Testing the Waters

Three weeks ago I competed in a small tournament in Massachusetts to gauge where I was in terms of my jujitsu and my recovery and to see how my injury would hold up.  Unfortunately I lost both of my matches, but there were some positives to take away from the experience.  I didn't get hurt and re-injure my pec, and I held my own. 

While watching the video, I noticed my strategy/game had changed slightly from prior matches.  In past matches I attacked in a more wild, nonstop fashion while in these two matches I was more conservative, slower and looked to pick my spots to attack, seeming to prefer a more controlling attack.  Was this a result of my injury?  Probably so, but it seemed to work for the most part.  It might be something to keep in mind during training.  I may not have youth to fall back on, but I can still use technique and strategy.  Hopefully in the future this will result in some victories, meanwhile I'll keep on grinding away.

It felt good to step on the mat and compete again.  Inherently, I'm a competitive person and enjoy testing myself, be it in the classroom, in the office or on the mats.  I'm also not afraid to fail, which I've done plenty of.  You don't get ahead by staying at home or by being satisfied with the status quo.