haven't updated this in a while, so here goes.
Today in our grappling class I got promoted to purple belt. The way we do belt tests is mostly a formality, but to earn your belt you have to roll with everyone in class, 2 minutes each, with maybe 30 seconds between. There was 14 other guys there, ranging from beginners to professional fighters. It was a long time rolling, but not nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be. I did a good job of pacing myself to get through it. I did pop my left elbow - didn't tap soon enough and heard the snap-crackle-pop, so that sucks. It's not bad, but will need ice and rest. I also fought off an
bicep-crush on my right arm for entirely too long and I still don't have feeling in my thumb and finger - must have pinched a nerve in there somehow.
I didn't go to the first grappling tournament this month, it was the same week as the AFC championship and I went to Denver for that instead. Now, I won't be able to afford the second one because the Denver trip was a little pricy, plus I just had to have $500 worth of repairs done to my truck
Sparring wise, I'm doing a little bit better. Still not moving very well, but I don't seem to be ducking my head any more. I am throwing combos better, so that's good. Having trouble with distance - it's a tough thing for short-armed guys like me to figure out how to move in close enough without getting popped. I did take a front kick just below my rib cage that absolutely floored me. He caught me as I was breathing in and my stomach was not tightened - wasn't ready for it. I dropped like a rock with a "fuuuuuu"...that's about all I could get out. That sucked.
Now, I'm concerned about these ligament injuries. This isn't the first time I've popped something. I'm a little scared that maybe my body just can't take things like that any more. I hope this doesn't become a thing.
one other random thought: MMA sparring has got to be the best workout in the planet. Like jiu-jitsu, you use every muscle in your body. Unlike jiu-jitsu, if you relax for a second, you get punched in the face. 3 minutes of sparring completely drains me, forget about 5. I thought my conditioning was crap but if I could go through the gauntlet today, maybe it's not that bad. Maybe I just need more time on the cage to get more comfortable and figure out how to relax.