Copa Ontario 2011 just took place and proved to be another great opportunity to learn more about my competition game.

The Toronto Jiu Jitsu tournament, organised by Professor Britto and his band of volunteers, went off in the city centre and gave many players from Ontario and Quebec a great chance to get out on the mats to go after some gold medals.

I had registered for Masters Lightweight but my 1 opponent was a no-show so I decided to do the deeper adult division. I won my first fight on points and lost my second on points. I made an error in my second fight trying for a ankle lock but give credit to my opponent for not tapping to 3 cross choke attempts and for passing my guard to get the win.

For myself I was most happy that I was very relaxed before my brackets started. I am getting less nervous with each tournament after competing now for 3.5 years. I still feel 'in the bottleneck' and am still finding wins hard to come by but with each tournament I learn a little more about what it takes to make it to the podium. Mostly it's my mindset but from my last few outings I am coming to realize that players don't tap to cross chokes unless they are 'really' locked in. And I think because I get focused on something that works often at the club (but not at competition) it might be restricting my game so I plan to shelve cross chokes for now when I compete to see if that opens up my game a little. If they are not an option perhaps I will move past them and be a little more progressive.

There was some great action throughout the day as the mostly white and blue belt divisions played out. The absolute division at the end of the day offered some breathtaking moments and the crowd gathered were on their feet many times. When the ladies took to the mats also in the late afternoon there seemed to be a renewed interest from the audience as the teams got behind their women.

All the matches that I watched offered some great BJJ.

I do admire all the guys who go out there and pull off wins, almost as if there is no question about what the outcome will be when they step onto the mats. It's inspiring to watch. And I equally admire all the fighters who really step up the plate and deliver their best Jiu Jitsu. Doing that in a competition setting is not always easy as I can speak to so I congratulate everybody for their performances.

Thanks to God for my abilities, health and for giving me the chance to be apart of another special event and for giving me the courage to challenge myself in this way and to keep learning as I do. And thanks to all the staff and volunteers for helping make the day run smoothly and to Jorge Britto and Toronto BJJ for the organisation.


Competition helps build camaraderie and the community. It helps build confidence and courage. And it helps you take your game to that next level. Get out there and do it. Go for Gold Medals.

Next? IBJJF Montreal and the 2011 Bravado Open - Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Championships. Let's keep planning for that!