The Walk to the Mat: Winning Before the Match Starts

Many matches are won or lost before the first grip is even exchanged. The walk from the warm-up area to the competition mat is more than just a physical transition—it’s a mental battleground where focus, confidence, and composure are put to the test.

During these crucial moments, an athlete must remain fully concentrated on their performance—on execution, not outcome. The mind must be locked in on the game plan, free from distractions, self-doubt, or external pressure. Thinking about winning or losing at this stage only creates unnecessary tension. Instead, the focus should be on trusting the preparation, controlling emotions, and stepping onto the mat with clarity and intent.

Unfortunately, some competitors underestimate this walk, allowing nerves, fear, or hesitation to creep in. While not always the deciding factor, losing control of your mental state before stepping on the mat can cost you the match before it even begins.

So, the next time you make that walk, take ownership of your mindset. Breathe, stay present, and remind yourself: The battle begins here.

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Do you include short drilling rounds in your preparation?

Two weeks until the 2025 @ibjjf Pan Championship! The last time I competed at Pans was during my 40-year-old run for the How High Can You Fly? project, when I entered the 2015 @ibjjf Pan in the adult division.

Now, 10 years later, I’m back for a new How High Can You Fly? project—this time as a 50-year-old. With my body allowing me, I plan to compete in all four major IBJJF events in the Master 5 division, and this is the second one of 2025.

I recorded some training footage for Episode 2 of The Diary of a Master on The BJJ Mental Coach YouTube channel.

@itallovilardo has been designing both my mat training and my strength & conditioning, and I’m fortunate to have someone structuring my workouts so I can focus on executing them. In this clip, you can see some of the 15-second drilling rounds.

How about you? Do you implement short drilling rounds in your preparation?

#bjjcompetition #ibjjf #thebjjmentalcoach #cbjj #thebjjmentalcoachpodcast
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Here’s a quick wrap-up video of my experience at the 2025 IBJJF European Championship in Lisbon, Portugal.

I share three key takeaways from the competition that you can keep in mind for your next event.

#bjj #jiujitsu #brazilianjiujitsu #thebjjmentalcoach #mindset #ibjjfeuropean2025

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Did you see the post I made about the concept of POSITIONAL AWARENESS REACTION SPEED?

In the post, I talked about the importance of identifying and taking advantage of “windows of opportunity” during a match—openings that can arise for various reasons, such as:
• Lack of experience in specific systems or situations by your opponent;
• Lack of urgency to adjust grips or reposition;
• Mental or physical blocks: the opponent may have positional awareness but is mentally frozen, or exhaustion took over—something that can happen to anyone.

In the first video, I demonstrated this concept from the guard. Now, let’s focus on passing the guard.

Notice that as soon as I finish the takedown, I immediately activate reaction speed, taking advantage of my opponent still trying to reorganize. This is the essence of the concept: see the opening? Pull the trigger!

This kind of approach is crucial to elevate your game, whether you’re attacking or defending.

Do you already apply this in your matches? If not, it’s time to start! OSS!

#bjj #jiujitsu #brazilianjiujitsu #thebjjmentalcoach #mindset #ibjjfeuropean2025 #guardpassing #jiujitsumindset #authenticity #jiujitsulifestyle #gdjiujitsu #jiujitsulife

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Less Than a Week to Go: Tournament Focus

With the tournament just around the corner, it’s time to sharpen your mindset and prioritize two key areas:

1⃣ Maintenance
The hard work is DONE! You won’t get in better shape now, so focus on staying safe, healthy, and feeling great. Do what works best for you! For me, since Lisbon is 7⃣ hours ahead of Arizona, I’ve been getting earlier workouts in to help my body adjust.

2⃣ Performance
The process is complete, and stressing about winning or losing won’t help you now. Focusing on things you can’t control—like the outcome—can lead to anxiety, muscle tension, and prevent you from being your authentic self on the mat.

Here’s the game plan:
• Shift your focus to execution.
• Visualize your systems and moves.
• Trust your preparation and perform to the best of your ability.

Sometimes your best will earn the win , and sometimes it won’t—but if you gave it your all, you can step off the mat with peace, knowing you left everything out there. If your opponent beats you, show respect, congratulate them , and then it’s back to the grind.

The real victory is in the process and the growth it brings.

#ibjjf #ibjjfeuropeans2025 #ibjjfeuropean2025 #thebjjmentalcoach #JiuJitsuJourney #PressureToPerform #AuthenticityOnTheMat #FocusOnWhatMatters #TrustTheProcess #CompetitionMindset #gdjiujitsu #novauniao

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Why some competitors excel at competition and others don’t. Stephan Kesting talks with with renowned competitor and tournament organiser Andrew ‘Goatfury’ Smith on a segment of episode 314 of The Strenuous Life Podcast.

Andrew is a 3rd degree black belt who runs Revolution BJJ (https://revolutionbjj.com/) in Richmond Virginia and helped found the US Grappling competition circuit.

The full episode with Andrew Smith is available in audio-only format the links below or search for ‘Strenuous Life Podcast’ anywhere you get your podcasts…

The Strenuous Life on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/strenuous-life-podcast-stephan-kesting-grapplearts/id320705565?mt=2

The Strenuous Life on Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL2tlc3RpbmcubGlic3luLmNvbS9yc3M=

The Strenuous Life on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5NTGdrtMZv8JcxpUBcdREx

The Strenuous Life on Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/stephan-kesting/grapplearts-radio-podcast

Cheers,
Stephan Kesting

Please use the code “JITSEASY10” for all your DVD & Digital Download orders at Digitsu bit.ly/2S9kMg4 to get 10% off (and help my channel out)! Thanks for the support
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