What I Learned From Surprising Myself at ADCC 2024
We've come a long way.
This past weekend, I competed in one of the biggest Jiu-Jitsu tournaments in the world.
As far as I know, no Jiu-Jitsu tournament has taken place in a bigger venue than this one. It was the ADCC World Championship at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
It was a surreal combat sports experience, especially for someone like me, who’s been around Jiu-Jitsu for a long time — 10 years next April.
At 27 now, I’ve competed at the highest level for about 3 years. I’ve had losses, wins, injuries, triumphs, and pretty much everything else you could imagine.
At ADCC, I had little idea of what to expect. I was a relatively late addition to the tournament, didn’t get a very high seed, and it was also my first time doing ADCC, so I didn’t have very high expectations.
I’m still digesting everything, but here are some of my preliminary reflections from the weekend.
What competing is really about…
It’s really easy to base your entire identity on the results of your competition.
If you win, you think highly of yourself. If you lose, not so much. You put yourself into this vicious cycle where your identity and happiness are based on things that you only have so much control over.
Here’s the thing:
I really wanted to win this weekend, but considering that I’d never competed at this level before, my main goal was to not suck.
Or at least, that’s what I thought.
It kind of sounds dumb and probably not very inspiring, but really, my goal was to display good Jiu-Jitsu. The kind of Jiu-Jitsu that I work on in training. Winning any matches was an afterthought — I expected every second of every round to be a war.
Now, I just know that for next time I should maybe set higher expectations, but the goal is always the same.
Competing is partially about winning, but it’s really about showing the work that you’ve done in practice to an audience. It’s a performance.
The comedown is real.
The kind of drawback from this weekend isn’t the wins or the losses.
Eventually, all the results fade into obscurity and they don’t really matter too much. Maybe I haven’t won anything big enough to think otherwise, but the reality is that 2 years from now when the next ADCC is coming around, no one’s really going to care that I took 4th. They’ll just see it as data to project my next performance.
I’ll be so far removed from last weekend’s tournament that I won’t care too much either. I’ll just be focused on the next one.
So the wins are exciting and the losses are hard, but the real challenge from the last weekend is more so the post-competition come down.
You go from this extreme high of upsetting an ADCC legend or nearly reaching the podium to being back in the gym training or sitting in my office at my computer.
The comedown is very real.
The future is more unpredictable now.
Before ADCC, I mentally prepared myself for what I’d do if I lost in the first round.
I’d get back to training, rest up my body for future challenges, and look to book some seminars since I could now add “ADCC vet” to my competition resume.
But now?
I’m not sure.
I can probably get bigger competition opportunities now. I’m probably going to have to start prepping for ADCC 2026.
But, I kind of surprised myself a bit, and now I’m not sure what’s next — in the best way possible.
Jiu-Jitsu is changing and it’s changing my life.
Jiu-Jitsu has given me a lot:
A passion
A platform
A skill
A career
And much, much more. It’s been a helluva ride, especially the last 12 months or so. I’ve most of you all about many different times.
But either way, my main reflection over the last few weeks has just been an observation of how crazy things are now and how much they have changed. The sport is still growing and has a lot of room to improve, but it’s becoming more of a professional sport where athletes can generate income and earn a living.
It’s also just becoming more exciting, reaching a higher level, and attracting higher-level athletes. I honestly feel lucky that I got into Jiu-Jitsu when I did.
Closing Thoughts
I apologize that this newsletter is a bit short and all over the place, but that’s kind of how the last few weeks have been.
They've come and gone way faster than I was expecting. I felt tired, scatterbrained, anxious, happy, grateful, excited, and everything in between. Most of my time has been spent training, working, and worrying about everything that was going to transpire last weekend.
Sleepless nights. Hard training sessions. Long days in the brutal Texas heat.
And now, it’s over.
Just like that. It’s time to rest and figure out what’s next.
I’m thankful for everyone who’s new here and for everyone who’s been here since the beginning. We’re going to figure this out together.
Talk to y’all soon :)
The Grappler’s Diary is sponsored by BJJ Mental Models, the world’s #1 Jiu-Jitsu podcast!
This week’s episode features Mandy Schneider! Mandy is a BJJ Mental Models sponsored athlete competing at purple belt out of SOUL FIGHTERS Martial Arts in Allen, Texas.
Mandy just underwent surgery for chronic bursitis in her elbow, and in this week's episode, Mandy shares her experience working around injury in Jiu-Jitsu.
Topics include the challenges of training through injuries, distinguishing between manageable injuries and those requiring full rest, maintaining mental sharpness and motivation during recovery, and the public perception athletes face regarding injury-related decisions.
To listen, look up BJJ Mental Models wherever you listen to your podcasts or just hit this link.
The Grappler’s Diary is also sponsored by The American Grappling Association.
If you’re a Chicago-based competitor or a nomad looking to visit the Midwest this fall, AGA can be the reason you choose to push yourself on the mat.
Their next event will be September 28, 2024, at the Oak Lawn Pavillion.
Early bird registration is also still open!
Hit this link to sign up and get into one division for just $55 or gi and no-gi divisions for $85.
As someone who came up in the Chicagoland area, I know how hard it can be to find good local BJJ competitions — AGA has you covered.
Sign up here, and tell them The Grappler’s Diary sent you!
Trying to get yourself a new no-gi set?
My ADCC rashguard and shorts are available for pre-order to just one more week!
August 31st, the opportunity to purchase the exact kit that I wore at ADCC 2024 will go away forever.
I’m biased, but I think that this kit was a huge hit. The all-white looked pretty cool, no?
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