BJJ life in the uncomfort zone.
After almost four years, I still understand very little of everything Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has to offer. This year, one aspect finally fell into place: there is often a reason why a technique doesn’t work. Or several reasons. I want to tell you a bit about my lack of reliable guard passes and what I’ve learned since deciding to do something about it.
I spent a week in Pärnu doing BJJ in a multi-national, chill environment. I laughed, I cried, BJJ Globetrotters changed my life a bit.
I'm still rolling, though often starting lower than before. I've also become a bit less bad at BJJ without really knowing it.
I hope you take the time to read this argument for DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) work in BJJ and take on board some ideas to start with.
Between getting rid of my cast and another lockdown, I lived through my first period of training regularly without sparring since my beginner's course. Went to classes, saw some guys called Josh and Priit, and did a bit of actual drilling.
My leg is still a work in progress, as is my mind. We also find out if watching other people do BJJ teaches you anything.
I didn't have time to write for a while: I was too busy training and was commended on my progress. Even better: I had noticed it myself that I had become slightly less horrible at some of my weak points. My guard had become slightly more difficult to pass, for one. Now I finally have time, as I'm not allowed to move my right leg until November.
A non-binary fat disabled hapless BJJ white belt has returned to the mat after being vaccinated. What could possibly go wrong?
A semi-wistful reflection on doing stuff more than thinking about stuff you would like to do. Also I’m still alive.
There’s still a bit of a pandemic going round, so my sparring days are pretty limited at the moment. But during the brief respite Finnish contamination statistics offered during the summer, I managed to roll with a game plan. Or a limited repertoire of techniques, depending on how you look at it.