Competed for the first time in Judo — here is what I learned

After 9 months of training Judo I entered my first competition. I lost. It was the best thing that's happened to my development in the sport.

Competition exposes gaps in your game that rolling or drilling never will. My newaza ground work fell apart under pressure. My understanding of grip fighting was theoretical, not instinctive. I came home with a specific list of things to fix, which is more valuable than any win. landing a clean ippon throw was what I took away from the experience beyond the tactical lessons. If your gym trains you for competition, do it. It will accelerate you.