Back to the mat.
I am finally back to training on a regular basis. It took me a long time to work out a schedule that would allow me to attend class at least twice a week without giving up too much of my prime time at work. The issue is that as a personal trainer, 5-8 is the busiest time of day, most people want to work out after work. That is also the prime time for BJJ classes. I made it work though and now I am in a Gi class on Wednesday night and a No Gi class on Saturday morning. I have joined Ritchie Yip’s school, Infighting. Great class, good quality instruction, and a good all around vibe.
I have been off the mat for a year now and it feels great to be back. I am pretty rusty but I am hoping it will come back soon. I just need to drill, drill, and then drill some more. That and some light rolls should job my memory. I find that going hard right now puts me too much into survival mode and I make stupid mistakes. I need to take it slow and try to puzzle things out, not force them.
So far we have done more leg lock work already than I have ever done. Knee bars and ankle locks. These are definitely a huge hole in my game so I am super happy to be working on them. My defence specifically is terrible. Ever since I had my ankle popped in a toe hold last November I tend to tap very early to leg locks instead of trying to fight my way out. For now I am fine to play it safe like that, but I do realize that it is something I need to address in the future. Luckily, for the first time in way too long, I can truthfully say I am working on it.
