December is going to mean less training now I guess. Without dropping off too much I need to spend some time leading up to Christmas helping my Scout troop at the Christmas Tree yard in the evenings so I will have to rework the schedule a little. Plus my hands are sore from choking people. That is for real. When I clinch them..they hurt..plus I must have fractured my thumb a few times this year I also think. So I might, on purpose, avoid chokes for a while and maybe go hunting for new submisssions...

I pushed hard to try to level up before the end of the year and even though I didn't get any visable validation I now feel my improvements on the mats have been enough personally - so I am happy. I am happy when I am in the midst of a roll and I am holding my own and feeling the jiu jitsu just flowing through me. I have listened carefully to many thing that my team mates have said to me. Whether it was Reubens quote 'I look at it as being a safe environment to learn' or Xande's 'Jiu Jitsu is a top game' - these simple quotes, along with a few others of encouragement, have fundamentally changed my mindframe and that has changed my game. I feel more like a top player where I spent the last 2 years messing around with my guard. And I also learned some 'movementations' that have also opened up my game. Good Old Basics for sure.  I will admit to going through a period of being much too focused on the belts and trying to impress my Sensai too much. But that has changed. There has been many teachings that have helped me refocus and get back to training for the sake of just doing jiu jitsu and loving it.

I went to the Toronto BJJ Annual In House Tournament and it all came together this past weekend. The time I spent on the mat was a turning point for me as for the first time I went out on to the tatami's and played a strategy game and I even had time to look at the points and change my game up. These are important developments...and I won 2/2 in my division =)

There have been other changes too within myself. I really believe Jiu Jitsu builds you from the inside out (a quote I heard on The Fightworks Podcast). I am definately getting more comfortable and I am understanding my body and what I am able to do. I feel it starting to click more. My breathing is better and I have learned that 'being flexible' is more than just putting your leg behind your head. It is being able to understand how jiu jitsu is something you can use in your everyday life to deal with real situations in a much better manner.

But a little extra rest would be good for a couple of weeks...my body and Leia my dog might appreciate it..

A quick outlook for 2010 before I sign off...I plan to do the Abu Dhabi Trials in March in Montreal, Grapplers Quest in New Jersey, Saulo's Association Annual in October, All the local events that TBJJ will be attending plus I plan to travel to Rio for 2 weeks to train and Gracie Tijuca (Jorge's Academy). That only leaves me undecided about Mundials & Pan Ams but even without those events I am making a step up in my competition participation. Next year I am 33. And I intend it to be my biggest year to date ( I have a weird thing about the #3). I can also do Master's divisions where they are available. So thats why I don't plan to slack off too much over the next weeks as I am not doing anything really for Christmas...

Last year at this time I was getting ready to go home to Ireland and I would be travelling to Gracie Barra in Belfast - in my white belt (I did have my green belt but I did not wear it). I have journeyed far since then.

Just keep training right? That's what it's all about. It will all be revealed and it will all continue to get better. You just need to keep training.

Hope you are getting as much out of training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu as I am - where ever you are training.

Scott

Use Twitter or Facebook? You can follow me @ Twitter.com/scottonthenet or Join the 'Journal Of Jiu Jitsu' facebook group...these both get extra BJJ stuff updated and usually a bit faster than the site...Oss.