The next 6 months that followed were not all that exceptional (with a few exceptions). I worked each class as hard as I could and there were several small annoying injuries that interfered. One of the things that I noticed that improved was my balance and the beginning stirrings of understanding how to "feel".
In BJJ, it is sometimes more important to feel than see, as things are happening all around you in a sense, as one is rolling with your partner. It was just the beginnings, though, and something that is going to take me a long time to get good at. For me, any small advances arrive slow and long where for others it is just natural and a few people in my class seem like they were born with it. This is another indication that every step that I take in BJJ always seems to be a hard earned one.
That's totally ok, because if I look at why I do BJJ, I can see the advantages. The times that I get injured and need to take some time off are a PITA and when I get back, normally feel slower and it takes me longer to get into the swing of things internally. My lady surprisingly noticed something that I did not... that after coming back to class from any kind of hiatus, I come back a little mad, angry and frustrated and that this lessens the more I go. That's a very watchful girl, I'll have to keep my eye on her a bit more.
There are a few memorable things that happened, however, and though I just never see or feel it, my instructor does think that I am advancing.
August 28th, 2013... it's belt test time again and I received my 3rd stripe. Of course I am still feeling unworthy, but like last time, I nearly missed it. I already had the Gi top off and was packing away my camera equipment (I was taking pics again for the school), and was called up and given the 3rd stripe.
The picture was taken with my camera courtesy of Mat "Chaps" Chaput, one of my friends at the BJJ school, who was nice enough to offer to help me capture the moment. This is a recurring theme in my life... I am near always the one capturing the moment of others, but rarely have the pleasure of getting my moments captured.
Thanks to him, I have a nice souvenir of the moment.
That day I have to admit, I was doing very well, especially in the positional challenge matches, where I managed to surprise a couple of blue belts and also managed to remain on the mat without being "beaten" until a co-instructor asked me to come off and give others a chance. Ok, looking back at that moment and at how badly I sucked the first week when I started, yeah, I guess that I have improved.
"Next step is blue belt my friend!"
The highlight of 2013 was the 4th stripe for me. Up until I received the 4th stripe, in my mind, it was never a possibility that I would *ever* attain a blue belt, but as I received the 4th stripe, and Syl, my friend and instructor congratulated me, he also let me know that "blue belt is next my friend...", and my breath kinda caught. Maybe it *is* possible!
It had just sunk in that this impossible dream of me wearing a blue belt was maybe not all that impossible, was it?
Yeah... maybe if I keep pushing, if I keep trying, I *might* get to that belt next year, but I need to really work harder and smarter. The thing is, I am pretty much at my max in terms of number of times I can go in a week and by how fast I can grow. I am a pretty slow learner, but the words of my mother (God bless her, ever the voice of reason... lol), rung true.
"You are over 50 years old, Jerry and you are very good for who and what you are. You don't go there to compete or beat people up, you seem to enjoy it and you are loosing weight and look and feel better, and you really seem to enjoy it, so that is why you go...."
Ok, yes, I go for all those things, but pride (that thing that I must never have a lot of), also chimes in a little and says I go because I should one day be good enough to be able to protect my friends and family if I ever was placed in a bad situation... though I hope that that is something that I never find out.
The date was December 14th, 2013 right around 3:15PM, and that is when I received my 4th stripe.
2014 started off with a series of ups and downs for me. Work came hard and fast the first few months then slowed down. My BJJ started off the first couple months of the new year very well, and then I managed to injure that right collar bone again. I had really hurt it last year and it took a good 6 months to heal, but it was not too bad.
This time, however, it has bugged me for a good two months and not gotten any better. Matter of fact, it hit so hard that I was unable to lift my right hand higher than my shoulder, and only that high with a lot of pain.
I know almost exactly when it happened and how I made it worse. About a month ago, I was rolling and got arm-barred. It was a very tight one. The following day I did my first private class and over exerted there too. The following night was bad, as I could not sleep because of the pain, same thing for the following 2 more nights, then it eased off. I missed one class, and then went back, and it came back and haunted me for another 3 nights of pain.
Now, almost 4 weeks have passed, it is a lot better, but not. I can use the arm, but not lift it nor use it totally pain free and I am afraid to re-injure it again, not because of the pain, but because of me necessarily missing another week of BJJ.
I've made the decision to try to go for the impossible, the blue belt, this July belt test, but if I keep missing out on classes... it won't happen. Not sure what to do about that.
I did not go to the doctor this time, I knew what it was and roughly how long it would take to heal, though to be wrong here would be a good thing... no one needs to be out of the game for months because of this stupid kind of injury.
Ending on a good note!
Oh, I want to end this blog entry on a good note. Those that have read from the beginning will know who he is when I speak about Fred. Fred was the first guy that I ever rolled with and who I see today as a good friend and great partner to roll with. He always has my safety in mind, but is a damn fine practitioner of BJJ and one helluva fine technical blue belt.
A while back, Fred bought this new blue belt, it was unlike any I have ever seen. The material was not the standard kind but was a belt made in the same fashion like a Gi, in a pearl weave format and design. This makes the belt both softer, but thicker and heavier a little... it looks really good. When I saw it, I asked him where he got it, and we chatted about it a while.
About two weeks ago, now that I was planning to really go for the blue in the July test, I wanted to order a belt like Fred's and so, since I forgot the brand name, I asked him again, but noticed that he was wearing another one. He told me that he changed his belt for one a bit shorter, and I mentioned that I liked that pearl weave design and was going to order it and give it to Syl to hold for me until I earned it.
Just like that, Fred said for me not to buy it, that he would give me his belt... he had worn it just a few times and it was as good as new. Now, there was now way that I would accept such a gift, but Fred stoutly refused any kind of payment for it... but I know that one way or another, I will return the favor to him.
I'd like to show you a pic of the belt, but unfortunately, I already gave it to my instructor. The next best thing I can do is show you a pic that I found on the internet of one just like it:
Very cool, and one day. this is the belt that I hope to wear!
Last good note that I want to share. As of about a month now, my school has changed locations. It is a little closer, but more importantly, it is in a much better location and is bigger. We now have a larger changing areas, two toilets, washers/dryers, more rolling area and it is overall so much better. Syl even took the time and expense to change the walls from the same colour of blue to a very much better looking yellow. What a GREAT place to train!!
That's it for now... more to come later!
No comments:
Post a Comment