New Year, New me!? 2025 was already quite good! I started with Jiu-Jitsu and writing a blog! That's a lot, with quite a few years of preparation for both. Mental preparation! There was always something to overthink or to "prepare" for, to get ready to start. My advice to myself for 2026 - do not think too much! Start, and if necessary, think it through as you go; otherwise, you will lose time! It took me 57 years to come to this conclusion. But you are never too old to learn and accept something new.

My Jiu-Jitsu currently looks like this: some dude is on top of me, trying to apply leverage on my arm, while I’m curled up in a fetal position, just trying to survive.

On Wednesday, after our usual warm-up, we worked on double-leg exercises in groups of three. The person in the middle had to roll forward, execute a double-leg takedown, turn around, roll forward again, then perform a double-leg takedown on the third person, rotating positions every three repetitions.

So, my resume after two months of training, apart from my ups and downs, first, I would say that the name Jiu-Jitsu, which means gentle art, is a scam! The one who gave it that name was a joker. I don’t see which part is gentle when a 20, 30, or 40kg heavier Dude lies on me and tries to strangle me or break my arm. I feel how my inner body parts are crying for help, and his long beard in my mouth is choking me. Or when a much younger lad is flying around me like a bee and eventually submits me. My shoulders are already in such a condition that I have to tap myself while taking off the rashguard after class.

There are days after training when I feel like Chuck Norris, and then there are days when I doubt myself. Yesterday was one of those days.During the warm-up, among other things, we practiced forward and backward rolls, which I’m still struggling with. OK, it’s a little better, but there’s no real improvement yet. The techniques we worked on went so-so. My partner was 72 years old, a white belt who had been practicing Jiu-Jitsu for quite a bit longer than I had.