Well, I promised to come back and update everyone once I got my Brazilian Jiu Jitsu blue belt. So here it is... the evidence of my hard work over the last 18 months.
After hundreds of hours of instruction and training, I was awarded a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu last night by my friend and instructor David Krstic. David is a three-stripe black belt and has been training consistently for over twenty years. He's also quite a skilled striker, but I have yet to delve into that realm of martial arts.
Here's the qualification card showing the number of training sessions I completed:
Not only have I become immensely more confident in self-defence on this journey, but I've deepened my understanding of many life truths illustrated through the practice of this amazing martial art. Here's how I would summarise those lessons:
the compounding benefit of small consistent incremental improvements
the value of failure and humility in learning,
the exhilaration of pushing yourself beyond previous limits alongside a community of like-minded warriors
Now begins the multi-year journey to purple.