Gratitude

One of the great joys of jiu-jitsu after almost nine years of training is rolling with white and blue belts. Many times, white belts and blue belts are the only ones I feel like training with.

There is something incredible at the nexus of knowing no jiu-jitsu (beyond a basic introduction) and knowing a little jiu-jitsu. If you teach, nothing is a better guide to future lessons than to spend as much time in this universe as possible.

I wrote awhile back that the key to being a happy black belt was keeping your "blue belt self" in mind at all times. This is a version of that.

Me and My Big Blue (Belt) Self

Very much looking forward to some time off over the winter holiday stretch (Xmas through New Years). It will be a working week and a half in some senses; I've got my first major report due for Contact in about a month and I don't see getting it done without a little labor over the holidays. But some days beneath the desert sun will no doubt do me some good as I gear up for what I hope will be a far more active 2014 than 2013.

I'm just now fully realizing how much adjusting to the new job has affected my ability and inclination to train. It's no surprise that after four and a half years of doing things one way, it was going to take some adjustment time before I could start comfortably doing things another way.

I've been sorting through goals over the past few days, things I want to accomplish in 2014. No point in spilling beans here when I've got some percolating to do in Sonora. But it is fair to say that "fewer, better" and training with my "Blue Belt Self" in mind will be themes for the coming year.