Participating in bracket-style competition is not required to train in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and I’m sure that there are many people who enjoy studying and practicing the sport who are not interested in testing their skills and abilities in that style of venue. On the other hand, there are people who train year round for the sole purpose to compete, and they are eagerly anticipating these tournaments.

The founder and owner of the Indianapolis Jiu Jitsu Coach academy , Marcello Monteiro, has a long history of success in organized tournaments. He has personally won many, and has a history of personal achievement in both his native Brazil as well as in the United States. Perhaps more importantly, however, he has trained State, National, and World Champions with his coaching and instruction methods, and the curriculum he has developed. Over the years he has built quite a brand that people respect and admire, which is shown in the growth of his associate academies and the number of seminars that he is invited to teach at. Love it or hate it, when people see the red and black MCM logo on the gi of his students they know that the person wearing it has been exposed to world-class instruction and technique, and to not take that person lightly.

Marcello tailors much of his instructional approach in class to being successful in competitions, especially now that there are some big ones coming up around the corner. The focus has been on playing tight, playing smart, and minimizing mistakes. More of the trainings have been specific and based on people’s strengths and weaknesses. Maintaining the dominate position and not giving up the top position are very crucial in our current trainings. Paying attention to points and keeping mental record of the points between you and your training partner have also been a focus, as always in Marcello’s Indianapolis Jiu Jitsu gym. When looking for submissions, patience and correct timing has been very important, as we are not training for only a quick submission, but we must be in shape to go the duration of the fight if necessary. We must be ready to go the duration of multiple matches if necessary, and hopefully so.

Whether you win or lose, tournaments are great because they help people stay motivated to train and motivated to manage their weight. There isn’t much management possible for the age bracket or even rank (at this point). I’m sure that the tournaments will be exciting because everyone seems dedicated to having fun with it, doing their best, and representing the BJJ Coach brand well.