How to warm up for competition

I believe a solid comp warm up should consist of three parts:

Sweat, Breath, Mantra

Sweat: Allocate enough time before your first match to get a solid sweat going. If you’re warming up solo, I highly recommend a jump rope (solid addition to your gear bag).If you have a partner, focus on fast paced drilling. Get your fast twitch muscles firing. You should walk on to those mats with at least a few beads of sweat falling off your forehead.

Breath: A breathwork practice will not only open up the lungs, but will calm the nervous system and allow you to focus on performing at your best. Start with 20-30 full breaths. Then focus on deep inhales followed by a long hold. (Deep inhale. Hold for 30 seconds to a minute. Repeat a few times.)

Mantra: Finally, give yourself a phrase that keeps you focused on what is important. It is common for all athletes to have negative thoughts before a competition. Think of a mantra that will keep your mind in a strong place. Replace every negative thought with your mantra and when the time comes for you to step on those mats, you will be locked in, focused and ready to run through your opponent.