Blue Belt

Today I was awarded a blue belt by my professor. In typical fashion, we were in the middle of warm-ups when he stops everyone and looks at one of the other students. He tells her to take off her belt. Then he tells her to stop, and turns to me standing next to him and tells me to take off my belt.

I began my Jiu-Jitsu journey just over 18 months ago. In those 18 months, I had four gout attacks to my big toes, achilles issues on both legs, shoulder, rib, finger joints and neck issues.  I competed in three tournaments as a three stripe white belt, getting one gold, two silver, and one bronze metal. In one of the tournaments, I competed in gi and no-gi. Taking the silver in gi and bronze in no-gi.

Before you say wow not bad, the gold and bronze I earned, the two silvers were consolation prizes for losing in a two man division.

More important for me, was the friendships I have mad along the way. A few of the guys I train Krav Maga with came to train BJJ at the academy. Lots of people came and left. Overall, I would say that everyone I have meet at my academy are nice decent people.

The girls at my academy are the competitors. Except for one of the purple belts and one of the guys I trained Krav with that I talked into competing, most of the consistent competitors are female. They are the ones that bring home the gold for my school.

I find it hard to motivate myself to go to class sometimes. Especially when I take my girls there for their class at 6 and don't get home from my class until 10p - 10:30p sometimes. It's a lot of sacrifice that I would not be able to do if it was not for my wife. On those training days, she picks up the girls and had to feed them, have them finish their homework, shower them, then get them into bed. And sometimes thats after she has worked a 12 hour shift at the hospital as a nurse.

Today I rolled with my professor, but I feel he gave me the submission. I rolled with a 150 yellow belt that I got three submissions on. I rolled with a single stripe white belt that I got three submissions on. I rolled with another blue belt that we each go a submission. Overall, it was a good night of Jiu-Jitsu. OSS