Terrified, First Tournament is OPEN, how not to get hurt?

[Fat Donkey]

Hey guys, my first grappling tourney is this Saturday and its an open tournament ie, no gi any skill level. I haven't had time to train but my instructor says go and have fun. FUN???? I'm scared of getting injured! I know some of the guys entering from other schools and they r freaking psychos, good enough to hurt u but not good enough to defeat u "gently". I'm just a white belt by the way. I get so many injuries in my own school through hard sparring and I'm no wimp. I've been beaten up by the best in many different MA''s. But unlike MT or TKD it's not just black eyes and bruises. It's joints, tendons and bruised trachea. I have no chance of winning anything but I would like to be able to walk afterwards, any suggestions? Aggressive/Submissive? Attack/Run away? Go to guard or try to obtain position?

[Maddwraph]

play your game and relax, if oyu think your gonna lose, that hinders your cahnces of winning. if they start to stretch your arm all the way for example, tap. just dont get to worrieda bout it, they'll smell the fear...

[supergalactic]

Don't worry about it, just remember to breath. You will love it, win or lose. Good luck.

[Ego Assassin]

Ive been competeing for four years now and I still get nervous. I never play any other sports either so I was not prepared for atmosphere, but I love it.

[SubGrappler]

Is there a link to the tournament you're fighting in?

Do you have a list of rules for techniques allowed/illegal?

Its always good experience to fight in any tournament, but you should also take into account what the rules are. If you're only a white belt and you're fighting in an absolute no gi division, I would be quick to ask about heel hooks. If you dont know what they are, you wont know when you're caught in one, and if you wait until you feel the pain to tap, its already done its damage.

If they're illegal, then you'll most likely have nothing to fear in terms of a long term injury.

[pineapple]

In any tournament, you must accept that there is a possibility that you may get hurt. Most injuries that I have seen in submission type of competition were due to people's reluctance to tap out.

[karatekid1975]

pineapple, is right. I have also seen people in Judo that acted "macho" and didn't tap. They either passed out (from a choke) or got injured. So my advice is, don't be macho, TAP! It will, more than likely, save you from injury.

[Steve_K]

It's probably not the best idea to go into an open competition as a white belt, if like you said, they are not dividing competitors by rank. But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't enter. Like the above say, don't just assume you are going to lose, but if you feel someone secure a choke or a lock, just tap. Psycho or not, whoever you're up against, probably won't have any desire to hurt you beyond your tapping out. Just hope that it doesn't happen early in your first match, because then you won't get the full experience of really competing.

If you're not competing for money, and you are only a white belt, the only reason you have for going is to have fun, so make sure of that, foremost.

Good luck.

[karatekid1975]

Steve_K, good advice. That's basically what I was trying to say

[Muaythaiboxer]

well give some money to a homeless person and hope your good karma gets you threw the tournament unscathed really just go and have fun it no big. if you get hurt you get hurt and its your fault for geting cought in the technique that got you hurt. relax take a deep breath and go compete!

AMITABHA