I wish this was an update about my gardening prowess – although my first lawn is growing like mad – but unfortunately it’s more literal today.
Last night I went along to BJJ, but for the first time at the new full-time gym. I say full-time, it’s only open in the evenings, but the point is it’s the club’s building and it’s not shared with anyone else. It was the first time I’ve ventured out to see it and I’m impressed, it looks really clean and good.
Our club's logo and a nice clean floor and wall
I didn’t realise it but the lesson time had moved from 8 to 7.30, so I got there 20 minutes after the start of the lesson – oops! It was quite a small class and thanks to the new mats with their super slippery tops, making the position was really easy. We worked another De La Riva sweep which rolls up beautiftully into side control thanks to a sneaky push/kick half-way through. We went into some open rolling which was absolutely awesome. Not having to worry about putting your head or feet through the chipboard wall is great, and having all that extra room to work makes it feel far more open. The slippery top to the mats will take a week or two to wear down, which will be a good thing. Although I really like being able to shrimp and switch hips so quickly (it’s like grappling on ice!), it makes some stuff really tricky. I got caught in full mount at one point and whereas normally I’d bridge into Upa, my feet had absolutely no purchase and I got choked out quite nastily. Overall it was good though, I spent the majority of the time I was rolling in either side or mount, and scored with Americana once. I can definitely feel the beginnings of my ‘game’ evolving, and I know where I work well from and where I tend to end up in trouble.
Some of the guys checking out the rest of the gym
Getting back briefly to the title of this post, and my green finger. While I was rolling with a guy about the same size and strength as me, neither of us wanted to pull guard so there was a lot of pushing, shoving, grabbing and general bullying going on, trying to get on top. At one point I took his lapel and passed it over his arm to help me tie him up, but just as I got a nice pistol grip on it he tore it free. My little finger got caught up as he did and there was a loud crack and a lot of pain. I’m still not sure exactly what I did, but for the rest of the class I taped it up and cried like a girl when it got hit was totally manly and didn’t bat an eyelid.
By the time I got home a small bruise had started to appear under it, and by the time I got to bed I couldn’t bend it thanks to the swelling. Here’s how it looked first thing this morning…
My broken/dislocated finger started to go pretty colours
The bruising’s gone really dark now and started to go green around the edges, so I think by the middle of the week I’ll have a really attractive green finger. It’s throbbing like mad and I keep doing stupid things like shoving my hand in my pocket which hurts like nobody’s business! I’ve busted my toes before and although they hurt, it’s nothing like as impractical as that finger. I can’t type properly, write and whenever I drink I look like a ponce with my pinkie sticking out. C’est la vie. Rafa showed me his fingers at the end of the class and his knuckles are a mess, I guess it just comes with the territory.
On top of that I’ve found out that because of ‘work-related differences of opinion’ I can no longer go and compete at the British TSD Championships this weekend. I am absolutely gutted, I’ve been looking forward to it for ages, and now I’ve had my chance to go taken away. I’m not sure if I’m more angry or upset. Never mind, I know the rest of the guys will do me, the club and the county proud, and come home laden with silverware again. Good luck guys, even though you don’t need it.