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Edit: Immediately after this post California issued a Stay At Home order for Southern California with (at the time) a 12% near max hospital ICU capacity. It is now 10%. The manager of the Warehouse in out district, next to us tested positive last week. And today I just found out one of my coworkers tested positive. I did test yesterday with a letter to stay home for five days, new protocol maybe, so waiting results on that. So it can’t get any more real than that. I’ll be training at home for a few weeks.

A weeping man endures for a night, but joy comes n the morning. -Psalm 30:5

I went to class today O.O

Oh C’mon you didn’t think this Covid could scare this purple belt away.. (I’ve sinned) 😀

I know I know..I’m dumb, stupid, irresponsible.. but listen up, read on to my reasoning here, as I try to explain my Jujitsu madness.

I’m really only training once a week, or have been. Initially not on purpose but I think it’s been working out. One, I’m in less contact with the group, and it puts a lot less unwanted stress on my body, mind and soul. ESPECIALLY during these trying times.

Is my rate of growth slowed down.. yeah, I do miss classes during the week. But we’re in special circumstances right now. Monitor your health, pay close attention to the guys you roll with, and wash (heck sanitize) your hands immediately after class!!

Great workout today, I nearly passed out putting the mats away. Professor shared some of his patent moves and two BIG rounds of rolling..first one 13 minutes.. wow.

Coworker called in with a fever, went and got tested waiting for results. the warehouse manager next to us went home not feeling good.. now all of a sudden I’m washing my ands more often than I ever have. And in the news California is setting even more records for daily positives.. 8 months later since the shit hit the fan here..and we’re still setting daily records..WTF. News that the Govender of California, Gavin Newsom will most likely shut down California again on the radio all week. https://deadline.com/2020/12/california-coronavirus-governor-gavin-newsom-regional-stay-at-home-order-1234649940/

And the wife, yeah the wife, wondering out loud why I choose to jeopardize the safety of our family by not staying home. I ignore her all weak and with some bravado call out the guys on our message app with a meme of a cricket.. everyone’s quiet. Probably eerie of the news the same. And As I dress for class and prepare to leave, I kiss the wife. I hardly do that before leaving. And driving to class the news…the news.. that freakn news.. sying how people are just tired of it, tired of the covid dictating how life is gonna be, continuing as normal, socializing in groups as nothing ever happened, they’re the ones getting the Covid.

I decide to pull over, 5 minutes from class, at the AM PM. Some guy is watching me drive slow probably thinking I’m a nut because I must’ve had a bewildered look in my face, one of huge indecision. I park, and decide, to go home.

And if your read my last post..you knew I wasn’t gonna be away to long..right? Funny how growing concerns for Covid rise yet people don’t mind shopping on the busiest day of the entire year. o.O

Did my damage to the liver this Thanksgiving, half a bottle of Tequila. And it was good.. I just wanted a shot to mellow me out but this HORNITOS BLACK BARREL TEQUILA tasted really good, little squeezer of lime and salt, and it was on.

Paid for it on (the next day) Friday, not the meanest of hangovers, but it was a hangover. Didn’t feel good till dinner. Family went out shopping I was home resting my liver, rehydrating. And then I missed jujitsu. Weird, I was already sort of down missing two weeks with the thought of missing till January. And hitting the tequila, kinda made me feel I went two months back instead of two weeks. But it’s the holidays, should I be that hard on myself?

Saturday… I just said.. “I’m going to jujitsu.” wife answers, “Be careful.” With just a cup of coffee in me, two glasses of water, I go.

We covered some basic techniques that I’ve seen before, (Professor using them) yet never really practiced. I just knew that I would need to do these simple counters 100 times to engrain them without thinking about it during the ROLL. I sometimes wish we just did that during class. Professor loves teaching seminar style. And there was a lot shown today. Up to me to practice at home.

We did three 7 minute rounds in a row, no rest, switching partners in between.

• 

Seems to be polar opposites on how Covid 19 is viewed upon within the Brazilian Jujitsu community. Either you out till the sun comes up, (maybe next summer), or your in like the Swedish Experiment and just letting the dust settle where it does.

I however am sort of caught in between. I missed the last two training sessions for the recent 2nd wave warnings that the news has been putting out. Takes forever to find your rhythm, and to save my wife’s worst fears I stay home. Just did a 45 minute warm up to exhaustion. I go till my underlying shirt gets fully wet and my breathing labored. At least I have my mats.

