Does Pressure Really Make Diamonds?

Kind of. Sometimes.

Photo via Eternal BJJ

Around this time last year, I competed in a team Jiu-Jitsu tournament in Kazakhstan.

It was a best-of-7 dual meet style tournament, and I was the 7th match in a 3-3 tie in the semi-finals. The match was the difference between my team competing for $500,000 and $150,000.

The pressure was on.

The pressure was on, and I blew it.

I didn’t just lose; I got submitted in about 20 seconds.

I’ve played sports my whole life and competed thousands of times. Hundreds of soccer games, baseball games, wrestling matches, and of course, Jiu-Jitsu matches. I’ve competed on all kinds of stages.

Everything from penalty kick shootouts in soccer to overtime matches in wrestling or in the deep rounds at ADCC to having runners in scoring position deep in a baseball game.

Pressure is a part of sports, and at different times in my athletic career, I’ve experienced it in many different ways.

But what’s the difference between someone who chokes under the pressure and someone who thrives under it?

Today, we’re going to try to figure it out.