Marcelo advocates for remaining present and harnessing situational awareness while competing: Develop your sensitivity not only to your opponent, but also to everything happening around you; don't blindly bumble down a narrow tunnel and forget about your periphery. Focus on every conceivable aspect of the match, e.g. your coach and team's instructions, your opponent's coaching, the boundaries of your bout, the time left on the clock, the friction (or lack thereof) of your footing, et cetera. When training, practice this vigilance by remaining aware of your surroundings at all times. Not only is this applicable for real-life self-defense scenarios, it is also an important part of staying safe, healthy and injury-free when sharing mat-space with your class. Sometimes if you solely fixate on a single particular element of the fight (like submitting your opponent), you can miss an important cue or signal that might help you avoid something bad from happening (like getting submitted, or worse).