It’s a brand new year, and that means only one thing: New Year’s Resolutions. For many martial artists, these resolutions and goals might be to progress to the next belt in our chosen discipline, master a new technique, or promise that this is the year we’ll stop pulling guard in BJJ. While most of us have probably failed some of our resolutions – I’ve already pulled guard more times than I can count, and it’s only the 1st of January – there’s one goal that should be on every martial artist’s to-do list in the new year… competing.

There are dozens of reasons why you should give competitions a go in your life, but we’ve boiled it down to the three most important and valuable.

Competing Builds Confidence

If you’ve never competed before, regardless of your chosen martial art, the first thought that may overwhelm you is the fear of fighting. For some, this may come from bad experiences with bullies during childhood, or hard-to-remember nights out, or even from watching brutal highlight compilations from elite organisations like UFC and ONE Championship. But for those just starting out, competing in your discipline is nothing like the blood baths you’ve seen on Pay-Per-View.

Regardless of your discipline, competing in your chosen martial art is one of the strongest and quickest ways to build your confidence inside and outside of the ring. Most gyms around the country, including those who have listed their events on our Events page, hold and compete in numerous interclubs every year. These interclubs are often semi-contact competitions, with headgear and other padding, designed to test the skills of the competitors in a controlled environment. Stepping into the ring or on the mats is one of the most rewarding things a person can do in their lives, and this new year is the perfect time to commit to it.

Even if you lose your match, realising you have the guts and confidence to step into the ring in the first place is a massive achievement, and one that everyone should have the pleasure of celebrating at some point in their lives.

Competing Improves Your Martial Arts

They say you never learn more about your martial art in a short span of time than when you first start training. While this statement does have merit, it is closely followed in second place by preparing for a tournament. Turning up every week – or every day – will obviously improve your game over time; however, the focus and goal of winning a match or tournament narrow your focus towards training like nothing else.

When you enter a ‘fight camp’ for an upcoming tournament or fight, it’s as if your determination and focus become dialled to 11, and every technique or combination you learn embeds itself into your brain ahead of the competition. Knowing you have an upcoming fight makes you scrutinise every aspect of your game, defining your strengths and weaknesses, and gives you definitive areas to improve ahead of your bout.

Competing is Surprisingly Fun

The most important aspect of competing in martial arts, much like anything in life, is that it’s extremely fun. As I may have said once or twice, deciding to compete in your chosen martial art is a decision you should be incredibly proud of in itself, but to step into the ring, or onto the mats, for your first match is a moment you will never forget, and one you should treasure.

It may sound easier said than done, but it is a moment that should be enjoyed to its fullest because, whether you only do it once, or if it’s the first of many, your debut match is potentially the most important moment in your martial arts journey, and one that will greatly improve your skills, and your life, for the better.

Make 2024 your year and commit to competing in your chosen match. Your coaches and instructors will always be willing to help you, and we have dozens of useful articles on our blog and posts on our socials to get you to your first competition.