of competing no matter what, but this year I had a very tough bracket and was set to face the European Champion in the first round. I knew my entire tournament could be riding on that first match and that half of all the competitors (over 2000) will be eliminated in the first round of the tournament. I didn’t want to be included in that in that statistic. All the hard work and game planning had already been done; all that was left to do was to execute it.
I was excited for the opportunity to go head to head with one of the top guys in my division. I no longer worry about who I have to fight; I only focus on what I need to do to win. I knew if I could get to my best positions that I could win. When the match started I gripped up on the feet before pulling guard. I wasn’t able to get to my best position right away, but I stayed relaxed and didn’t stop fighting until I got it. I was able to sweep pretty quickly and tried to come up into the mount. He turned away and I was able to secure the back position. After I got a deep grip in the collar, I was able to finish him with a lapel choke. The next round I had a come from behind win finishing the match 6-2. I lost my third fight, going out in the round of 16.
Overall I didn’t accomplish my goal, but I learned more about myself as a competitor and where I can improve. I absolutely hate losing, but if you can learn from the experience then progress can be made. More important than just my individual experience, we became stronger as a team. It is awesome to be able to compete alongside your friends and seeing them come back to the bullpen with you after a win. Even if you do not consider yourself a world class competitor yet or just like to compete for fun, it is worth coming to the tournament from the experience you gain alone.
– Eric DesmaraisParamount BJJ blue belt