Tim was promoted to yellow belt and told me he had to live up to it. That was

the best news since Covid started. Remote-learning helped to keep the fire alive

for one year but could not replace sparring. We came back on the mat to find a 

couple of his mates who trained in person through the pandemic had improved

greatly. Consistency was the key. 

Except for a few black and brown belts, I probably am the oldest in the gym.

But I don't feel it and I train happily with kids three decades younger and get 

submitted. 80% of the students are able to submit me, but I don't compare myself

with them and frankly I don't care. After three months, my shoulders and neck

have adapted well and no longer feel lasting pain and I have learnt through

painful experiences to better protect my arms. I have paid attention to

breathing and relaxation and recent rolls have become much smoother.

Professor Eric adviced the white belts to simply try to survive for the first

two years and he himself did it for four years. Progress felt real nonetheless

as more than one partners confirmed. Michael said I was getting calmer. Anthony

said my transition was good. Will said my defense was strong and I was getting

better. I felt I was getting out of the initial fight-or-flight stage.

My experience has proved the more detailed advices from the masters, i.e., for a

white belt, the first things to develop are the defense and escapes. Against

higher-level or stronger guys, I almost always end up at the bottom. But that

doesn't mean that I have to panic. The good thing about Jiu Jitsu is that there

is almost always a way out or even to win no matter how dire the situation 

looks. Staying calm and practicing the skills to defend and escape are themselves

a victory. I am very thankful to Henry and Rickson whose instructions on the 

fundamentals are just what I need.

Starting sparring from standing up was dangerous, as I learnt facing off with

JR, a stocky blue belt. He caught my left leg and swept the other heel off the

ground in one stroke. Bang! I landed on my back and was stunned for three

seconds. I was not otherwise injured. From now on, I would rather start in a bad

position than in the gladiator style.

Not all lessons taught at Eric's school are what I need. Some are geared toward

competition but I don't want to compete. My goals are simple: health, self-defense,

Tim, and community.

Recent weeks, my gums at the base of upper molars have swollen up again. I have

paid attention to dental hygiene, my diet is good, and therefore I believe that

something else has to be the cause. Talking to a doctor may help.