Edit: I originally wrote this with the understanding that OP had already recovered...

I competed a few days after recovering from covid for the second time. First 3 matches went fine. I was a little gassed during those matches, but i totally gassed on my 4th and final match.

Ultimately though, you're probably not competing in worlds right now, so any chance you have to get more experience, the better.

Any competition that's not some huge competition, at least to my mind, you should just do it for experience/conditioning sake.

I'll add to that, that the past 5+ years, I've been actively competing on a wonky shoulder, and a wonky hip. This year I'm getting them both replaced; I'm recovering from shoulder replacement surgery right now.

Even though I definitely lost some matches I otherwise think I should have won, I'm also grateful for the experience, and I'm looking forward to making a comeback in 2026.

I've competed 3 times when sick/coming down with illness. Actually won 2 regional competitions as white belt with flu symptoms and was really sick the following day on both times. The 3rd time was London BJJ open at blue belt in 2013, I got sick the day before competition and already felt like crap on the flight to London. The next day was... interesting. I remember waking up... the next memory was getting my temperature checked at the medical stand. I remember they told me "I guess you won't die with that temp. It's up to you to compete." Then I heard my name called. I hadn't warmed up at all. I remember getting matched up against River Dillon, the slap & bump... and then being stuck in a darce or anaconda. Losing the match. And the next memory is multiple hours later from the stands, waking up super groggy and feeling a bit better. Really crap still and sick, but better. The whole trip would've been ruined, but I was feeling better and trained a few hours at Roger Gracie's gym on the last night of our stay. Meeting Roger and learning from him was even more surreal than the competition "trip". (Excuse the pun.)

I would not recommend competing while sick. Just the warm up can be too much for the body. It's not worth the risks involved. Its not just the stress on the heart, but the increased injury risk. Not worth it.

Competing injured is different. I've competed with injured ribs, ankles, a broken wrist and what not. All felt better than competing sick.

Guys thanks for the replies and the advice. I made a decision that I am still going to go and support my black belt teammate but I will withdrawal on Sat of if I don’t feel it. I still have to come back and run a program on Monday and I don’t want one or two matches to set me back another week. It’s a hard decision because I have never pulled out of a match or a fight. I have competed injured but never sick. I just don’t think it’s worth it. I’ll eat the registration fee.
Thanks again guys.

The strategic play would be to find out where all of your opponents train and go train there before the tournament so that they are getting sick at the same time the tournament is happening.

I did that one time and never ever again. I thought I was ok but I gassed after 1min due to being off training for a week or two. It went to shit, I would probably have placed top 3 any other day but I had no energy. I remember looking at the time and thinking ”if this was normal sparring I would have tapped due to loss of energy” but it was 3:50 left lol.

I have been sick before some comps after that time, but I have always withdrawn if I am not 100%. It’s not fun being in a comp and not being able to do your best regardless of win or loss. It’s the feeling.

Side note. When I was younger I also had myocarditis and that my friends is not fun. I felt good but had a virus in my body and I got recked for 6 months.

I get it when people pop some wick daymed to compete at a big tournament for what they’ve prepared for long and has big impact.

But for small tournaments it’s not really worth it in my opinion. You make your opponents sick which is unnecessary and not really kind and it can worsen your condition. I know people who got heart issues (temporary) after training/competing trough a flu.

I would be pretty annoyed if my opponent was sick. Anyone with kids will understand 😄

Turned out to be COVID. I did not compete. Alittle sad but I’ll be ready for the next.

Damn, feel better!

Another good reason to avoid competing if you feel like you have a "flu" 🙂

I've ended up with pneumonia 4 times from training with people that decided it would be ok to rub their sick body all over me and drip their flu sweat in my mouth and eyes... Pneumonia sucks.

Feel better soon.