My First Championship Win (Sort Of)

After everything I’ve written about how I started BJJ, let me tell you about my first experience winning at a championship.

It was a local tournament in a very small town — almost a village, really. Two hours from home.

I was a white belt.
Heavyweight division.

The Setup

There were only four people in my category.

I showed up wearing a brand new white gi. Fresh out of the package.

Man, that was pure brute force. That’s all I knew at the time.

He took me down, but I reversed with a sweep and mounted him.

After a few attempts to make him tap, he managed to tip me over. But during the scramble, I was able to lock in a triangle choke.

And just like that — I won my first fight and advanced to the final.

Of course, I got obliterated in the final.

No problem at all.

At home, I just casually showed the medal to my family:

“Second place… not bad!”

Here’s the thing: I never cared that much about championships.

But the taste of winning? That’s one of the best feelings in the world.

And that’s what keeps you coming back to the mats.

Have you competed? What was your first tournament like? Drop a comment below.