Marcelo shares his advice for how much time to take off for recovery before a major tournament: Taper down on the intensity and risk-taking aspects of your training several days prior to competing; accidentally getting hurt or exacerbating a previously sustained injury will prove detrimental to your chances of a successful performance. Instead, focus on staying sharp and building confidence within the limits of your known game. Likewise, you can take the time to heal up any minor problems by taking time off the mats right before the day of a tournament or match. Although pushing your limits is a big part of improving yourself in training, doing so too close to when you need to be healthy and functional can be disastrously foolhardy.