I was standing in the shower last night after training, my left leg bruised, my ears burning a little and the groin injury throbbing slightly. I was thinking about how some people have really improved at our dojo and some have just remained static or its hard to see if they have got better. It occurred to me that as with anything else, what you put in, you get back. Jiu jitsu seems moreso. The techniques are intricate and precise and require a lot of time to remember, never mind master. I like the fact that jiu-jitsu not only keeps my body in shape, but also my brain. This is very important to me as I approach 40 and the cells in my brain begin to die off through atrophy and such. On the other hand, there are many times I think of quitting jiu-jitsu. Why? because it is hard. Every time I step on the mats, I am battling against being submitted in a situation that can feel unnatural and uncomfortable to most people. I think I have almost got rid of the feeling of discomoft and pain doing sparring but it sometimes comes back to hit me in the arse. Take last night for example. I was sparring with Atsushi who has 10 kg on me. He took the back and pressed me out. I protected my neck well but his weight was simply crushing me down into my elbows. I told myself not to tap but the pressure on my lungs was really intense so I tapped because I was short of breath. It was not a fun feeling.
There were only a few of us again last night. Some are still recovering from their climb up Mt. Fuji which took 12 hours from one of the mid stations. Wish I had gone but the schedule of training, driving there then climbing it just seemed a bit barbaric to me :) Perhaps 15 years ago I would have been game. Last night, I mostly tried to work for the airplane throw, retaining full guard, preventing passes in open guard and sweeping from half guard.
Sparring time: 6 x 6 mins = 36 mins
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