Have you ever competed and just felt out of place in your division? Have you ever felt that physically you just couldn’t hang or your body style put you at a disadvantage? This is pretty common in BJJ and sports in general. In BJJ there are many elements other than just the weight that can play a part in tournament performance. And while many people advocate that technique conquers all, sometimes in the end the physical attributes will play a roll. So what should we consider when choosing a division to compete in at a BJJ competition? Here are the top ideas I have heard in my years training.
- What do you weigh now– Where are you in the list of divisions? Are you in between two weight classes which can be a sticky situation or are you at the top or bottom where you can see you options easier?
- What Are Your Attributes– Are you tall for your weight or short and stocky? How does this match up with your current game? Short and stocky tends to be better for top players while the tall and lanky body is great for guard players. So if your body style doesn’t match up well in your division to your style, then maybe a switch in weights might not be so bad?
- What’s Your BF and LMM– Body Fat and Lean muscle mass are what will really end up determining how easy a switch in weight might be? If you are already really lean then it might be quite difficult to drop.
What other things can end up paying a roll in your tournament performance?
