Cloud Formations

My mind was a bit blurry today as I headed to class. I wasn't intending to take class but the rain had muddied the fields enough to cause soccer practice to be canceled. This meant taking class for two days in a row and three out of four days. Maybe a bit much to ask of my body just two months away from turning 49.

It was a smallish class with some of the guys nursing injuries or taking a Springtime break. Even the Cal Ripken of the dojo, Ryan, was sitting out due to a rib tweak. Ryan is almost as dependable as the sun rising. I believe that he even visited Extreme Couture while on his honeymoon in Las Vegas.

Sensei asked that I lead the class in warm-ups. This was probably a good thing since my head was definitely elsewhere. I went through the usual exercises without much trouble but I need to use the command 'hajime' to begin the repetitions instead of 'ready, begin'. I think that's a very old Army habit that's still in my head. Interesting that something can stick in your head for 30 years.

Sensei had fellow yellow belt Big Dave and I work together as he called out chart techniques. Given my lack of focus, this was probably the last thing I needed to do. I had a great time working with Big Dave and certainly had some moments of 'satori' but I'm sure I didn't impress Sensei tonight. He stated afterwards that we both needed to do lots of repetitions of the chart techniques to make them more instinctive and fine-tuned. As I close in on two years at Kobukai, I have to wonder where I'm going to find time for more practice and how. It's also possible that I'm just not as able as I'd hope to be. I'm going to stick with it until August and then reassess.

Randori was a round robin of sorts. I rolled first with white belt Gary and helped him through some movements. He's a strong guy and will be dangerous to deal with before long. Next I went with brown belt Jake and we had a good roll. I tried to get him with a Kata Gatame for the umpteenth time and it didn't do anything but make us both tired. My last partner was Big Dave and that's just a ridiculous endeavor. He punished me a bit and I suspect I'll be feeling that as I peel myself out of bed in the morning.

I recently read a book called 'What Now' and it talked about the pathways one takes in life and about keeping oneself open to people and possibilities. I was afraid to climb into the garage attic as a kid but ended up jumping out of planes in the 82nd Airborne Division. I'm an avowed introvert that's managed an organization of hundreds of people and I've given presentations in front of a thousand. An orthopedic surgeon told me to quit running because I didn't have the body for the sport but I later ran marathons. I believe in the experiencing life and challenging myself. I started practicing jujitsu at an age when most guys are playing golf. Jujitsu has taught me many lessons, allowed me to test myself on many mental and physical levels and given me many new friends and experiences. I love doing it but I do wonder if I'll ever be any good at it. We shall see as the path continues.