Picky

I've become an unremitting elitist.

I have a stupid injury. My finger went point-on into the mat with a body on top of it.

It gives me no pain, but it's still very stiff after two weeks. Slow progress is being made.

The only reason that it's an issue is that I have a couple of weeks of training at the Gracie Academy in Los Angeles coming up. I want to be as close to 100% as possible for that.

I been off the mat since it happened, but also itching to be training.

I figure that I could train without hurting it again, but that I'd need a very consistent and predictable partner. If I know where they are going to be and what they will be doing at every step of training, I can move in concert with them and keep the finger safe.

It's quite possible that any of the newer people in our advanced class are perfectly consistent, but I don't know them well enough. That left only the old hands as prospective partners.

Scott and Cosme are the most senior, and have the deepest understanding of what we are working on, but they also sometimes move very quickly. They like to try slight variations as they work through material, which is exactly what I don't need right now.

That left only 3 or 4 to choose from. All are very good, but I need more than good right now. What is needed is consistency, and therefore predictability; in addition to general skill.

I therefore messaged Rob and Elizabeth to see if they would agree to being my partner all night. Normally we rotate from person to person. Rob responded, and agreed to my request.

During class it went wonderfully. No injuries, nor even a bump or bang. I had to be at least as consistent as he was. We weren't moving slow, just sticking precisely to the drills.

Then along came sparring time. The instructor called for a less-than-full-intensity type of sparring. By then Rob and I were so in-tune, that I stayed and rolled with him. No problems occurred. Then time came to switch partners.

Leave the mat, or stay with somebody else? I grabbed Elizabeth, and off we went. She was fully aware of my injury. It was the same kind of roll, and went just as well as the one with Rob did.

Trained for the full class, with not so much as a jostle to my cranky digit. Things are still on-track for Los Angeles.

Now if I can just keep things going exactly like that night was, I might be able to both train here, and be fit for travel.

And then I'll likely hurt it while packing.