Hello, working BJJ practitioners! How many tournaments did you enter this year?

Autumn is tournament season. With the ASJJF Pro Jiu-Jitsu ART.8 held in Hekinan, Aichi on November 1st (where Takuya Kondo won by submission in the main event), and the end of the year packed with events like the IBJJF Master International Jiu-Jitsu Championship (Asia) on Dec 4-6, the JBJJF All Japan No-Gi Championship on Dec 13, and the ASJJF Tokyo International Winter Jiu-Jitsu Championship in late December, the calendar is completely full.

Amidst all this, a post on X by a Master-division black belt caught my eye. He wrote that by combining two Master 30 tournaments, six Master 36 tournaments, and two Pro Jiu-Jitsu events, he will have competed in 10 tournaments this year.

Honestly, my first reaction was to say out loud, "Wait, 10 tournaments?!" Competing almost once a month while holding down a full-time job is amazing, but at the same time, it made me wonder: Is that a lot? Or is it normal?

So today, I'd like to write about how many matches a year is "just right" for working BJJ practitioners, and how we should go about building our competition schedules for next year now that we are nearing the end of the season.

"Too Many" or "Too Few" Depends on Your Goal

To give you the conclusion first, there is no single right answer to how many matches you should do a year. Even for the exact same number of 10 tournaments, it can be either "just right" or "way too much" depending on your goal. First, let's clarify why you are competing.

  • 1. If you want to gain experience, quantity matters Tournaments are places where you can test how well your Jiu-Jitsu works under a level of tension you can never replicate in practice. I always believe that experience trumps winning or losing. Especially at white and blue belt, you will find new things to work on every time you compete. At this stage, competing several times a year to once a month has significant meaning. The more you lose, the clearer it becomes what you need to do in your next practice. If your goal is to gather lessons that can only be learned in competition, the sheer number of matches becomes your asset.
  • 2. If you want results, the quality of preparation is key On the other hand, if your goal is "I want to win this specific tournament," increasing your number of competitions will shorten your preparation time for each one. When matches are back-to-back, it's hard to find time to test new techniques or fix weaknesses. You can easily fall into the trap of feeling like you aren't getting stronger despite competing constantly. For this type of person, you are much more likely to see results if you limit your entries and solidly run through the cycle of "Preparation → Competition → Reflection" for each event.
  • 3. If you want to have fun, sustainability is everything Tournaments are fun events, complete with reuniting with friends on the road and grabbing food together afterward. However, if matches—which are supposed to be fun—become an obligation, that's a yellow light. In Jiu-Jitsu, consistency is everything. I believe the "right" number of matches for you is the pace that allows you to keep stepping on the mats next year and the year after.

How Working Adults Should Build Their Annual Schedule

Once your goal is clear, the next step is actually putting the schedule together. Here are four key points that we, who are balancing Jiu-Jitsu with work, should keep in mind.

1. Decide on 1 or 2 "Peak" Tournaments Going all-out for every single tournament is difficult even for professionals. First, decide on one or two tournaments you want to win the most this year. If you position the other events as places to test techniques or gain experience, it takes a lot of the mental pressure off. It is also recommended to work backward from your peak tournaments and use preceding competitions as dress rehearsals. For example, if you enter a smaller tournament a month or two before your peak event, you can get your competition senses back while leaving enough time to iron out any issues. Conversely, cramming in another match right before your peak event is something you should consider carefully, as it carries the risk of bringing fatigue or injuries into the big day.

2. Schedule a Recovery Week After a Match Are you practicing exactly as usual the week after a competition? The tension and all-out scrambles of a match drain your body and mind far more than you realize. Especially in the Master divisions, it takes time for fatigue to clear. For the week following a tournament, consciously create a recovery period—for instance, by keeping sparring light and focusing on drilling and stretching. The more back-to-back your matches are, the more crucial it becomes to secure enough sleep and avoid overpacking your work schedule. Recovery is not slacking off; it is part of the preparation for your next match. Avoiding injury is the absolute shortest path to enjoying Jiu-Jitsu for a long time.

3. Estimate Travel Costs in terms of Money, Time, and Energy Tournaments in other regions or overseas are appealing, but they cost money for transport, accommodation, and registration, plus they take a toll on your time and physical energy. Tournaments requiring an overnight stay basically consume your entire weekend, and sometimes even require taking paid time off work. If you decide on a maximum limit for away trips in advance (e.g., "I will travel for a tournament X times a year"), you can create a plan that doesn't put undue strain on your wallet or your body. One approach is to focus mainly on local tournaments and save travel exclusively for your peak events or tournaments you’ve always wanted to try.

4. Overlap It with Your Work and Family Calendars For working BJJ practitioners, this might be the most important point of all. End-of-financial-year busy periods, seasons with heavy business travel, and family events. When you look at the tournament schedule alongside your work and family calendars, you'll start to see certain months where competing is just out of the question. You definitely want to avoid entering a tournament during a crazy busy period, only to compete underprepared and regret it later.

End-of-Season Reviews to Do Now

November is the perfect time to reflect on this year's matches and plan for next year. Even if you have year-end tournaments coming up, let's pause and review.

  • 1. Write Down the Tournaments You Entered This Year Make a list of the tournament names, weight classes, results, and your physical condition at the time. You might notice some surprising trends. "I didn't get good results after back-to-back matches," or "My body felt heavy during travel tournaments." This list is packed with hints for finding the pace that suits you best. I'll confess: I used being busy at work as an excuse and haven't competed in an official match yet this year. However, I did do a grappling one-match in a casual tournament hosted by the gym I attend in the summer. It was like a friendly match with another gym, but with my teammates cheering me on, I managed to win by submission, which reminded me how great competing is. Right now, I'm debating whether to enter a No-Gi tournament at the end of the year. Even with zero official matches, just taking a small step like that drastically changes how you plan next year's calendar.
  • 2. Check Your Remaining Physical and Mental "HP" Do you have any lingering injuries? Does thinking about a match make you excited, or does it feel a bit heavy? If it feels heavy, that might be a sign you need rest. It’s completely normal for motivation to come in waves. Rather than forcing yourself to get hyped up, taking a step back from competition to create a period where you purely enjoy training can often lead to greater longevity in the sport. Deciding to intentionally sit out the year-end tournaments is also a perfectly valid and respectable decision.
  • 3. Mark Next Year's Peak Tournaments Check the dates for next year's Master tournaments or local events, and mark your peak tournaments on the calendar. If you're aging into a new division, setting your debut in the new category as a goal can be a lot of fun too.

Conclusion: 10 Tournaments or 1, the One Who Keeps Going Wins

There is no single right answer to the number of matches you should do in a year. What matters are the following three things:

Clarify your goal for competing (experience, results, or fun).

Decide on your peak tournaments, and build in recovery weeks and travel limits.

Overlap with your work and family calendars to choose a sustainable pace.

Whether you compete in 10 tournaments or just 1 a year, the moment we keep stepping onto the mats, we are teammates. So, how about opening your planner tonight and marking down next year's tournament dates? See you at the competition venue!