My most precious possession when it comes to Jiu Jitsu
Gracie Barra Maastricht - Summer Gathering 2022. Picture by Marga Hondorp-ter Horst
How did I get this far?
Well it all started with BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU AT 43 . Who does that? Well I did. One year later I was questioning; WHY DO I KEEP GOING BACK TO CLASS? I thought that I was prepared for MY FIRST BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU TOURNAMENT , but I was not. That was a real eye-opener. I lost but I did not quit. I battled through THE SORENESS, THE BRUISES, THE ACHES, RASH-WOUNDS AND THE RECOVERY . I was making progress in terms of dealing with the physical demand of the sport. But, then the Pandemic hit and we were obliged to sit at the side line;
We were very happy when the lockdowns were no more and we could hit the mats again. I struggled a lot with MY BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU POST LOCKDOWN . In 2021 it was time for MY 2ND BJJ TOURNAMENT and that was a HUMBLING EXPERIENCE. I had an ass whooping that I never experienced before in any martial arts tournament. Since then I AM UNABLE TO CONNECT THE DOTS… , and Sensei Jordy told me that that loss that I suffered, I had to experienced it.
Some call it a journey, I do not. To me a journey has a start and an end. I do not see it like that. I have always said that I will continue to practice BJJ until my body decides it’s enough. Let’s be honest BJJ is not an easy sport for older people. If anything it is very demanding and it takes perseverance and dedication. I’m 47 and I am still rolling with Savages that are 20 year’s younger that wants to choke me. With that said; I don’t have to prove anything to nobody but myself.
Sensei Jordy and I - Gracie Barra Maastricht - Summer Gathering 2022. Picture by Marga Hondorp-ter Horst
Ok what happened on July 2nd, 2022? I was promoted by Sensei Jordy Peute to blue belt, at the Summer gathering of Gracie Barra Maastricht. Woohooo - well not quite; again I see it differently; Am I glad that I got the bleu belt? Abso - fucking - lutely; but here is how I see it. When we get promoted we tend to see only the part that is expected of us. Or better said, what we “think that is expected of us”. How I see it is that your Sensei thinks that you are ready to face the next phase and steps in that particular martial art, for me it’s BJJ of course. Now that I am a blue belt I am more concern with what is coming to me. Specifically what is allowed under blue belt in terms of techniques and submission. I never had to deal with this because as a white belt I wasn’t worried with anything outside Fundamentals for white belts. I tend to look at it from both sides of the line. Besides, because one has received a higher belt it does not give you super-powers over night.
I am going into a new phase of my BJJ as a blue belt, and I will be relying on my most precious possession; which is the knowledge I acquired through my white belt. All the blood, sweat, and tears are buried deep in that white belt.
My most precious possession - my White Belt
On the Blue Belt that I received from Sensei Jordy there is a popular qoute which caught my eye as soon as the belt was put around my waist …
“Black Belt is a White belt that never quit”
Keep going to class.
Oss!