2023 has been a busy and eventful year for Absolute MMA’s Alex Palomin. An active Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competitor, Alex has surpassed the 100-match mark. Alex began his Jiu Jitsu journey in 2021 at Absolute MMA as a white belt and hasn’t looked back since.
Now a blue belt, Alex has competed across Utah and the United States in different tournaments to test his grappling skills. Alex most recently took silver in the 2023 Jiu Jitsu Con No Gi championships.
Preparation leads to positive results
Alex has consistently shown his dedication to preparation for tournaments. He attends BJJ classes, drills with intent, and rolls during open mat. These are all key activities of top-level competitors and Alex is no different.
What goes into being a top competitor?
If you’re interested in competing or improving your game, below are great insights from Alex. Alex shares a range of personal experiences he gained through consistent competition.
Absolute MMA: Two questions right off the bat. How many BJJ matches do you have under your belt? And did you foresee yourself getting in this much mat time when you first walked into Absolute MMA?
Alex: As of my last tournament October 7th 2023 I have 120 matches. No, I did not see getting this far. I did not intend to compete in MMA or Jiu Jitsu when I started. Competition wasn’t something I enjoyed in high school sports the few times I did a sport. So when I decided to try out the Absolute MMA gym I was going in to have a variety in my workouts and because I did enjoy wrestling in high school but this way there wouldn’t be pressure to compete or be at the tip-top. Weight lifting and running soon became less of a priority (even if I should be doing both to excel in Jiu Jitsu).
I soon realized that competing was a way to truly challenge myself with techniques I learned/learning or the style I was or am using. The competition nerves are there but the only intention of my early competitions was to put my skills to the test against similar level strangers. Since then my direction in competition has changed. A big portion is testing my skill but now there seems to be more desire to win and excel. The desire to compete has grown especially when there are matches I lose. I am chasing improvements and challenges and to beat those challenges.
Absolute MMA: What were your thoughts going into your 100th match?
Alex: It was my finals match for one of my divisions that day. It wasn’t an exceptional match. I was confident I would win the match, with little doubt, if any. Competing at world levels in my weight and belt class has made me not as nervous for individual matches. My nerves kind of end after the first match of the particular division or day. Even if I am worried about a particular match the nerves are not there like early on in the day. I went into the match and played my game.
Absolute MMA: What motivates you to keep showing up to class and continue drilling? Do you have a routine to help you stay focused?
Alex: Unless something comes up that forces me to not go then I just go. It is part of my routine. It is more about discipline than about motivation and desire to progress. I lose matches and that means I have room for improvement. I win matches and there are mistakes made that could have made me not win, ways I could do things more efficiently and/or show gaps in my game. I feel like I still know nothing because constantly seeing more details that I didn’t understand before was holding me back. The art aspect is something that keeps me interested in admiring its beauty.
Absolute MMA: What adjustments have you made to your grappling game now that you’re more experienced? Have you made any changes to your strategies and tactics as you transitioned from white belt to blue belt?
Alex: I have had more adjustments during blue belt than I did from changing from white to blue. I only had 4 tournaments and 26 matches at white. My mindset on competing has switched from just learning to chasing challenges and seeking wins. This doesn’t mean that people shouldn’t compete if they just want to learn or have other goals but it is where I am at. I am looking for the wins and the challenges but learning from tournament matches is a big part of that.
Lifting weights was something I was more focused on at the very beginning but it was sidetracked due to time concerns I have refocused on making sure I lift on top of getting mat time. I have reviewed more matches with my coach and professor to gain more insight into my mistakes. Listening to coaching has been more of a priority during matches. It is not easy when in a match but when I have isolated the voices of coaches in matches, I tend to do better.
Absolute MMA: You’ve competed in different tournaments across the country. Which tournament experience was your favorite?
Alex: Competing at JitsCon the last two years has been both rewarding and challenging. I took silver both times in No Gi but a first round loss in Gi both times. This last time I had really wanted to win. I had trained hard for it and felt prepared but I still wasn’t quite enough. I improved in both performances. This time I had a closer match in Gi than the previous year and in No Gi the following day I had more drive and fought off a very tough kimura attempt in round one and with a straight ankle that although the two had not been able to break or finish made me feel it the next day.
In the first match, almost losing with seconds on the clock and winning with a 0-30 score with me set to lose by points with an Arm bar I wanted to win and that mindset helped push me through tough matches. The matches in No Gi had challenged my endurance and my mindset. Seeing the improvement was something I was proud of even if I didn’t quite make it to the top.
Absolute MMA: What advice would you give to someone thinking about competing in BJJ?
Alex: Do it.
Really it is that simple. Competing is not for everyone like the professor always says but you really don’t know till you try. Prepare hard for your endurance because there isn’t much comparison to what adrenaline does to your body when competing. Fight at a comfortable weight class. Do your best and go out and fight with what you got. Win, great, look for the mistakes and the gaps and what you could improve to be more efficient and dominate. Lose, look for the mistakes and the gaps and what you improve to win.
Not much difference in the next actions whether I win or lose, but the feeling of wanting to have done better and the drive to push my limits is greater. One thing is for sure “we will all see you back in the gym on Tuesday ”(paraphrased from either Lyndsie or Tom, two of my fellow teammates and friends who compete A LOT alongside me), or whatever day you train next in your schedule.
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