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.

My biggest regret is that I didn't start with Jiu-Jitsu when I first began thinking about it. Now I would have about ten years of training. But let us not dwell on the past or what might be. Let’s talk about today and now. My last class was also my 17th class in total. It was quite a heavy warm-up. We conducted a lot of core training and push-ups, followed by extensive groundwork techniques with a partner. It was a good training. We made a lot of short rollings, where you had 30 seconds, for example, to make a sweep. If you managed it, you stayed on the mat; if you didn’t, your partner remained on the mat, and the next one came. Of course, I was never the one who remained on the mat. After that, we made three rounds, each lasting three minutes, with different partners free rolling. And for ‘cool down’ again, some core exercise. Ultimately, I was exhausted! But satisfied. I believe I am becoming increasingly proficient in using my techniques. I managed twice to maintain side control against stronger opponents, and that’s already a win for me.  

Only three rounds of rolling today. It turned out to be the easiest session so far.We started with the usual warm-up, followed by a series of techniques — mostly takedowns from different positions, with some groundwork mixed in. I felt good throughout, relaxed and focused.

After taking two weeks off because of chest pain, I managed to get back to training three times this week.

I’m skipping training for the second week now. I had my ribs X-rayed last week — everything’s fine, and the pain is getting better. But considering my age, I think it’s better to let myself heal completely rather than push too hard and risk making it worse.

Last Wednesday, we were working on a closed guard overwrap, and a few times during the turn, I ended up landing with my back on my training partner’s knee. It wasn’t pleasant — every time I felt a sharp discomfort in my lower back.After training, along with the usual soreness, I noticed a pain on the right side of my back, specifically around the kidney area. I couldn’t tell whether it was a muscle strain or something more serious.

During my 10th class, I struggled again with the forward and backward rolls — a total pain in the ass! Some other BJJ-specific core exercises, as well as push-ups, also gave me trouble. And I was thinking I was strong!

Last night was another “survival mode.” On Fridays, my group “Fundamentals” joins training with the advanced group. That’s when we white belts get mixed in with blue, purple, brown, and black belts.

Survived! I somehow managed to make it through another training session. Forward and backward rolls? I’d rather not even talk about how sick they make me feel. We spent time lifting and lowering our partner from the ground while they were in guard position. Then came sparring—three rounds, six minutes each—with partners way younger than me.