Tournament Preparation: Gameplan(s)

Melbourne, November 2006: Pan Pacific Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Championships. Nicolai Holt asked me a simple question 30 minutes before my first fight: "Bram, what's your gameplan?"

I couldn't answer.

We probably hear the word "game plan" so many times, but for many, this word does not seem to be synonymous with combat sports.

Apparently, it is as crucial as in other sports. A right game plan allows you to use your skills more efficiently, thus can differentiate between winning or losing, or on the streets, it can mean life or death.

A gameplan is not something that you invent when you jump into the competition or fight. It is something that people prepare to the detail, on how they want their games to move in to their favours, based on their own expertise, their opponent's, and the environment (eg: applicable rules, cage vs ring vs street, one vs multiple opponent, etc.). Having said that, a gameplan should retain a degree of flexibility - ie: you should not force your gameplan, but rather adjust your gameplan to the conditions given during a match, which mainly achieved through preparations of plan B or even plan C should Plan A fails to score.

Now, what elements form a good gameplan?
1.) Know thyself
2.) Know thy opponent
3.) Know the battlefield

1.) Know thyself
One need to assess his or her own strength and weaknesses. What positions are you comfortable in? What moves are you well-versed with? What positions are you NOT want to be in, can you finish by points, and so on. Having a knowledge of these gives you an "area" which you should play your game in, progress, and how to finish your opponent. Spar often, and consult with your trainer on how you should play your game. As your trainer is the closest person to train with you, he should be the best person to develop your gameplan.

2.) Know thy opponent
Knowing yourself is only half the battle - even the great Sun Tzu says so. You will need to know your opponent in order to find the most efficient way of defeating him using your chosen methods, while countering his attempts of trying to nullify your game. More often than not, this is the missing component. On street situations, this cannot be helped, but on tournaments, you can watch your opponents' earlier fights and/or fight videos of competitors.

3.) Know the battlefield
The fight stage can affect the effectiveness of the chosen techniques, thus affects the way your gameplan. A cage is played differently than a ring or a mat; an concrete is different from mats, matches with leglocks are played differently than those with leglocks, and the list goes on. Therefore, be aware of where you fight and under what rule, as this can greatly affect your gameplan, and make sure these are used to your advantage, not to your disadvantage.

Ideally, a good gameplan should have all these three components to maximise your chances of winning, and as developing a gameplan is not a 1-day process, so make sure the game plans are prepared. Even not knowing your opponent, you should prepare a basic gameplan tased on elements 1 and 3. Remember, if you don't prepare to win, you're preparing for a loss.

Now, how did I end up in Melbourne in 06? Well, Nicolai drilled me on a last-minute gameplan, which gave me a win on sub and 2 losses on points, one of them only by one advantage. Not a bad result, but could've been better with more preparation.