And before the bad news (from the television news), I’d always (and still) cringe at the Professors announcement of “there’s a new guy coming in tonight” … WHY!!!

I stumbled on a really good jujitsu video today. I like Ryan Hall’s style and didn’t know much about him till I started this journey again. I think I’m on a year and a half back, could be two years back, still a short time if you ask me. (Too think if I stayed doing this when I started in 1996..oh well, I’m doing it now…still), There’s suppose to be a Thanksgiving roll this Thursday.. 50 50 on that notion.. we’ll see.

This video represents the essence of Brazilian Jujitsu..

They say the purple belt is given when your instructor feels your taking jujitsu seriously, your not going anywhere, your in it for the long haul.

Rolled with professor today and after class was given some ideas and tips to work on. he’s given me a blueprint. and probably a major black belt tip that if I wasn’t paying attention, might have missed on

keep them unbalanced…

A lots happened since my last post, at my lowest I was getting tapped out by everyone..and I mean everyone… and at my highest I was finishing class with energies to spare.

We are back with the gi and I never would have thought I’d miss it as much as I did, especially this year. I feel like I have an edge now, I’m able to slow down the engagement (collar and sleeve control) and speed it up when I’m ready for it. I’m at a point were I’m just getting comfortable rolling. I use to get a little anxious and feel a little concerned on the outcome, and I shouldn’t. The outcome should be the least of my worries. The biggest worry would and should be, will I leave not learning a thing.

This month celebrates my one year as a Purple Belt. I was terrified when I got it, I looked online searching, what does it mean to be a Purple belt and there were two things that stood out of the many replies and answers that I found, Here’s the first one..Purple are Blue belts that realize they don’t know shit. I felt better reading that. And the main thing that made me feel comfortable… If your coach, professor, instructor feels that you are a purple belt, that alone should be good enough.

So at the one year mark I feel like I’ve gained some ground and maturity in my new rank. I’m starting to believe it in my core. I can give brown belts a good hard technical roll and white belts feel like punching bags to me. Both have their place in my growth. I appreciate both with the same vigor.

My main goal this year is to conserve as much energies as possible during the roll. Grab what’s available and let go what’s not.

Here’s an interesting tournament, coming this November in Arizona. No points, submission only. Ends in a tie? Then you take turns taking the back with hooks in until someone submits…cash prize for winner of their division.

https://wsojj.com/

In my young days, preparing for tournaments was hours of rolling… One or two technical position review the rolling, and more rolling.

I’m in my 50’s now…. I’m nervous about the days to come… Excited to help these kids and nervous how my body will react to the elevated intensity. We’ll see .

Interesting how different rolling partners can change the energy of the roll.. last night’s session with our Brown Belt was mostly technical, nothing that required brute strength, I love those kind of rolls, you get to think and digest the situation.

With the white belt… different story..lol, they’re usually out to prove their place in the hiarechy.. I was able to tap the guy quickly three times but you know that attacking at our age usually requires ENERGY… and it drained quick… He ended up in side mount with half a half guard to save me… The three tap outs gone with the embarrassing side mount… Shit happens..

Was supposed to or was planning a next day morning session.. and … was glad the wife asked me to help do the inlaws yard…lol.. couple beers afterwards.. all good…great weekend. Not training for a tournament. Got to place myself.. 😁

October is around the corner..even as we enter the month of September, everyone still training, in the back of their minds knows what this means….GI Training.

60 percent of the class disappears during the summer months, and with reason! The summer heat, no Gi Grappling, and this year..the double headed dragon the world knows best as, the deadly Covid Virus.

Things are calming down here in the valley and new and old training partners are slowly coming back to the mats here at the private training center.

Few weeks left for me to home in some much needed skills, I’ve lost so much knowledge. I feel like two people training sometimes, as if I’m Jason Bourne with amnesia, my body reacts with energy and skill that I’ve forgotten, I fall into areas of unknown during my rolls. The day my mind syncs with my body…I will be a BEAST.

So October is coming… The new year it seems like, the year of the Gi.

Ever roll with the Professor and feel like you’ve had your best effort in a long time….and still get your ass kicked? All the time. 😂

Professor has been resting his back, and took some time of rolling. Until tonight. His game was spot on, I got destroyed.

It’s great to roll with higher ranks, the battle for space is clearly at another level.

I’m sleeping good tonight 😁