“At your age, every time you come to class, it’s a win.”
That’s what a black belt said to me last Friday, after we had rolled together and he asked me about my age.
That day, I had six rounds, each lasting three minutes. Two rounds with two different black belts, one with a brown belt, one with a blue belt, and two with white belts. Only in my last round, with one of the white belts, can I say that I did quite well. I was controlling the game against a partner 15 years younger than me. With the colored belts, it was just tap after tap.
After I tapped while the brown belt was on top of me, I admitted to him that when someone like him — heavier than me — gets on top, I have difficulty breathing and panic starts to rise. I get the feeling that I am drowning.
He told me I have to learn how to breathe. To raise my hips a little to create space and breathe. I have to learn to breathe.
He’s right. That’s the goal for the next classes.
The other black belt told me I need to learn how to save energy. He said, “I am saving energy while I am on top, and while I am underneath.”
By the way, that black belt is 70 years old and has a body like Tarzan.
Although I wasn’t happy with my performance, I learned something. And I came home with even more material to think about.
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