Atlantic City Sucks

Reflecting on the biggest ADCC Trials in history.

The weigh-in line on Friday at the ADCC Trials. I was toward the front.

This past weekend was the ADCC East Coast Trials in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

I hate Atlantic City (I hated it when I went out there last time), but unfortunately, they don’t ask me where I’d like to go to compete. I went anyway.

It’s the second ADCC Trials that I’ve competed in this year. In a bracket of over 200 competitors, I managed to make it to the round of 16, where I lost 3-0 to a guy whom I had beaten the year prior.

It stung. I didn’t get the results I wanted, and there’s a part of me that feels like I’ve regressed a bit. The negative voice in my head is far louder than the objective reality.

But I learned a lot from this weekend. I competed in 4 matches, watched dozens of others, and dealt with the nerves and anxiety that come with competing in giant grappling tournaments.

I learned about myself, my Jiu-Jitsu, and the state of Jiu-Jitsu today.

Here’s what I learned: