• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Breaking Muscle

Breaking Muscle

Breaking Muscle

  • Fitness
  • Workouts
    • Best Shoulder Workouts
    • Best Chest Workouts
    • Best Leg Workouts
    • Best Leg Exercises
    • Best Biceps Exercises
    • Best Kettlebell Exercises
    • Best Back Workouts
    • Best HIIT Workouts
    • Best Triceps Exercises
    • Best Arm Workouts
  • Reviews
    • Supplements
      • Best Pre-Workouts
      • Best Whey Protein
    • Equipment
      • Best Home Gym Machines
    • Certifications
      • ISSA Review
  • News
  • Exercise Guides
    • Legs
      • Back Squat
      • Bulgarian Split Squat
      • Goblet Squat
      • Zercher Squat
      • Standing Calf Raise
      • Hack Squat
    • Chest
      • Bench Press
      • Dumbbell Bench Press
      • Close-Grip Bench Press
      • Incline Bench Press
    • Shoulders
      • Overhead Dumbbell Press
      • Lateral Raise
    • Arms
      • Chin-Up
      • Weighted Pull-Up
      • Triceps Pushdown
    • Back
      • Deadlift
      • Trap Bar Deadlift
      • Lat Pulldown
      • Inverted Row
      • Bent-Over Barbell Row
      • Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
      • Pendlay Row
Fitness

My First Competition as a Purple Belt (Athlete Journal 59)

I competed at my first tournament as a purple belt on Saturday, and I took second place in the division.

Jess Papi

Written by Jess Papi Last updated on November 15, 2014

I competed at my first tournament as a purple belt on Saturday, and I took second place in the division!

Tournament Day

The day started with an eight o’clock wake-up and a two-hour drive to King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. When we got to the venue, I weighed in and sat with the rest of the team to make sure everything was in order. We had four competitors from our school, including two who were first-time competitors, so I wanted to make sure they were feeling good and knew what was going on. Shortly after we settled in, I decided to get my gi pants on and start warming up with our other female competitor, Courtney.

After a little bit of waiting it was finally time to fight. My division had three women. It was a pleasant surprise to have three purple belt women at a smaller tournament like that. The other two ladies fought first, so I had some extra time to stretch and receive some wisdom from the boyfriend/coach Frank.

RELATED: From the Experts: How to Attract and Retain Women in BJJ

My First Match

When my first match got called, I felt ready and confident. My opponent and I walked out to the center of mat, listened to the referee explain the rules, and shook hands. The referee started the match and we both gripped up for our takedowns. I attempted to snap her down a few times, but I failed. She ended up going in for a hip toss, and I was able to take her back off of it.

After some fighting, she was able to slide her hips to the floor, so I climbed up for mount. Because she had my foot trapped, I was able to get the rolling back take. I have been drilling that one for a long time, and it felt so good to hit it in a tournament. I finished the match with a rear naked choke, but she gave me a good fight. I definitely give her props because I can tell she put in a lot of work.

RELATED: The Rear Naked Choke – What Happens When You Get Choked Out

After my first match, the ref let me know that I could take my time and we would start the next match when I was ready. I think I took about fifteen minutes, which was long enough to clear my head, but short enough so that I didn’t cool down all the way. I felt ready to take on the next challenge.

Second Match

My second match was against a woman I already know and have a lot of respect for, Gillian Silver. I knew we were bound to have an epic battle. The match started with some grip fighting and some takedown attempts. It was refreshing to actually stand up with both of my opponents, rather than having to fend off the guard pull.

“The reason I respect Gillian so much is because she works hard in silence and lets her talent shine through during competition. You can tell how hard she works just by rolling with her.”

She was able to get double underhooks and take me down. Luckily, I landed with my closed guard. I was able to shoot a decent armbar, but it just didn’t cut it. After a scramble I ended up inside her guard, where she shot a great armbar. I tapped, and we hugged.

