Tuesday, May 22nd is my target return-to-the-mat date.
My goal is to train twice a week from late May until early August when the book is done, and then kick things back to the way I used-to-do in time for my two-year anniversary in jiu jitsu.
2007 hasn't worked out as planned. But there is plenty of time for a strong finish in the second half. Having the book project behind me will help. And I've got to believe that whatever healing my eye needs to do will be farther along in the process in the second half of 2007 than it was in the first. I want to try the "pirate" eye patch that I'd been avoiding trying--it will limit my vision somewhat, but it will completely free my movement. So many times in the past few months I'd been afraid to move to escape or attack for fear that I'd catch a finger or a sleeve or whatever in my eye. It had gotten to the point where I would be driving to the academy muttering to myself "just don't hurt the eye ... just don't hurt the eye ..." and that kind of preoccupation is no way to roll.
With the patch I've got about 66-75% vision peripheral vision to my left without turning my head. As long as I don't have to worry a fight with new king of the head kick, Gabriel Gonzaga, then that should be a pretty minor limitation. The upside, though, is huge because I'd be able to move (read: escape) without fear of re-injury.
So that's the plan. Back on the mat in just a little over a week. I've managed to keep my weight down whilst sidelined and though I haven't worked out as regularly as I'd wanted to, the little jiu jitsu drills I've put together (my "Unplugged" series of guard techniques, for example) have helped me see some basic mechanical problems with some of the moves I've been trying (or, more accurately, avoided trying for fear of looking stupid.) We'll see. The truth, as they say, is in the tatami ...
