Latest

Just got my latest wee Jiu-Jitsu promotion. It was easy this time, as my training has been way over the required goal; by more than 40% actually.

It’s my next that will be a bitch.

There is an 8-month (34 week) minimum period before another promotion can be awarded.

All I have to do, is to accumulate 30 weeks worth of training during that time. That sounds eezy-peezy, and with a 4-week buffer to boot.

Turns out it isn’t so slick. First off, I will be starting a week late due to camping, so in 34 weeks I can only do a maximum of 33 weeks of training.

And then there’s the fact that our school shuts down for a week in August, and for two more at Christmas. That means that with perfect attendance at every single class between now and the end of March, I will only be able to get exactly the required 30 weeks of work done.

Unless you count our upcoming trip to Europe. There goes another 5 and a half weeks of mat time.

And one mustn’t forget our trip to Singapore; another 5 weeks. Most likely there will be a month spent in Arizona.

That all means that when the calendar hits the goal date 34 weeks from now, my attendance will be 15 weeks short, even with perfect attendance whenever we’re home.

First-world problems.

The good news is that I do extra training. Every Monday I’m off to the big city. By goal time this will make a difference of about 2.5 weeks. I can easily add another blob on top by going city-ward on Saturdays. That will shrink my shortfall to 10 weeks.

Also, if we go to Arizona, I can train as much there as at home, so only the drives down and up will only be, “lost time.” The red ink shrinks to 6 weeks.

I could let things sit there, and just finish a couple of months late, but why not fix things if I can.

For the rest of this fine month of August, we will be home. Also, the ferries will be running on a somewhat extended Summer schedule, meaning that I could stay for a second class when I go in to Vancouver to train on Mondays. There’s another week regained.

Also, when our school shuts down for the stupid-week that it stupid-does in stupid-August, I can switch my attention to the city rather than shutting myself down as well. This can add almost 2 more full weeks to my recovery.

I’ll still be a bit short when my potential promotion time rolls around on March 27th, but will be closer by far. Private sessions with Shawn will help even more, just as injuries will work against me, but I will have done all I possibly can.

Thankfully, the time after this one everything should all run as smooth as silk.