The reason I respect Gillian so much is because she works hard in silence and lets her talent shine through during competition. You can tell how hard she works just by rolling with her. Plus, she’s a genuinely nice person. I like nice people.

Going Home

Scranton MMA ended up taking six medals home that day. Our first-time competitors, Chris and Courtney, put in the work and had the guts to get out there, which constitutes a champion in my mind. One of our blue belts, Tyler, fought his heart out and won his matches with a humble attitude. We truly have a great team at Scranton MMA.

READ: The Gentle Art of Humility: Ego and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

My next competition will be the Ultimate Grapplers’ Challenge in Reading, Pennsylvania on December 6th. We plan on bringing a big group of first-time competitors that day, so it should be a lot of fun. Thanks for reading, guys. I’ll see you next week!

Jess Papi is a blue belt at Scranton MMA and also pursuing her degree in exercise science. Read her entries every week for insights on competing, training, and juggling BJJ and life.

Photos courtesy of D-Kline Design Photography.

Jess Papi

About Jess Papi

Jess Papi got her start in the martial arts world by joining a women’s only muay Thai class when she was fifteen years old. After about a year of striking classes, she started taking sporadic jiu jitsu classes, but mostly focused on her muay Thai training. A handsome young man by the name of Frank always attended the classes even though he did not like striking very much. They ended up training together a lot and he suggested to her that she train jiu jitsu more often. Jess took his advice and started going to three jiu jitsu classes per week. Jess Papi officially started her jiu jitsu career in 2011. Not long after, she started her relationship with Frank Alogna, one of the jiu jitsu instructors at Scranton MMA.

Jess is a blue belt from Scranton MMA, a Royce Gracie affiliate in Pennsylvania. As a white belt she competed in a few tournaments, but her real love for competing did not come about until a year after getting her blue belt. She has earned medals at small scale local tournaments and international IBJJF competitions. She is proudly sponsored by Girl-Jitsu.

Jess is currently enrolled at the University of Scranton and is studying exercise science. She aspires to become a physical therapist and use her skills to help understand and treat injuries that occur frequently on the grappling mats.

View All Articles

Recommended Articles

screenshot2014-12-30at113049am
Varying Squat Stance for Quad Development (Athlete Journal 121)
On the Other Side of a Belt Promotion (Athlete Journal 64)
screenshot2014-12-23at22546pm
Extreme Effort Is Only Temporary (Athlete Journal 120)
jess papi
Building Confidence as a BJJ Practitioner (Athlete Journal 63)

Primary Sidebar

Latest Articles

Phillip Herndon Squats 412.7 Kilograms (910 Pounds) For New Massive Personal Record

Justin Medeiros Walks Through a Full Tour of His Home Gym Before CrossFit Season

Powerlifter Jimmy Kolb Logs 612.5-Kilogram (1,350.3-Pound) Equipped Bench Press World Record

The Ultimate Back and Biceps Workout for Every Lifter From Beginner to Advanced

Latest Reviews

ISSA Personal Trainer Certification Review

ISSA Personal Trainer Certification Review

Best Whey Proteins for Packing on Muscle, Shredding Down, Meal Replacement, and More

Best Pre-Workouts for Building Muscle, Running, Taste, and More

Best Home Gym Machines

Best Home Gym Machines

woman lifting barbell

Be the smartest person in your gym

The Breaking Muscle newsletter is everything you need to know about strength in a 3 minute read.

I WANT IN!

Breaking Muscle is the fitness world’s preeminent destination for timely, high-quality information on exercise, fitness, health, and nutrition. Our audience encompasses the entire spectrum of the fitness community: consumers, aficionados, fitness professionals, and business owners. We seek to inform, educate and advocate for this community.

  • Reviews
  • Healthy Eating
  • Workouts
  • Fitness
  • News

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS Feed

© 2023 · Breaking Muscle · Terms of Use · Privacy Policy · Affiliate Disclaimer · Accessibility · About