Six rounds of six minutes each. With different rolling partners. It wasn’t just good — it was very good.
I was proud that I had done it, and even more proud of how I had done it.
I was active. I didn’t win every round, but I didn’t lose easily either. I’m not even sure anymore whether any of my partners had to tap, but I know I didn’t make it easy for them. I put up real resistance, and the guys who usually sweep me whenever they want actually had a hard time.
The icing on the cake came at the end of the class. After the training, one of the old-school instructors told me, for the first time, that he could see improvement in my game. He said he noticed I was using the techniques we had learned well and that I should try to stay on top of my rolling partners.
The guard position became famous as Jiu-Jitsu evolved from a purely self-defense art into a sport. But in reality, it is also a survival position. The original idea is to stay on top, control the opponent, and finish the fight as soon as possible.
That meant a lot.
This was nine days ago. Since then, I’ve been on a business trip to France. All my Jiu-Jitsu during that time consisted of reading Rick Ellis’s book "Old Grappler Handbook – How to Thrive After 40", doing around 400 push-ups, 100 burpees yesterday, and some core training in the Hotel room.
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