#5 - Blue Belt

Well, I already wrote this out once but for whatever reason it's not here so I guess I'll write it out again!

Unfortunately I don't remember much as this happened on July 7th, which is quite awhile ago. What I do remember is this:
I was doing the Advance Class when about half way through the class was halted by Professor Tim Shears, who at the time was the head Coach at Gracie Barra Vancouver. He was also one of first coaches for striking when I first started training again in 2000. He was teaching the Fundamentals class and it was time for promotions so he brought both of the classes together. He handed a few stripes and then gave out 4 Blue Belts, of which I was the last one to get.

There was a LOT of higher belts there that night, which means I was about to get tossed around. Basically all the new Blue belts have to give the senior students a free throw, meaning that can judo throw us and we can't give any Resistance. I think I tosses about 8 or 9 times that night, once which was really hard and left me seeing stars (thanks, Joe).

It's been 11 years since the first time I did BJJ, which is about the time it takes to get a Black Belt for most people. I tend to take a the scenic route apparently. It's been 6 months and I'm about due for a stripe on that belt but a lot of injuries, including a damaged disk in my neck, have kept me from training consistently. Not sure how much longer I'll be able to continue but I would really like to earn my purple belt. at this rate it should be.... 15, 16 years? Hopefully not. But even if it is I hope I can continue to train and learn and have fun in this strange and most excellent of sports.