Why am ı gassed out in competition but not in training

[Katsuda]

Before starting, English is not my main language so if ı do any mistakes in the text please ignore it.

So i'm an mma fighter who is 15 yo 125 lbs 5'3. I decied joining competitions in other martial arts like Sanda , Boxing Muay Thai etc. and yesterday ı fought in my first non mma tournament which is Wushu Sanda.

My weight class was 9 people with me ı won the first fight. But lost the second fight because i gassed out. The thing is i never gas out or get tired in training altough i do 3 training per day which is 18:15 wrestling, 19:15 bjj, 20:30 mma

and i barely take like 3-4 rounds off total and never gas out. But in the match i gassed out in the half of the 2nd round and i lost. I couldn't get why am i gassed out too fast neither my coaches couldn't. And i don't easily gas out in mma tournaments btw


If you have any suggestions or ideas please share with me.

 

[Simfers]

Sounds like an adrenaline dump to me. Competition and training are entirely different beasts, no matter how intense your training.

Also, experience in one type of competition (in your case, MMA) doesn't make you immune to nerves (and the adrenaline dump that entails) when you compete in a different type (in this case, Sanda) for the first time. It's still something new and different, no matter how similar it may be. The unknown is unnerving.

Your second time out will likely already be much better, since you'll at least know what to expect. You'll also be aware that you might gas out and be more conscious of your pace.

Keep at it, you'll do great!

 

[isshinryuronin]

1. A fight (real or competitive) is naturally more stressful than training. Stress burns energy.

2. You are young, excitable and inexperienced. It takes time to learn to relax under such stress.

3. Training allows you to relax here and there. In a fight you are generally always in a state of tension, physically and mentally.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

Adrenaline dump. This is totally normal. Your brain takes an actual fight in competition way more seriously than sparring in practice. Your body dumps a huge amount of adrenaline and other stress hormones into your body, you tense up, your breathing goes out of control, and you exert yourself to the fullest in a very short time instead of pacing yourself the way you would in normal sparring.

I’ve seen it many times in new fighters and I’ve experienced it myself. One of the biggest advantages experienced fighters have is that they’ve learned to control that excitement and let enough of it flow to give them the surge in speed and power that adrenaline can supply without letting so much through that they gas out in the first minute.

Part of the answer is just experience. The more competitions you have under your belt, the less your system will freak out. But you can speed the process along with visualization exercises. Try closing your eyes and replaying the initial moments of your first fight. See if you can recreate that surge of emotion, the quickened heart rate. Then immediately work to slow down your breath, relax, and imagine going through the fight calmly and technically, sticking to your game plan rather than just reacting emotionally. If you incorporate this into your practice you will improve your chances of remembering to calm down, control your breathing and not be overwhelmed by the adrenaline dump in your next match.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

If you have any suggestions or ideas please share with me.

Aggressive approach:

If you can put your opponent in defense mode, you will be more relax. Try to throw punches from multiple angles (such as right jab, left cross, right hook, left hook, right uppercut, left uppercut, right overhand, ...) to keep your opponent busy.

Conservative approach:

You can use your

- kick/sweep to keep your opponent outside of your kicking range.
- long guard to keep your fists close to your opponent's head than your opponent's fists to be close to your head. Try to intercept your opponent's punches farther away from your head.

 

[Sammy Naur]

So I'm going add a bit to the adrenaline dump and provide some pointers.

Your kidneys produce adrenaline (your lower back), and your brain, endocrine, and digestive system are closely connected as well.

When you're training most things, you're kind of relaxed. You are listening, trying to learn etc. maybe now and then you engage in something intense like randori, sparring etc.

But when your body isn't used to regular adrenaline doses, you will not feel ok. It's a sudden shot of hot animal. And, it's not even healthy long term. Adrenaline, cortisol... These are stress chemicals that do a number on your body.

You're also 15, your lungs and organs are still growing.

So like Tony and others said, the best prep you can do is to recognize the feeling. Honestly, controlled breathing is one of the best defenses, beyond being well hydrated.

You are experiencing a shock to your body system, and in a fighting context, very few people experience this in a controlled fashion. Over time you'll get better at dealing with it, like getting better at taking a fist in the face. It's not a fun ride, my friend, but you will prevail.

 

[Katsuda]

I rewatched the fights the one that ı win and ı lost.

The one that ı win is really good. My performance, cardio is really good no mistake or problem at all. But the second fight was the next day. So ı was a litte tired because of first fight. Second fight was at 9.30 in morning it was second fight of the day.

I didn't eat anything, so ı didn't do breakfeast and ı was really hungry. First round goes well i dominate and in the second round through the last seconds of round. my opponent rocks me then i shoot a single leg while he throws a kick and ı got hit with a knee. ı totally forgot about that knee ı remembered it when i rewatched the fight.

İn the third round im totally gassed out hands down just trying to survive. And after the third is round over ı lay down to rest a bit. And ı can't get up. I just can't ı am totally councious but ı can't get up. My coaches carried me away from mat they gave me some sugar. Then ı started to recover. But my head and vision was a little weird and ı struggled to walk straight for like 25 minutes. I can drop video if its allowed.

 

[drop bear]

You also need to be aware of your gas tank and maintain it tactically as well as physically.

You can gas out no matter how fit you are. I have seen guys do 1 minute rounds. And because they just thrashed for that minute. They were rooted afterwards.

A common example is getting tired and instead of expending energy on footwork They get caught up in bomb throwing exchanges. Which is a lot more taxing for the result you get.