How Do You Become A Great BJJ Competitor?

There are several key factors to becoming a great BJJ competitor:

1. Don't focus on always winning in the training room. Some of the best competitors let people tap them over and over again to get better at positions. The training room is not about winning, but about learning and improving.
2. Compete as much as you can, especially at a lower belt. If possible, participate in a tournament every weekend. This approach helps you learn how to be a competitor, a skill that is different from just learning jujitsu.
3. Be willing to lose a lot. This not only helps prevent injuries but also helps you learn more and become comfortable in bad situations. This is crucial for understanding how to compete well.
4. Learn how to deal with pressure. This is especially important at the lower belt level because when you become a black belt or start doing well, more people pay attention and the pressure increases. If you can't deal with pressure at the lower belt, it's even harder to deal with as an upper belt.
5. Train a lot. This is a given, but it's worth emphasizing. The more you train, the better you get.

Remember, being a good competitor and being good at jujitsu are two different things. Some people are very good at jujitsu but don't compete well. Conversely, just because someone is a good competitor doesn't necessarily mean they're good at jujitsu in terms of understanding it or being able to teach it to someone else.