Competing in BJJ is great for many reasons, some are not as obvious. For example, the sole expectation of competition will lead to a greater motivation to train and progress. You want to perform at your best, so you’ll train harder leading to the competition.
However, it’s interesting for me to hear that many grapplers don’t even bother preparing for the competition they apply to. Therefore, they face their fights at a disadvantage. Not only that, but some of them don’t even know what the rules are and how the point system works.
Well, you might not know how the point system works. In that case, you’ll know after reading this article. Furthermore, if you’re someone who wants to come to the BJJ competition as prepared as possible, this article is definitely for you.
I’m a big fan of diving into the practical stuff as soon as possible. The primary reason for that is that you learn best from experience. You don’t learn as fast if you just read articles and watch videos. Instead, real mat experience is the best.
That’s why you want to get on the mat and practice what you will learn in this article right after finishing. I wish you the best learning experience – and let’s dive into the first strategy!
#5 – Pull Guard to Side Control to Mount to Submission
The first strategy is starting with a Pull Guard, moving to the top, attaining Side Control, continuing by attaining the Full Mount position, and finishing with a submission. This is one of the most common strategies grapplers show up with—in competitions.
Let’s break it down!
First, you want to start with a Pull Guard since you’ll be able to get into a bottom position that isn’t inferior. This gives you the opportunity to sweep the opponent and move to the top, gaining you 2 points. You’ll then get Side Control, which will give you more control.
From there, you’ll want to attain the Full Mount position, which isn’t as difficult to attain once you’re in the Full Mount. Thus far, you would have gained 7 points, as you passed the opponent’s guard, attained top position, and got into Full Mount. That’s fantastic!
From the Full Mount position, you have many options you can go for. But the primary one will be to go for a submission that will force the opponent to tap out. There’s an endless set of submissions; here are just some of them:
- Arm Lock
- Armbar
- Ezekiel Choke
- Kimura
- Americana
- Guillotine Choke
- Triangle Choke
- Monoplata
- Helio Gracie Choke
- Kneebar
You can follow each link to read about the individual submission and learn to execute it properly!
#4 – 15 points Kimura series
The 2nd strategy is one I stumbled upon researching the topic of this article. Really, it was something I had to mention since the coach who presented it was so enthusiastic about it.
Likewise, it works in a way where you’ll get 15 points after you’re done executing it. Can you imagine starting the fight off with 15 points? For me, it’s something that attracts me, and while I’ve never used it in a competition, I can easily see it working.
The first step is to start in bottom Half Guard. You then grab the opponent’s left arm and lock a Kimura Grip. If you don’t know what that is, follow the link to learn about the basics of the Kimura.
Then, the opponent will base on his other hand. You now want to hook your right arm and sweep the opponent. Sweeping the opponent will be quite easy since the opponent has no base. Once you sweep the opponent, you got your two points.
The next step is to step out of your butterfly hook and attain Side Control. You want to maintain the Kimura Grip for as long as you’re doing this sequence. Next up, you’re going to transition into the Knee on Belly position. After attaining Knee on Belly, you’re going to get the Mount Position.
Switch to the North-South position and attain the Back Mount position. And that’s the sequence!
Here’s a visual aid for you.
#3 – Pull-Guard/Takedown
The next strategy is to focus on what you know, either Takedowns or a Pull Guard. You’re going to start standing up in all competitions. Now many of your opponents will sit and get into their Guard position. You need not worry about that happening.
Instead, you want to focus on what you know. What are you best at, Takedowns or Pull Guard? If the answer is the first, you can go ahead and start trying to take the opponent down. If you’re successful, you’ve started the fight off with an advantage.
On the other hand, if you don’t come from a Wrestling or Judo background, takedowns aren’t really your strong side, unless you are specifically trained for that. In that case, it’ll be better to stick with the Pull Guard, which will lead you to have many opportunities, such as sweeping the opponent.
From taking the opponent down to the ground, you’ll be able to go for many options, such as sweeps and submissions. In the next strategy, I’ll review a critical point you want to know before applying for a BJJ competition.
#2 – Go for a submission
The next strategy is to go for a submission. I know what you might think; How can I possibly suggest anything other than getting points in an official BJJ competition?! Well, it’s my website and I’ll do what I want!
Really now, focusing too much on points in BJJ competitions can lead to many problems. For example, it’ll bring a lack of getting control, instead of focusing on attaining as much control as possible.
If you think about it, points are granted for control. Did you attain a dominant position? Here are some points. Did you sweep or pass the opponent’s guard? Here are more points. This is what it’s all about.
So instead of focusing on getting points, why won’t you go for a submission you learned in your BJJ class? If the submission includes attaining the Full or Back Mount, do just that. However, if you finish the competition with a submission, it doesn’t matter how many points your opponent has. You won.
Here are other articles of mine you’d enjoy reading if you want to boost your finishing skills in BJJ:
Cross Choke 101 – BJJ Submission Breakdown
The 5 Best North-South Attacks in BJJ (And Tips!)
9 Knee on Belly Submissions – Attacking Manual (BJJ)
Attacking the Turtle Position in BJJ – 7 Submissions
BJJ’s 9 Best Back Submissions – Behind Enemy Lines!
BJJ’s Best Neckties (Japanese, Peruvian, German…)
The 10 Top BJJ Chokes You Need to Master
#1 – Get the Full Mount or Back Mount
The last strategy we’ll review in this article is to attain the Full or Back Mount. This might sound too obvious, but let me explain. Many grapplers never think of this as their goal, which doesn’t allow them to get it that often.
If I enter a fight with the intention of attaining the Mount position, my entire focus is going to be on that. However, if I don’t really know what I want to achieve, will I even be able to attain a dominant position? That depends, but the answer is mostly no.
So stepping into the BJJ competition or tournament with the intention of attaining the Back or Full Mount—will increase the likelihood of you attaining these positions.
And as you might know already (hopefully), these are points, which will lead to more options and control. Points are granted for control: thus, if you attain a dominant position, you’ll get points and the upper hand in the fight.
So try to step into the fight with the intention of attaining either the Back or Full Mount. You’ll suddenly notice how you fire up and divert all your attention to attaining these dominant positions, giving you an advantage in the competition.
Finally, here’s how to attain the Back Mount, 49 times!
Final Words
This is it for this article. This website is dedicated to the learnings of martial arts, in all their forms. One of my absolute favorites is BJJ, as it teaches extremely effective fighting techniques, primarily ground grappling.
You want to start competing in BJJ if you haven’t already. The sole expectation of a nearby tournament or competition—will be enough to fire you up and get you progressing faster than you ever had. So don’t hesitate to apply for competition and apply the strategies I’ve talked about in this article. Good luck!
If you don’t know how the BJJ point system works, I have an entire article just on that. So you can follow the link at the start of this paragraph to learn everything you need to know about it!
And here are other articles you’d enjoy reading:
5 Reasons You Should Learn BJJ | Beginners walkthrough
5 Reasons BJJ is Effective for Self-Defense – Breakthrough
Here’s How Often You Should Do BJJ | Training Guide